Who: Everyone ever.
When: ooc: 10/30 to 11/04 ; ic: 09/26 to 09/28
Where: Cerealia - all five districts.
What: Clowns, Murder, Outrage and One Direction.
Happy Halloween :D
Rating/Warning: PG-13 to R. [ image within includes brief flash of scary clowns, scroll down quickly if you don't want to see it! ]
//event004.EXE
Queen of the Mountain
It's morning when the lights go out completely. Not a single one remains on except the glow of the device and whatever flashlights anyone bothered to stock up on. However, a single hologram in the Shopping District broadcasts along a billboard for a Very Important Announcement. After that, you hear a song so tender and beautiful that it must have been composed by angels at the dawn of time.
"Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed… "
When you go outside to investigate, a friendly clown will be inside a stolen(?) ice cream truck, looking to get all your attention before he talks through the speaker on the truck.
"Greetings, Cerealians! It's nice of you to join us at last. Are you worried about the power coming back? Oh, I'm sure CERES is working on it now. Rest assured that they have their finest technicians on the job. You won't be without your precious personal computers and robot-pets much longer.
In the meantime, let's play a game shall we! The rules are rather simple:
♥ You see that necklace on your chest? That's a lantern. You're going to want to hold onto that. If you lose it… well, you don't want to know what will happen to you if you do.
♥ Now, for the fun part! Collect the necklaces any way you wish, though we prefer the naughty way. Kill a friend. Kill a foe. Killkillkillkill until the streets are paved with blood.
♥ Whoever collects the most of those lanterns, gets a special surprise! They get to go back home, back to their friends and loved ones and away from CERES' endless lies and trickery. Don't you know it's all a lie? Your worlds weren't destroyed. This is a penal colony, and you've been suckered into the biggest prank of your life. But I'm here to help, of course. Just bring me a garbage bag full of the lanterns, and I'll show you, the lucky winner, the way out."
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//SCENARIOS.EXE
PHASE I [ xx xx ]
You're going about your business, wading through the dark, finding supplies. But you're not alone. After the broadcast happens, everything is in full swing. Some masked participants decide to start breaking into shops, classes, apartments, you name it. There's no escaping them. They're on the hunt, they're after you 'cause they're hungry like the woooolf. You can choose to engage them, fight your way out, jump into the game, or head to the sanctuary located in CERES academy. The choice is yours. Be sure to make the right one.
PHASE II [ xxxx ]
Spiders, spiders everywhere. For those who decided to surrender their lanterns, the first twelve hours of the game are a breeze. Then, come the spiders, hungry critters that will attack and try to catch you in their many webs strewn through the colony. Be sure not to get stuck in one while they chase you.
PHASE III [ xxxx ]
Feeling weak? Not quite keeping up with the clown-faced gentlemen? Or maybe even your former friends and lovers? Well, there's a solution for that! You'll find another masked man happily pedaling some Pulse for you to take. The temptation is there with the promise of extra strength and a boost of power and speed. He won't hint at any side-effects, but oh, how you'll feel them when they hit. And those trying to dodge that fate, don't put your drink down anywhere or take your eyes off your food. Someone just might slip a little extra to get this game really going.
PHASE IV [ xxxx ]
It's the last day of the game. You're tired. You're weary. You may have stabbed a roommate or ten. But the lights are gradually returning while the CEO appears as if from nowhere with a public apology on all the billboards. You're welcome to spam your disgust and contempt in his inbox. His explanation for not being around? Quite simple! He was off on an expedition this whole time and wasn't aware of the situation because he gets no reception out in the jungle. See, he was doing it all for the good of the colony and trying to look for more habitable terrain. Isn't that kind of him?
Any further complaints will be forward to his underlings, Elias and Lucius.
