[ CLOSED ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-_oLjmCGY

[rollin]

Who: the idiots who think this will actually amount to anything
When: IC 11/23 onward
Where: Various!
What: The rescue mission Yata, Sheba and co. discussed at the citywide meeting!
Rating/Warning: at least PG because some people swear like sailors

---

[ Once everyone arrives at the agreed meeting area, the CERES Metro-rail Station at the Residential District, Yata briefs the group on what to do. As discussed in the citywide meeting yesterday, the group will split into six teams that were decided by drawing lots. Everyone should know who they're teamed up with by now. Yata's instructions are simple enough: don't work alone (buddy system!), and if anyone finds anything, report to him. Should the missing arrivals be found, don't wait on anyone's orders. Yata admits that he's not smart enough to call the shots, but if he found who they were looking for, he believes that taking action should be the team's first priority. Anyone is free to protest, but he won't go back on his word.

Then he makes a special shout out to Hiccup and Toothless because look look guys it's a dragon how cool is that okay back to business.

By 9:15 AM, all teams should be on the move! ]

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT | SHOPPING DISTRICT | ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT | TECH DISTRICT | PLEASURE DISTRICT | VIVID

Comments

[deontology]

[Well. Yes, it may have something important in it. That does seem to be how these sorts of things go--

But if you're expecting him to do something badass like break open the lock, you're going to be sorely disappointed, Oz. He gives the drawer a glance, inspecting the keyhole, and then sets to...

looking for the key.........

well. It's probably around here somewhere, honestly--]

...Here.

[Look, keys! It's funny how often people leave important things like keys and passwords not far from the thing the lock is supposed to be protecting.]

[harepiece]

[Funsucker mcfloofpants is right, gosh!! Remind Oz to never go on a covert secret mission with this punk, he'd just cut right to the chase like a loser...

Except no okay that's effective and they're trying not to draw attention to themselves, so he has no complaint about Sousei being sensible. EVEN IF IT'S WEIRD... Like wow, actually sensible people in Cereal?? Sousei is probably one of the very, very few.]

That's pretty careless. [Good work CERES... yet again.

ANYWAY HE'LL WAIT TO SEE if Sousei wants the grand honors of unlocking the mystery drawer!! Otherwise, he'll stick his hand out for the keys...]

[psycholawgy]

Alright, let's go with that!

[ She points to her necklace, which looks rather bulky. It has a sky blue screen and a smiley face. ]

This is Widget, by the way. He's one of my best friends.

[allthreefourths]

[ oh. now that's interesting, and hiccup seems to very much perk up at that. dragon nerd? dragon nerd. ]

Nine heads? The most number of heads on a dragon that I've seen is two, on the Hideous Zippleback. That's impressive... [ a pause. ] Or, well, exhausting, when I think of all the arguing those nine heads probably go through.

[ not really a name reference you expect on tiny baby-faced gangster dragons that are 5'1" but... he's not one to judge on appearances, for obvious reasons.

ah, wait, she's asking something. enough dragon nerding, hiccup, snap back into attention. a gesture towards toothless. ]

--Uh, if you want to pet him, go ahead, Peko...yama? [ at least, that's what he thinks she wants to do? that's what most people want to do, really. she's shyer than he thought she'd be, with all the directness she has in the beginning. ] He doesn't bite. In fact, he loves that stuff.

[ actually, basically housecat. ]

[codere]

[ Takes one giant step towards him. ] Emiya.

You should say something.

Remaining quiet as you are only leads to assumptions.

[codere]

I'm just making sure you're on your best behavior. [ No, that's the least likely excuse she can go with, but she's the one with the paddle.

Who is really going to argue with her? ] I wonder if it works on lizards. That is a lizard, right? A salamander maybe judging by the size...

[codere]

[ At all, huh? That's a healthy bit of DENIAL there....................... At least Rin would say so if given the opportunity. Right now, it's her own pride that's being called out on. ]

No, not one bit.

It's better for ladies to go into these things together. Creeps are less likely to prey on us if there's a group. [ At least there's some logic to it. ]

[codere]

[ Hold on. There were Gameboy Colors?? ]

Fool, why have we overlooked the most important rescue mission of them all? If those devices are here, we should have them ourselves.

They're retro!

[ ... she's no better than Yata. ]

A oh my god Saber

[codere]

[ Archer is going to kill her for this. ] Ahhh Saber?

Isn't it a nice kind of weapon? Maybe we should bring it home and have Archer analyze it.

