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[reparator]

Who: ? ? ?
When: OOC: 11/03, IC: 11/18
Where: Cerealia
What: Well, that sure went wrong quickly.
Rating/Warning: PG-13 for dangerous/scary situations

---

//event???.EXE

The quiet of Cerealia is interrupted almost all too suddenly. Things were broken and not working before, sure, but that was before the sky opened up -- and the clouds part. And then, above the planet, hovering almost innocently...there’s a ship. The peace only hovers there for a moment. Because then...then the Flamines come. There’s a debt they have to settle. And the time has come to pay up. We're here. :)

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I [ ❓❓❓ ] And then the Flamines are there. They just appear, suddenly, as if from nowhere. They’re a race of mercenary aliens, and fighting is all they know -- they’re definitely not going to be easy to kill by any means. They seem to have a natural resistance to magic: aside from very specific types of magic (in particular, light magic and anything highly spiritual), they absorb it. Light magic and spiritual magic can harm them, but it will take a lot to take one down. They can be stabbed, if you can get that close. But good luck. Of course, they look like nondescript black shapes with masks until you knock the mask off...and then you can see the true shape of the Flamines. They’re here to kill you all. :) PHASE II [ ❓❓❓ ] As if that isn’t enough… it seems the Flamines’ arrival was the last straw for Cerealia and the Nexus Code. There’s a tear in the sky, and from it… the Nexus Code, where all of the lost friends from before, can be seen. It can be entered, even, though remaining there too long can be detrimental to your health. But people are there. Old friends, strung up and lifeless, can be seen there, unmoving. And… Then some of them move. They open their eyes. They remember how to breathe. And they’re able to return, able to stagger their way back into Cerealia and take their first breath of air in a long, long time. Welcome back to the chaos of Cerealia, friends. Unfortunately, you’ve got nothing but the clothes on your back while murderous aliens are rampaging, so hopefully you’re able to think fast. It’d be unfortunate to die so soon after coming back. As for spiritual and magical characters who were not in the Nexus Code...well, when they return, they’ll find that they’re covered in old, dried blood, and their clothing might have tears in it, as if from a knife. There are no scars, though, and they’re otherwise fine. Strange. PHASE III [ ❓❓❓ ] As if this chaos isn’t enough… there are also the masks. Regardless of whether or not characters were around to receive them the first time, regardless what they did with them before, the masks will suddenly reappear in your characters’ hands. They can be tossed aside, but they’ll reappear again eventually, unable to be truly shaken. Characters who received them before will receive the same mask they had before. Characters who didn’t receive them before will receive a mask according to the trait that’s more prominent for them. Either way...it’ll have a profound effect on the Flamines. They will go after any character with a broken mask in a bloodthirsty rage, intent on murdering them. Characters with a barcode mask or bloody mask will be the next likely to be chased down intently by the Flamines. Characters with a :( mask will be killed if they get in the Flamines’ way, though they will not go out of their way to chase them down. Characters with a vine mask or feather mask will be treated with wariness, though they may still be attacked if they get in a Flamines’ way. Characters with a grey mask will not be killed unless they are first the aggressor, as will characters with a bloody fingerprint mask. Naturally there will be exceptions to every rule, but the masks will change how the Flamines’ generally act towards characters! PHASE IV [ ❓❓❓ ] But something’s not quite right. Regardless of the battles against the Flamines, it seems Cerealia’s just been under too much pressure lately. Something had to give -- And it’s the code building up the characters that really suffers. Their code has been hanging on by a thread without CERES to maintain it, and now… it’s finally giving out. The glitches that afflicted characters before will be even more prominent now; they might glitch from place to place, or have their powers go totally awry in odd ways. There may be a lack of powers suddenly, or a sudden difficulty staying on the ground as gravity stops working on the character. They might suddenly be unable to breathe, or go cold, or very nearly die -- But it can be controlled, too, with effort. Characters can learn to control the glitches, gaining an ability to almost teleport, or ways to tweak their powers in exciting new ways. With a lot of effort, they could even possibly reverse a death -- but only their own, and only once. BONUS [ ❓❓❓ ] There are also… birds? Flamingos, to be exact. Who knows where they came from, but either way, there are plastic flamingos chilling all over the place. They’re just normal plastic; they don’t move, they can very easily be destroyed -- But if you touch one with your bare hands… it’ll have an interesting effect. Characters will suddenly find that they have the abilities or the last person they touched -- but without any of the practice or ability to control it, of course. Still, it might help with that pesky Flamines problem, right? [ 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 the beginning of Cerealia's endgame event! Please visit the OOC information here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. This event will begin 11/03, or IC 11/18. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you!

