//SCENARIOS.EXE
PHASE I [ 16 00 ] At 4:00 PM, the lightly falling snow will stop and no sounds will be heard.
What will be heard is faint sound of ‘hohoho’ and ‘sleigh bells’ faintly in the distance distinctly in one direction but when you turn that way it seems to disappear and you can’t pick up a trace of sound. It will keep occurring intermittently no matter where you are and each interval of 15 minutes, it will sound as if it’s gotten closer but the same things will occur.
by 6:00 pm, when it sounds really close (like right behind the character or next to them), when they turn they’ll hear the sound of laughter that comes from someone they greatly admire or care about to one side of them. However, unlike how everything else has disappeared, that person remains and even seems to recognize they are there. At first, it seems well enough as they will ask innocent questions such as “What are you looking around for?” and if told the truth, their important person will kindly brush them off as joking and tell them they are imagining it. If told ‘nothing’, the important person will prod them with curiosity (you can have it be annoying, whiny, friendly--however that character would most likely nag them to let them in, including things said such as “you can tell me”).
Regardless of choice from there, the person will eventually decide to assist in locating this sound, as your character will hear it once more and from the sudden surprise on the other person’s face it seems they may have heard it, too.
At 6:30pm, the person will give up, suggesting you guys go back (go home, go shop, go eat, whatever the character would suggest as something fun and interesting. if they are the type of character who would just simply part ways with the other and say they will meet them back somewhere else, that’s fine, too!) In the end, they will start to walk past the PC if they are in front of them, but as soon as they are behind him the PC will get a hand on the shoulder and pulled to be whispered to by that person in the ear (or any variant of it at the player’s discretion to sound more like said individual): “You always did have a habit of looking for the things you can never find. A trait of only the most worthless.” followed by a strong wind that drowns out laughter of the person when they came, but this time much crueler. The wind is gale force so the character will not in any way be able to turn around fast enough to see whether the person walks off or disappears.
Looking to the ground, there are footprints, though, that suggest that person was there. Unfortunately, the snow is light and not wet, so unless the character looks quickly they may miss the evidence. And with the wind starts the heavy wet snow, increasing until blizzard conditions are reached.
OOC NOTES:
- If doing this prompt, people who tag into other people’s top levels can choose if they also have an important person that’s come to them in the same way or they can simply be alone.
- Both characters can see each other’s important persons (assuming the individual tagging the top level has one), and they will treat the other PC polite enough but would do what they normally do with strangers while around their PC. Players might want to take the opportunity to do some simple ‘npcing’ of their character’s important person in relation to the tags their top levels receive or the tagged into, but it is by no means required. Just one more potential thing you can add to your threads if it helps or will be more fun/interesting ).
- If any player-characters would happen to have the same important person, the player-character entering the thread will have their version start to slow down in their movements until they are behind them and no longer keeping up. When they turn around to look for them, they won’t be there any longer, but they will be fully acknowledged by the spectre and act as if the newly arrived isn’t remembering correctly (they ran ahead to find the player they are with now or etc.)
- The spectre should at least be believable to be able to cause doubt on whether it is real or in their heads or some other type of trick. If directly asked, the NPC will never quite say one way or another, but sort of be sympathetic to their uncertainty or laugh it off or dismiss it… again, however that character’s NPC would react to being doubted.
- It doesn’t have to be their “MOST IMPORTANT” person. Just someone that they are close enough to that their opinions matter/the player character really misses/they would be bothered by them not finding them worth anything/etc.
PHASE II [ 1700 ] Now that blizzard conditions have suddenly come into play, including white outs, all that lighting doesn’t seem to be much help (and that’s before any lighting finally ends up blowing out due to the conditions). You might want to look for that person that was with you, because you swore you saw footprints in the dry snow before it was all erased with the force of the wind.
Traveling outside may be more dangerous than you intend, however, not because of the cold, but because you can’t see who’s (or what) coming at you nor who’s (or what) coming behind you… or from any other direction, either.
Pretty convenient for an accidental murder in the form of a hit and run by a moving vehicle.
...Or a sleigh speeding forward by the work of nine reindeer and equipped with saw-blades used for ice cutting in place of the normal runners. You will want to get out of the streets as fast as you can because, while you will not be consistently chased, increased attempts at various times will be made on your life the longer you stay out.
While your character is welcome to run into the nearest place they can or continue to stay outside despite being an intended murder victim, the combination of the disorienting whiteout along with the sleigh attacks will strategically attempt to push characters towards the large mall that has been now shut down for the evening. They will find the doors unlocked and most likely others there that have be also driven here by the same situation. Somethings not right, though. Because the mall suddenly doesn’t look the way it once did, especially if you were just there earlier in the day. You are about to find out that the lot of you aren’t much safer, inside, either. Be prepared to run or fight your way out.