BONUS [ whyo'clock ]
You know what's fun? Jumping castles! Someone happened to surreptitiously leave one in CERES' large garden. Do you want to go in and see what's inside? For a limited time only, you can escape the madness and murder to jump to your heart's content. There also might be another clown-faced murderer watching you as you jump. And jump again. He'll just be in the corner. Breathing. Watching.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y 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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//RUN.EXE
Welcome to CEREALIA's fourth official event. For your convenience, we have compiled an OOC post explaining the event in greater detail. Feel free to ask questions there if you have anymore lingering concerns or inquiries.
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There's a reason, most likely. I can't imagine that they would go through all of this trouble just for their own sick amusement. [Not entirely true. People do horrible things to alleviate boredom, but Kaoru will leave that unvoiced.]
But no matter what that reason is, it's unforgivable. I won't forgive anyone who puts my precious people in danger... [ALL ONE OF THEM.
Kaoru's gaze shifts after that, focusing outward toward the academy.] ...Let's go to that safe area. It may not be safe, but taking a look is better than waiting around out here.
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[Chizuru is mumbling it even before Kaoru says "it's unforgivable," and once he does, she looks away from the direction she'd been anxiously looking down - having been keeping an eye out for whatever had broken the window - and to his face. Huh. Maybe they do think alike sometimes after all.]
Do... you think the others have made it there? Hijikata-san, and the Shinsengumi, and... your precious people. [Her brows furrow.] Do you want to go look for your friends? I can help you look...
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BUT THEN SHE GOES AND MENTIONS THE SHINSENGUMI ugh Chizuru, ugh!! Kaoru's expression remains the same, but his gaze flicks to the side.]
I've done what I can to help my friends, so you're my priority now. [Now, as if she's ever not his priority.....] Please let me take you there... Hijikata-san and the other members of that group seem strong from what I've heard, so I'm certain that they've already managed to make it.
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Chizuru doesn't really relax, per se, but she does nod at the reminder of the Shinsengumi's strength. They're all such strong men - they've stood up to other soldiers and to demons, and they've stood up to COMPASS, so of course they can handle this, but she worries anyway. She doesn't believe that they're weak, but it makes her anxious for them to not be where she can see them.]
I hope... they're all okay. [She takes a breath.] ...I trust you to get us to sanctuary safely. Please tell me if there is anything you need me to do on the way there.
[Like "get out of the way" or "duck" or "cut that guy," you know. Normal things.]
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But that takes a significant amount of unease away from Kaoru, who had been quite concerned that she would insist on going to look for those men even in this situation. The last thing he wants to do is run into any member of the Shinsengumi with Chizuru around; those are two spheres he's done a miraculous job of keeping separate, and allowing them to bleed in a high-tension situation would be disastrous.]
I hope for the same. [Which is said with a smile that's a little warmer than the previous look had been. Both hands are withdrawn after, only for one to be extended again, this time less frantic and more reassuring.] Thank you for trusting me. I'll be certain to do so... Just keeping an eye and ear out should be enough to start. Are you ready?
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But Kaoru has found her, and he is intent on bringing her to safety. If she stays out, it puts him at risk, too, because while there are many things she doesn't understand about him, she can absolutely believe it when he says "I'll stay by your side" and "I'll see you to safety." The easiest way to make sure that Kaoru is safe is to go to safety along with him, and so she just has to put her trust in the Shinsengumi's abilities and believe that they'll make it to safety, too.
There isn't even a little bit of hesitation when she reaches out to take his hand. Wherever Kaoru leads, Chizuru will follow.]
I'm ready.
[this kind of shit is exactly why she keeps getting in trouble good lord]
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At least Kaoru has no ill intentions presently. When she takes the offered hand, his fingers curl around hers gently and carefully, very much at odds with the harshness that had been displayed earlier.]
Let's go.
[AND AWAAAY. Kaoru is very careful to avoid going directly near any side of the building they had seen the assailant break into earlier just in case they've been watching from the inside. The pace kept will be easy for her to match, though, and Kaoru will keep his hold until certain buttheads crash the party.]