Comments

[particularity]

phase ii.

[Everything is somewhat hazy. He's not sure how he got from the Nexus Code from here, honestly-- he just staggered until he could rest his hand against a surface that felt solid. He looks up further and sees...]

...what the hell.

[No, really. What the hell happened?! Rather, how did he get from where he remembers being to right here and no, seriously. What the hell. Where's Komaeda, too? A sharp glance around assures him that Komaeda is nowhere to be seen and that's top on the charts of things that aren't okay with Hinata.

And then, when he drops his hands to his body on instinct:]

Where are my weapons?!

[FUCK IT, HE'S BOOKING IT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

He's never without his trusty hunting knife, at least! And he'd never forget to arm himself on any given day! So, you know, there's Hinata, running pell-mell through the streets, doing his damn best to dodge any kinds of debris or attacking aliens. And doing a very nice job.

Fighto, Hinata. Or not fighto, as the case may be.]


phase iv.
[So, where are you right now? Are you in the middle of fighting aliens? Maybe you're running away, maybe you've found a spot where you can hide out...

Be prepared for the air near to you (whether in front, to the side, or behind) to flicker as coding finishes its glitching and unceremoniously just dumps Hinata somewhere where he probably doesn't want to be.

Wow. Everything isn't okay.

Or, perhaps you'll catch him later when he figures out that, hey wait a second, you can actually control this stuff. He'll appear much less unceremoniously, his gaze scouring for anyone familiar or, you know, anyone who can explain what the hell happened. While he apparently hadn't been paying attention or was gone for who-knows-how-long.]


wildcard.
[LITERALLY ANYTHING, THE WORLD MIGHT BE ENDING, DO AS YOU WILL]

ii

[unluckless]

[Komaeda's escape from the Nexus Code was pure luck really, basically tripping his way straight out of it. And sure okay he landed on his face a little bit, right in front of a rather hostile looking thing, and that wasn't fun.

At all. But he managed to slip away (wondering where the hell his anything is, and why he doesn't remember this place falling to hell, but he's a smart boy. He puts it together. Piece by piece. While he's running and hiding. For his life.

Of course, there are other things, other people on his mind, and distraction is bad when one is trying to just survive. But he can't find Hinata, and that is enough to have him wound up in the worst sort of way.

Until, as luck would have it, he sees a familiar figure go running by and exhales a sigh of relief, even as he's reaching out a hand to grab Hinata by the arm and jerk him into what's left of the building that he's hiding in. ...ambushing the SHSL Everything should be a good and not at all dangerous idea, right?

Right.]

[particularity]

Ah--

[A bad idea, yes, when Hinata's nerves are running on high and there are aliens everywhere destroying shit. He jerks, reacting on instinct the moment he's pulled into the building and his free hand is moving as if to lash out at the person gripping onto his arm--but he stops just in time, staring at Komaeda with wide, mismatched eyes.

And then he sags bodily, exhaling a heaving sigh, that hand falling gently onto his shoulder instead.]

Nagito, you scared the hell out of me...

[unluckless]

[Komaeda doesn't so much as flinch as that free hand starts to lash out at him -- though whether it's his own lack of self preservation, a great amount of trust in Hinata's restraint, or some combination of the two is anyone's guess.

He smiles and manages to almost look sheepish as he steps in closer to Hinata, close enough to slip his other arm around his waist in a relieved hug. Hinata is here and alive and somehow, even if the world is falling apart around them (and when isn't it anyway?) everything seems like it'll be fine.]

Sorry, Hajime. I didn't want to call out and call attention to us. And I didn't want to let you get away either.

[particularity]

[Sighing heavily, Hinata catches him around the shoulders with one of his arms, squeezing him in a tight hug in return. He feels more on solid ground with Komaeda here, though it doesn't change that he feels very vulnerable without a weapon of any kind on him.]

Yeah... that was the right choice...

[But, oops. Before they hug too long in a place that isn't confirmed safe, he edges further into the building. They're safe for now?]

iv

[dereban]

[ Dealing with supernatural shenanigans is one thing, but having someone glitch right there is another, if only because-- ]

You're- [ Surprise soon turns into anger and frustration as she knits her brows, pointing at him with suspicion. ] You're real, right?! Not some weird clone or illusion or zombie, right?

[ Wait, why that last one... ]

[particularity]

[Seriously, why the last one?]

I'm real! [said in a rush, as he glances around as if to confirm the place he's ended up this time. This glitching thing is making him dizzy and doesn't lend well to his adrenaline already running high.]

Really real. I can't really think of anything convincing I could say to prove it right now, but--

[dereban]

Okay, sensei, I'll believe you... if you let me flick you on the forehead.