PHASE III [ xxxx ]
Depending which side of the mall you enter from depends on the layout of the mall and what you’ll be finding. Please note Cerealia’s mall is incredibly large so it would be quite the effort to go from one end to the other. However, it is possible, and if you reach the middle of the mall, the two variations of the mall will collide with one another. Once you step over into the other version, whatever dangers you faced from the other side will cease. However, now you have the other sides dangers to face, as well.
3A: WARM
The mall looks as if it’s been abandoned suddenly—there are no guards or any sign of movement initially. Despite the power being out, you will actually be able to search if your characters want to and get the power to turn back on. Be aware that turning the power back on in the mall will result in a change noted below for both prompt 3A and 3B.**
Regardless of whether you turn the lights on first or stay in the dark, you will find the multi-levels of the mall scattered with various gifts, left for all of you as gratitude for complying with coming to the mall. These may or may not be your definition of a gift, however. Every package is addressed to someone who has shown up at the mall, yourself included. While wandering by a gift that doesn’t have your name on it will do nothing, doing the same for one that does… Merry Christmas to you! Santa’s elves will be busting out of the packages and will solely be focused on you and you alone. They’ll be sporting just about anything and everything you could think of they could use to harm you, but it’ll be in the form of a creepy toy or candy (to try and choke/suffocate you with if they manage to get close enough to you to do it)—basically anything that could be harmless but is now not, but they will avoid any direct death methods. Their intention is incapacitate you to the point they can eat you. Note they are not easy to kill, but they are killable. However, there will always be at least one elf out chasing you. You might want to team up to take these guys out. (think of them as the hardest normal enemy on a map for your level).
Whether you turned the lights on yourself or not, at some point the lights will come on and make your lives more festive: different elves will be appearing on the upper floors with just about and every possible projectile weapon. There is probably even a canon or two, as well, so watch out! But probably nothing bigger than a canon… and no rocket launchers because there would be no fun in that if everyone died too quickly during playtime. These types of elves are more numerous but they are easier to dispatch and do not have a specific target. They also don’t care if they kill you, but they are more likely to try and slow you down so they can watch you become dinner for one of the bigger ones.
3B: COLD
The other side of the mall looks like quite a bit different and in heavy disrepair.
It is also possible (although more difficult) from this side of the mall to turn on lights (even if the lights will be a lot less numerous than on the other side of the mall.) There are no christmas decorations here, just the snow littering the wrecked structure. Even though it is clear there is a hole in the roof, for some reason the blizzard outside is not through it. Instead it’s just a quiet and light snowfall.
But this is side of the mall where there are LESS, but quite a bit more dangerous enemies. The elves that appear are identical to the ones in packages on the other side of the mall, however, they do not sport weapons other than their sharp teeth and claws (despite pictures, these features aren’t super noticeable on the ones on the other side of the mall like this side until they get at your throat). They are also faster and while they also want to eat you, they don’t care if they rip you apart in the process before getting to eat. All-in-all this would be a lot more of a visually gruesome death to experience as well as watch as the victim will end up in pieces. Since these are a little stronger than their counterparts hiding in the presents, there also aren’t as many (probably 1 for every two characters at all times). They would be the strength of a small mini-boss.
But, it won’t be long because you hear some inhuman snorts and growls that don’t sound very animallike, either. looking up you’ll find that it looks like Santa’s let his 9 reindeer out for the hunt and they’re coming in after you.
There’s only 9 of them (you know dasher, dancer…etc. etc..), but they are each the strength of a harder mini-boss. They withstand a lot of damage and the more injury they take, the more aggressive/frenzied they become. They will eat you/tear you apart/trample you/impale you with their antlers, whatever. While you’ll see them come in from the roof, they act like predators and use the shadows and disrepair of the mall to their advantage to try and corner you and otherwise surprise you. Your best chance with them is to stick together as one of you alone won’t be able to kill one of them), but they will make every effort they possibly can to separate all of you to take you each out one by one (and, why yes, the reindeer will gang up on you once they separate you like a little lamb from its heard…).
This side of the mall is definitely a team-effort survival trip. Each reindeer is slightly different in its methods, but who can really tell the difference when things are at this stage? Rudolph IS THE BOSS OF THE PACK… taking him out first will help your characters greatly, although he’s also the most difficult (and your characters would have to icly figure out killing him will actually help them out, too).
***CONCERNING TURNING ON THE LIGHTS (PROMPTS 3A + 3B): If characters on either side end up turning the lights on manually, they will also end up releasing a creature that is unkillable and will stalk your characters until you are too far away from it and it gives chase to another (so you have to run away when it finds you). The trick to encountering it the least amount of times is to constantly keep moving, although this will make any strategic things difficult against other problems being faced. It is possible to stun it/slow it down temporarily to aid in characters escaping when it shows up if the character has the ability to do it (summons, magic weapons, superhuman strength characters, etc).