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[ It's not just the assailant that they have to worry about, though, since while some of the other saviors of the universe (supposedly) had no intentions to play the game, others didn't take much to motivate. It sounded fair to Soujirou—He wins the game, and he returns to Shishio. It's a pretty strange way to go about it, but he can accept it pretty easily. So as such, he's been on the prowl looking for people with lanterns, and it's only luck that he happens to come across Chizuru and Kaoru.
There are small clues that Soujirou isn't just another person wandering in fear. His usual hakama is tied off below his knees, giving him more mobility, and his hand is resting lightly on the sword at his waist. His posture isn't openly threatening at all, and there's a pleasant, friendly smile on his face, but that smile also makes it hard to read just what his intentions are. ]
Ah, Nagumo-san! It's been a while since I've seen you. [ He looks to Chizuru with a curious expression, then nods with a smile, since he assumes this must be Kaoru's little sister from the conversation they had, but he doesn't say as much. Soujirou taps his foot lightly against the ground, an idle gesture. ]
Thank you again for helping me that day, by the way. I should have come to thank you sooner, since it's a little awkward now.
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[Chizuru smiles back, but it's somewhat strained and she draws even closer to Kaoru. She would like to think that someone who looks as kind as Soujirou does wouldn't be out to hurt them, but -
Well -
This situation is frightening enough that she'd rather not risk spending too much time in the company of someone she doesn't know well. Not that she knows Kaoru well, but they're siblings, so that has to count for something. In spite of her unease, though, she looks between the two of them before tilting her head to one side.]
Um... Are you... looking for someone? [His friends, maybe...] Nobody's tried to hurt you, have they...?
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Once Chizuru poses her own questions, he addresses the statements with the same tepid air of politeness.]
Soujirou-san. It's good to see you faring well... [A little too well for the circumstances, probably.]
You don't need to thank me, though. As long as I was able to help, I'm glad for it. [The briefest pause, and then:] Are you heading to the safe area as well?
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[ He cants his head lightly to the side, but the smile doesn't change in the slightest. Even though the smile is perfectly friendly and genial on the surface, in this context, it's unsettling more than anything. ]
You two still have your lanterns, I hope?
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[Normally, she would just answer, "Yes." She would tell the truth. Chizuru isn't someone who likes to lie, but in Zelien she learned that sometimes it's necessary, and right now seems like one of those times. Still, this is a... friend...? of Kaoru's, so she doesn't want to lie if he thinks it's safe to tell Soujirou the truth.
She glances at Kaoru for some indication of how she ought to answer the question, which is probably all the answer Soujirou actually needs.
Subtlety, thy name is not Chizuru Yukimura.]
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Instead of even attempting, he just stands more obviously in front of Chizuru, offering a plastic smile.]
We've been fortunate enough to not run into any trouble, yes.
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[ He nods, and though the conversation is shifting to be more dangerous and threatening, Soujirou still doesn't draw the sword, though that odd tapping of his foot doesn't stop either. Someone observant (so, Kaoru) might notice that there's a sharpness in his gaze by now, since Soujirou is perceptive, and he's watching them both more carefully, though it's subtle. ]
So I'm sorry, but I'll need them. I have to return to Shishio-san's side, so it sounds like this is the best way to do that! It's nothing personal, though.
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[Chizuru hates to shoot him down like this, but... she doesn't feel as though she can keep silent, either. CERES isn't as outwardly threatening as COMPASS was and she does have her doubts about them, but these strange clowns proclaiming them to be liars and offering to send them home if they play their game - they're a lot like COMPASS, and she doesn't think they're telling the truth at all.]
I've been in a place like this before. "You can go home if you cooperate," or "We'll make things easier for you if you cooperate"... [She shudders.] They're always lies. Always.
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He does, however, rest a hand on the cloth package slung over his shoulder.]
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[ Soujirou's posture shifts as Kaoru reaches for the package on his shoulder, a clear drawing stance, which should be enough to make it clear that he's a practitioner of the battojutsu, the quick-draw sword technique. ]
If you're strong, you'll live, and if you're weak, you'll die. That's what this is about, so it makes sense, right?
