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 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.]
1/2
Ah, wow, another person that's really good!
[ He comments idly, but still with a friendly sort of cheer in his voice. He would like to talk more, actually, but this isn't Kenshin who wouldn't mind a pause to talk. He can tell that Chizuru had that sort of peaceful personality, but Kaoru wouldn't humor it.
Soujirou adjusts his grip on his sword in an instant, and with another tap of his foot in that odd gesture, he's gone. ]
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But he slows just before he reaches Kaoru, flanking him and going for a strike to his back. ]
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When Soujirou slows, then she sees him, and it draws a terrified shriek out of her because how did he get so close to Kaoru so quickly—
She's darting forward before she's even aware of what she's doing.]
Kaoru-san, look out—!
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It's definitely a surprise when Soujirou exhibits speed similar to that of a demon, though, and even for an actual demon, sight can't be relied on in this situation. It's sound he leans to instead, turning just a fraction of a second before the strike would have hit—
And then there's Chizuru running forward, and Kaoru has to pull his own block back a little as he curves to protect her from his own blade and from Soujirou's reach. It's a hasty and therefore somewhat sloppy move. He's nicked by the sword that he otherwise could have blocked entirely, and his own may still swing wide enough to catch Chizuru despite his efforts, but he's certainly trying.]
I told you to stay back—!
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The disorienting steps start again as Soujirou darts around, but the last step before he closes in on Kaoru again comes from a nearby building, a crater indented in its face as Soujirou pushes off of that. It launches him even more quickly towards Kaoru, since he's intending to run his sword right through him. ]
britt said she'll jump back in for shanking later!
But Kaoru won't be giving him a lot of time to look, swinging his blade up in a steep arc with the intent to catch Soujirou on the rebound. It's not lethally aimed since he's still recovering from his own tipped balance.]
that is the best subject to ever pop into my inbox
Kaoru's blade catches Soujirou, since momentum is working against him and he's not able to dodge, but he likely wouldn't have anyways. He can tell it's not a lethal blow, so it's an acceptable risk for being in so close to Kaoru. Blood splatters upward, but Soujirou doesn't even flinch. If anything, he just smiles more, because that's the only way he knows to respond to pain.
While Kaoru's sword is high from that arc, Soujirou pivots on one foot to bring his sword up as well, but it's towards Kaoru's neck. His sword is also angled so that Kaoru bringing his sword down would simply catch Soujirou's rather than leaving him open, though they're both likely to jump back if Soujirou's attack isn't successful. ]
britt was laughing too......
Blood splatters outward as he moves back, putting distance between them both, but only briefly. He's pulling forward again soon enough, aiming for a centrally-directed cut. This time, he puts more strength behind his swing, anticipating that Soujirou will either move to block him or evade.]
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When he had tried this with Kenshin, the sakabatou had broken, since Soujirou knew swords well enough to strike at the weak points where they may not have been tempered as strongly. Of course, he doesn't know that Kaoru's sword is a bit more special, but regardless, breaking the sword only works sometimes, so as soon as he makes that precise, strong strike, there's another leap back with a few hopping steps. ]
Ah— You're not bad at all, Nagumo-san. I could show you two steps shy of it, I think! You handle three steps pretty well.
[ Because of course, he's ever cheerful, even though the adrenaline is turning that cheer into something just short of bloodlust. ]
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Oh? I'd ask what you mean, but I'd rather not waste time on explanations.
[Even that's more than people usually get from him in the midst of battle. Unless he's taunting his opponents, he tends to be very quiet and to-the-point.
Which he illustrates again, deciding that he's had enough of his own slowness and that he doesn't want to wait to give his opponent the chance for an upper hand. He'll push Soujirou as far as he can, so that means showing more of his innate abilities, even though it's irritating to need to use it against a human. Not an average human, certainly... but not a demon, either.
Unlike Soujirou's technique, Kaoru's speed leaves nothing in his wake but the gentle stir of dust where he was standing. In a breath, he's close enough to strike out with Daitsuren in a large, cleaving sweep.]
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He doesn't have time to move and dodge it, but Soujirou quickly turns his sword so that the Daitsuren hits, and hits hard. He's glad that he decided to use the Kikuichimonji Norimune, since his other katana may not have been able to take such a heavy blow without the blade's edge cracking. The metal screeches all the same, since Soujirou is careful to angle the sword so that he's protected, but his sword comes close to his body as he has to brace against Kaoru's strength.
But two steps shy of shukuchi it is.
As soon as the Soujirou can take a step back, he's gone again, but it's clear just what he meant, because the way he moves is undeniably faster. There's still the roughness as each step makes its mark, but they come in a much quicker succession now, and unevenly as Soujirou obscures his path further. It seems like he might go for Chizuru with the path of his steps, but that's just a distraction—He has no intentions of going after her until Kaoru is dead. But it is bait for Kaoru to come in closer. ]
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His primary battlefields are psychological in the end, and his fighting style tends to follow the same curve, even if he has to play dirty to do so.
A call out is given first and foremost:]
Get down! [Because he may not be quick enough - he doesn't know the limits of his opponent, and he won't bet Chizuru's life to find out what they are.