[ Heh. Heh. Analyze it. Rin's so pleased with herself. ]

[faestra]

I... I'm sure it takes a lot more strength, but, you know. I just didn't expect a school of all things to be connected on an official level. It seems kinda irresponsible! I guess there really is a school for everything, though.

[She's decided to accept this... it can't be weirder in concept than some of the schools she's come across, although it still seems hella sketch. What if someone wanted a hit out on their classmates?]

[faestra]

Well, how about a general idea of places we should look? I understand it's a pretty large virtual environment, right? I'm pretty confident about my ability to fight in ViViD, but that won't do us any good if I just run around in circles.

[faestra]

A lawyer, huh... [Seems a bit stuffy for a cute girl like that. Maybe she's older than she looks?] Do you know anyone else in the group, then?

Ah wait! We haven't been introduced! I'm Yuzu Hiiragi. I'm a student and an Entertainment Duelist.... and a hairstylist here I guess.

[faestra]

[If one considers that the only other adults Yuzu have talked to in Cerealia are Yata and Kaoru... and her adult role models back home are her father: a less competent Might Guy expy, and Yuya's mom: a pet-hoarding ginger-obsessed cougar, it starts to make sense.]

Okay, I get the point! [There's no need to go double negative crazy, come on now.]

ViViD's been fun, but we haven't found anyone that seems out of place either. It seems like the virtual environment is pretty big and a little random, though. We're not giving up on it yet.

[psycholawgy]

Oh, it's so nice to meet you!

[ Instead of a handshake, she hugs her Yuzu instead. ATHENA THINKS SHE IS CUTE. ]

I know Lee— [ Points to eyebrows over there. ] And that's about it. This is a good way to meet new people too, don't you think?

Oh, and I'm Athena Cykes. I work at the gym, and at the cosplay cafe.

[faestra]

Ah. You sure didn't pick the easy one...

[That had the research tower they all saw the Powerpoint presentation in, which seemed like it was full of tightly guarded areas, as well as the robot police headquarters she always walks by on the way to work (and gets a tail or two from as a result.) If the missing group was anywhere other than ViViD, that seemed like a likely place, but whether they'd even be able to get in to see was another story. A look of realization dawns - that's probably exactly the kind of thing a shady guy would aim for. She mutters.]

Hey, you're just using this whole thing as an excuse, aren't you?

[projections]

[Gross girls.]

Stay away from me or I'll run away. [Shirou's making a funny looking expression probably because this is stressing him out more than it needs to.]

[masakados]

[Naoki gives her necklace a curious look-- that's not the weirdest thing he's ever run into, not by a long shot, but just to clarify:]

What is-- he?

[He's assuming not just a necklace because he's giving Athena's sanity the benefit of the doubt.]

[masakados]

Yeah, you can get lost if you try to explore all of the areas... But each game kinda follows the same format, so we'd usually want to look for a dungeon. Before that, we should check out any towns or anything in this game.

[He looks ahead of them, thoughtful, before gesturing with a hand at a smudge of what might be buildings.]

I mean, if someone was lost in here, they'd probably want to head to the nearest place with other people, usually.

[psycholawgy]

He's a robot!

[ LOOK AT HOW EXCITED SHE SOUNDS.

The sky blue screen turns green. And happy face! :D ]

Hello.

[ He sounds like a squeaky 5 y/o boy whose voice is autotuned. ]

[masakados]

That's a--

[And it's talking. His eyebrows hike up. Whoa, it really is a little robot.]

I've never seen a robot like him before. Why a necklace, though?

[rollin]

Gyaaah! [ Don't scare him like that, Killua. You'll give him a heart attack one of these days. ] That's the only thing we're going on! It pisses me off.

[ But fine, he'll think harder. ]

Ah, I guess they'd look kinda lost and scared.

[ No one looks lost and scared in this club. It's hard to tell with all this music, lights and dancing. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ She cocks her head to a side. Good question. ]

Well, I need him a lot. He's like a cellphone.

But better!

[deontology]

They are careless people.

[Yes, he is a funsucker, thank you for noticing. But at least he helps fulfill Cereal's sensibility quota... aka the bar is set very low but he tries to make up for people like Tenka.

Unlock the drawer he will, though, and he pulls it open with little fanfare, and....

.... well those are...really something.

ah...

he's really sick of this place]

omg rin don't encourage her!!!

[invisibleair]

[ He is going to and it will be perfect. ]

I am not certain it would make a suitable weapon for any sort of fighting. [ That she knows about... ]

If you would like I can purchase it. [ She's got the money now! ]

[masakados]

What kinds of things can he do, then?

[Since he's better than a cellphone and all.]