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[It's too bad Chizuru is an idiot who spent her time looking for her friends instead of doubling back to Hijikata's place to find her weapons, because, uh, yeah. All she's really got here are her words.]
It doesn't make any sense at all. The second you hurt someone, you're not winning yourself - you're letting those people win. They're trying to manipulate you... don't let them...!
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But Kaoru steps in front of her completely at that, because it does make sense to him - what Soujirou says is, as he knows it, the truth of the world. Any world in which people exist, that rule will follow and apply all the same, so he already knows that trying to talk Soujirou out of this is a move that will end in failure.]
Don't waste your breath. [The words are harsh, but Kaoru's tone remains gentle, his movements elegant. He's slipped the cover from Daitsuren but has yet to draw.]
The circumstances would be the same even if less were at stake... Isn't that so, Soujirou-san?
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[ There's no reaction to Kaoru pulling out a sword, so it's hard to tell whether he's surprised that Kaoru plans to fight him or not. But really, if anything, he's surprised to hear those ideals accepted so easily. They were considered extreme outside of the Juppongatana, so Soujirou rarely hears anyone else speak to it. ]
So if you win, you can have my lantern. It's only fair.
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[Why is she surrounded by shitheads... if it's not one group of stubborn samurai it's another, apparently. She doesn't look at all content to keep quiet or to step back and let Kaoru fight Soujirou off. She doesn't want them to fight at all -
She doesn't want his lantern - ]
Please... [It probably is a waste of breath. She may not be able to convince either one of them with words - so what can she do? She has to keep them from fighting, or one or both of them will be terribly hurt, or even killed...]
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Though his eyes remain evenly fixed on Soujirou, it's clear by the softness in his tone alone that his next words are meant for Chizuru.]
Please stay behind me. I promised to keep you safe, didn't I? [So he will. He unsheathes his sword in one fluid motion, but the stance that he holds is still more defensive than offensive.]
I suppose I'll give you the courtesy of having one last chance to withdraw.
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[ But with how evenly he repeats it, it's clear that it's not one he'll be taking. There's a moment where Soujirou stays still, the tense moment before the fight starts, but in an instant, he rushes forward and draws his sword in a swift motion towards Kaoru's midsection. He's not using the shukuchi to close the distance between them, but even without it, Soujirou is incredibly fast, and puts a lot of his power into his legs. It's clear that Soujirou is more than just an apprentice swordsman, since even someone with skill would get easily overcome by speed alone. ]
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If they make too much noise, they might attract the attention of the clowns...
It's frustrating, to have to be protected, to not be able to help, but she does as Kaoru says and backs up a little bit, watching as anxiety makes her stomach churn. Kaoru is strong, right? He'll be able to defend himself... if it gets out of hand, then she'll step in, but if Kaoru can keep Soujirou busy long enough to tire him out so they can get away, maybe they can escape without any bloodshed.
(It's not likely, but it's what she hopes for.)]
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But Kaoru won't be trying to put up even a modicum of his usual slightly inept act here. He wants to finish this as quickly as possible so they won't attract the attention of anyone or anything else, and with how quickly and skillfully Soujirou moves, he already knows that playing dumb would end badly.
He makes a brief backward swing with one arm to ensure that Chizuru isn't in the way before dropping into a stronger stance. His eyes can follow Soujirou relatively well even with his speed, and he shifts his blade accordingly, neatly blocking the oncoming attack. What may be more surprising to Soujirou, though, is the fact that his blade barely buckles at all when hit, like it's being held by someone with much more strength than Kaoru should reasonably possess.
But he isn't really a defensive fighter in the end, so despite his initial stances and forms, he'll be attempting to push Soujirou back without giving him much time to retreat on his own, intent on grabbing the offensive upper hand.]
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britt said she'll jump back in for shanking later!
that is the best subject to ever pop into my inbox
britt was laughing too......
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