With that said, he's quick to set off after the trail, sword held ahead and prepared to intercept or to strike - but mostly leaning toward the former, because he's anticipating an attack directed at Chizuru.]
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Chizuru tries to stay out of the way. She does. She sees the path that Soujirou's craters are forming, and since her involvement in most battles has, in the past, tended toward her becoming a target because she's weaker than the others, she wouldn't put it past him to target her, either -
So by the time Kaoru calls out to her and lunges to intercept, she's already moving, doing her best to get out of the way. She isn't unaware of her surroundings, but she is aware - a moment before it happens - that she won't be able to twist her way out of Daitsuren's path.
Her eyes go wide, and then there's a sickening squelch.]
Ah—
[It... hurts.
Of course it hurts. Of course it hurts, but she didn't think it would be this painful. She is dimly aware of a flickering orange light as her wound tries to mend itself, but the sword is still there, and the attempt at mending when it's still lodged within her is only making it worse. Her eyes become a molten gold and her hair bleeds white as her demonic lineage attempts to kick in -
It's not working... it still hurts... All she's aware of is the pain.
Her eyes flick up to Kaoru, but her gaze is unfocused.]
Kao... ru...?
[There's a way out of this, isn't there? There has to be a way. He said he would protect her. He'll help her, he'll definitely help her— Right?]
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But because it was just bait, Soujirou twists and pivots to meet Kaoru, striking forward with lightning speed, but that brief moment to pivot also meant a blind spot. Chizuru moving and moving in between the swords wasn't something he anticipated, so Daitsuren isn't the only sword that goes through her. Soujirou's pushes through as well, and his eyes widen briefly in surprised, because he hadn't meant this.
There's a flicker of something else on his face as the smile finally disappears, maybe of an old memory, because he hadn't wanted to kill anyone then... But now...?
He feels a bite of pain as the Daitsuren through Chizuru cuts into his stomach, not deeply, but enough for him to refocus. So he twists his sword and pushes it through further so that his sword can just through her chest into Kaoru's. She's dead already with the situation like this. He'll just have to take this as good fortune and nothing else.
The weak will die, and the strong will live. That's it. ]
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He tells himself that Chizuru is not the exception to his rigid beliefs, and in most situations she isn't - but here, she is. She is, and he's failed to do the one thing he wants most.
Luckily, his reaction times are still keen and somewhat automatic. He's had to power through traumatic situations before, after all. The tip of Soujirou's sword carves a path through his chest, but he's fortunate enough to pull back in time to avoid a truly lethal shot. If it were anyone else, he'd have continued his own onslaught through their body regardless, but it's Chizuru— He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her away, taking a stumbling leap backward. It's a messy process, but the best he can manage, even if part of him is already well aware of how futile the move is.]
Chizuru—? Chizuru?!
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But when he pulls her away and she feels Soujirou's blade leave her, and the blood comes pooling out, she is barely aware of it. She can feel something, she can practically taste the tang of her blood on the air, but it's in a muted, disconnected sort of way, and she isn't able to keep her balance; she pitches forward, and Kaoru will be all that keeps her from crumbling to the ground.
She can't speak. She opens her mouth, but the only thing that comes out is a low moan of pain - she can't form coherent words at all. Her hands fumble for the chain of the lantern necklace around her neck, and she's intent on putting it into his hands - on saying Run, live - but she can't.
Chizuru makes one more strangled, agonized sound before she goes limp in Kaoru's arms, and then she isn't aware of anything else.]
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He's at least kind enough to not say it, but he can't help but think it. He had been planning on killing her anyways, so the order was just different than what he expected. Hearing what he had about Kaoru's fondness for his sibling, he knows that he'll be in for a much bigger fight, and though that wound on his stomach protests, Soujirou doesn't give any time to mourn.
The smile is back, completely placid and unreadable, but it's only for a moment before he's gone. Two steps shy, and he moves like lightning to strike Kaoru's back again, wanting to make that wound a fatal one. He's relentless, unfortunately. ]
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He pivots on his heel, parrying the blade enough so that it doesn't hit its target. It slides along his own since a one-handed defense isn't strong enough to block an attack entirely, cutting into his shoulder. In the same move, he drops the necklace to the ground, slamming his foot down over it to crack it into a state of uselessness. With both hands free, he grips the hilt and charges forward, reckless but with eyes keen and sharp and waiting for an opening. There comes a point in most fights where he discards his regard for his own safety, and it's clear he's hit it.]
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The lantern getting smashed gets that smile to shift, hardening, but Soujirou doesn't give up yet. He comes forward as well, pushing sword against sword as Kaoru comes forward, making the metal screech angrily. Soujirou may not have the overall strength that Kaoru does, but he's ready for this, so he braces himself. There's hot blood that comes out more freely when he exerts himself like this, but he ignores it. ]
That's pretty rude of you. It's just killing the weak, isn't it?
[ He turns his blade to parry, which gives a brief opening, but Kaoru might be off balance in that moment too, because now Soujirou is speaking to deliberately anger Kaoru and throw him off. ]
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