This monster is also the only one that will not cease its attacks and ignore you should you cross between the center of the mall. So, yes, if it’s chasing you and you run straight through… it’s gonna CHASE YOU STRAIGHT THROUGH into the other version/side of the mall, so don’t stop D: !!
PHASE IV [ xxxx ]
And if you didn’t run to the mall, or didn’t get chased by santa’s killer sleigh, or heck, maybe you stayed inside your apartment all day? Don’t feel too safe for too long. If you aren’t celebrating christmas properly, aka in an area (a building, an office, a bathroom stall, your apartment, your bed etc etc) that is lacking either a Christmas Tree or the proper milk and cookies for Santa to assist him while he is so busy this night, he’s not going to be happy. Which means, he’s going to come punish you for your lack of respect for the hardworking. It doesn’t pay to be impolite to your elders, you know. This is why we can’t have nice things.
The room/area has to have both the Christmas Tree and the milk & cookies in order to be safe. This is literally the only way to keep Santa from coming at you with a machete like a jolly serial-killer. He starts with a machete, but he can pull just about anything out of his toy sac (semi-automatic machine gun, you got it…). Because Santa is magical, he is unkillable and you can’t injure him, either. The best you can do is break his weapons to stall him and hide, but he’ll stalk around looking for you, telling you what a naughty boy/girl you’ve been and now you’re hiding from the consequences! You can hide from him under beds, in lockers, closets, etc, and while he won’t open any of those things unless you make noise to alert him, he will leave. Don’t stay in the hiding spot for too long, though, because he will come back and that time he will find you.
The trick to getting off of Santa’s murder list? While he disappears once he’s lost sight of you (maybe 15-20 minutes is the grace period that he’ll leave you alone), get a christmas tree and get those milk and cookies out. OR run to a place that has both of these things.
While Santa is chasing/stalking you, he will talk to you and give hints on what the characters need to do to be spared (things along the lines of “good little girls and boys always leave Santa milk and cookies for his long journey” and “where is your christmas spirit? not even a christmas tree for old santa to put his gifts under.” etc etc.).
Once you complete this, he will return and be planning to be murderous once more, but once he sees the tree and cookies he will immediately stop and be extremely jolly and forget you in favor of the cookies in milk as well as putting a couple presents under the tree like he didn’t just terrorize the living snot out of you with sharp objects. And then he’ll be heard with his trademark commentary for those familiar with the Santa Claus lore: “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL GOOD NIGHT…” and disappear without (anymore, or at least, yours) bloodshed.
BONUS [ whyo'clock ]
{ there isn't a bonus this event, apologies! but we will do our best to remedy this for you guys on the upcoming test drive by connecting it to something appropriately traumatizing for mental processing. Please stay with us :D! }
[ 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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Right. [Is all that's said from the otherwise quiet Yu. Yosuke, of course, continues on.] The mall sounds like it could be a lot of fun, I've been there a few times now. They have a bunch of girly shops you'd like. [He says to Minako.]
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[Minako nods excitedly, pulling Rei into a tight one armed hug.]
That'll be nice! Yeah! Shopping! With two cute boys too! [Minako grins, while Rei rolls her eyes. Yosuke was a nice guy, sure...but cute? Maybe in the right light.]
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Score! Where would you ladies like to go first~? [He says in his smooth talker voice.] I can totally show you around. [But he's not going in those stores. No way.]
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Well, maybe the food court...I'd like to eat something warm, and get out of this weather.
[Minako nods and hugs onto Rei tightly.]
Yeah! It's so cold, Rei-chan! Keep me warm!
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I heard they have some really awesome food over there! Stuff we don't have back in Japan either, how cool is that? I don't know if either of you are into foreign food, but it tastes great!
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[As they start off, though, Minako suddenly turns, leaning in close to Rei and whispers something...drawing the dark haired girl up short...]
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Uh...Rei...?
[It's then he feels a hand on his shoulder at the same time, with similar words being whispered to him.]
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N-No...that's...it's not true...I'm not...
[The snow around her crunches as she falls to her knees, hands wrapping around her chest.]
I'm not weak...
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Partner? [He says shakily, not sure if he should believe what just happened. Yu would never say those things, would he? He turns back around, spotting Rei now on her knees, noticing that Minako isn't there either anymore.]
Rei...what the hell's going on... [He approaches her slowly, not knowing what to make of this.] Are you okay...?
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The statement had been so unlike her kind, cheerful, bubbly friend. The person she most often spent time with, the person who was in many ways her total opposite, but also her closest friend. That…hearing that from that voice, with that face? That stung more than anything she’d ever dealt with. More than illusions of the past, more than being faced with the visage of the man and monsters she’d so casually destroyed, more than thinking about her father. That just stung, and there was no way she was “okay” after that, in her own estimation.