[ Of course she's saying "sensei" in such a half hearted tone that's dripping with sarcasm; unfortunately (?) for him he's managed to teleport to what seems to be near the red light district but Inaba swears she has a good reason for being here... this time. ]

Otherwise I'm kicking you in the balls like the rest of the Flamines I ran into.

[particularity]

A flick on the forehead, seriously?

[He's not certain that he's safe from a kick in the balls either way, but he tentatively approaches and offers his forehead, mouth twisted. Is this fine? Go for it, Inaba??]

phase iv.

[deontology]

[And then, suddenly, Hinata is right there being dumped into Sousei's arms.

Which is...admittedly a weird way to meet back up again, but here they are.]

Ah. Hinata.

[He takes this in stride way more than he probably should.]

[particularity]

[why]

So-- Sousei?!

[Oi. Can you be a little shaken up? Maybe?

Alas. He should have guessed. It's fine, Hinata will shoulder the burden of reacting! He moves so that he's less half-toppled against Sousei, finding his feet again.]

[deontology]

[Nah, being shaken up isn't his style.

He supports Hinata until Hinata takes his own weight, nodding simply.]

While it is good to see you again, I suspect our reunion will have to wait until somewhat later.

[particularity]

Seems like it.

[But Hinata is happy to see him too, very much so.]

We should probably get moving, before those guys focus on us.

iv

[succeeder]

[ Togami has been avoiding death by Flamines, but he's had some really, really close calls, what with the broken mask on his head. It doesn't help that even when he finds people to help protect him, things glitching out means there's still the danger of being separated from them... as has happened just recently for him.

He's extra jittery to be alone in this situation, so when he sees movement out of the corner of his eye, he swings around with a knife at the ready. The blade stops short of Hinata's face, and then, Togami's eyes widen with recognition. ]

—You?

[particularity]

[Hinata's sound is a quiet inhale first, already reacting when he sees the glint of a weapon. His motion is entirely instinctual and easy; his hand has snapped up, like he would've stopped Togami's weapon by force if he hadn't first.

Then he hears his voice and he sighs heavily in relief.] —Togami. Hey.

[...] Mind putting that down? [From his face. Thank you.]

[succeeder]

[ He drops his arm, lowering the knife with it, and giving Hinata a look up and down. ]

When did you get here?

Phase II

[bewrightback]

[And one of the things he dodges happens to be a surprised Phoenix Wright. Now that's an odd-haired boy he recognizes.]

Y-you?! [And if Hinata doesn't stop, Phoenix attempts to run after him!]

[particularity]

[Oh, hey Phoenix. Hinata shoots him a quick glance, slowing for a second but only for a second.]

...We can talk somewhere safer! [He'll call over one shoulder. Yeah. Come along, Phoenix!]

[bewrightback]

...That's a very good idea! [Phoenix does like not dying. So he keeps on running in pursuit of him.

At least with hair like that, it would be hard to lose track of him in a crowd.]

iv

[fittedgloves]

[ Thankfully Kyouko isn't in the middle of a battle when Hinata shows up, and instead she's safely inside a building. But she jumps when she notices the air nearby flickering, and when Hinata lands on the ground, she runs over to him. ]

Hinata-kun? [ She certainly sounds surprised, but it wears off soon. ] Are you alright?

[particularity]

M-- more or less. Sorry for surprising you, Kirigiri.

[He shakes his head, rubbing his thumb hard into his temple and blinking a few times. There we go, he focuses better now and glances around. Ah, as expected of Kirigiri, she's already inside somewhere safe, huh?]

[fittedgloves]

[ She shakes her head. ]

There's no need to apologize. I'll admit, I'm surprised that it's you more than anything else. [ Kyouko knew that some people had come out from the Nexus code but... it's still surprising to see them. ]

IV

[babermetrics]

[He was hiding out, yeah, in a building; it's quiet in this one, because he's alone for the moment, and the Flamines aren't after him. That's a bloody fingerprint mask he's got on his head, after all. So he's taking a breather, messing with his CereVice to contact people however he can—

And he's still not used to people glitching in and out, even though it's happened a few times now. This time, he's especially not expecting it to be this person in particular, and he drops his CereVice in shock.]

Hinata!

[particularity]

[If he were the type for motion sickness, this is probably around where Hinata would need a cold cloth and maybe to lie down for a while. As it is, there's just a brief moment of vertigo before he focuses, looking sharply toward motion and--]

Eh? Kuwata?

[sup man]

[babermetrics]

[Well, how about when Leon flings himself at him? Because that's exactly what he does, unashamedly throwing himself around Hinata's neck in a rough hug.]

Oh my god! Holy shit! You're back?! You're back!