But…Yosuke. She can sense his distress too, she’d felt how much that other boy had hurt him, and that more than anything pointed Rei to the conclusion that it was another glitch. Another CERES prank, designed to hurt more than have any use, and it’s that knowledge that keeps her from breaking down and sobbing. That’s the only thing though, and her answer is low…hushed…her words flooded with emotion.]
No. I’m…not okay. But I’ll get over it. [A pause as she collects herself] H-How about you?
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Being told he didn't amount to anything, that Yu was glad that he didn't have to stick around and babysit him anymore. That he didn't have to fill that space for Yosuke to feel needed and special, to make him feel like he really wasn't alone. The case had been solved so he had no more use for Yosuke. That dug deep into him, and he tried not to think about it. It couldn't be real. He can't bring himself to believe that the real Yu Narukami would ever tell him that.]
It's probably going to get worse out here, so we should go inside. Here. [He extends a hand to help her up.]
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[It's said mirthfully enough, a bit of black humor and open honesty from her that all her friends have come to expect. It says something, that she's calling him out on that...but now's not really the time to think about that. Her mind's reeling already anyway, but she does take his hand, pulling herself to her feet.
And then she hugs him, a full on embrace meant to show solidarity and acceptance. She can feel how much it hurts, how far into the cracks those words must have seeped. It's much the same as her own feelings, a bubbling sea of negativity. And a friend? Here? Where she's already alone and full of doubt? Is like a life-raft, something to keep herself afloat rather than letting herself drown in the sudden wave of despair over having something wearing the face of someone so close say those things...hearing that voice twisted in such a way...]
Who...could be fine after that.
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He does feel better, knowing that he's not the only one suffering right now, and that to have someone there right when he needed it was a blessing all on its own. He has to take a second to take a breath, before pushing away the need to try to cover it all up with a smile. Right now he doesn't have to do that.]
No one would. I guess she said something similar to what Yu said to me. But Rei...there's no way that was them. [His voice gains a tone of determination.] No way my partner would say or ever believe crap like that. I dunno what she said to you but it isn't true. No way.
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No...that wasn't Minako. [No honorific, but the hurt is evident in her words.] I know better than to think she'd say or believe any of that. That...doesn't make it any less of a bitter pill to swallow. Coming from her...in that voice?
[A hollow laugh, her voice rasping.]
I'm going to have to find a way to hurt CERES just as much as they're hurting us...one day.
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Those bastards. I used to remind myself that they did kinda save our lives and all, but this is going too far. [His hug tightens, a little to comfort her and a little in anger.] They brought us here to help them to help ourselves- what's up with throwing us through the ringer every other week?
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Not that it matters. We have to live with it. [She leans her head against his shoulder, just...taking comfort in that like she would with Makoto, or even Mamoru at times.] And I guess we have to just...press on. Because what else is there?
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There...isn't anything else. [It was a depressing thought, but it was the truth.]
Don't say things like that! That's totally getting me down.
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Sorry. It's...hard to think straight. But the future is still there. That's...well, it's what the Sailor Guardians always fight for. And even if I'm the last one.
[A beat.]
But...I have faith that I'm not. Just like your friend, Chie-san.
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[It was an exhausting thought, and he hoped for her sake and for his sanity that she wasn't doing something dumb or rushing into things without thinking about it.]
I hope everyday that someone from home is brought here from that messed up code. That's what makes this so hard right now. You really think they'll all eventually show up here, Rei?
[He wants to believe that more than anything.]
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[Rei looks up at Yosuke, her eyes heavy and almost teary. She's not crying, not yet, but the question is hard. This...more than anything? Is a test of her faith. She knows that, more than anything. But who's doing this? What about the Ginzuisho? What about Hotaru's power? There were ways that the Senshi should have had to fight back against these aliens. They'd fought off Galaxia and Nehellenia...what was different about the Flamines?]
And yeah. I...believe they will. I know we're all be reunited. I don't hope for anything, because hope isn't enough. It will happen. I know, because I've died before. And like my friends have said so long as one of us lives, we all do.
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Yeah. You're totally right. Besides, they wouldn't want us getting all down over them not being around right now, right? We just got to keep pushing on and look for a way to beat those guys.
[So that their worlds can be restored. He never knew how much he missed just working at Junes until now.]
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Yeah. Usagi-chan and the others just...they wouldn't want me dwelling on that. They'd just tell me to push on, and win.
[Because that's how you win. You move on, fight, and do your best. You draw in that drive, and you just act.]
Still...what I wouldn't give to have the real Minako Aino here. Right now.
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Yeah, I know the feeling. You said it yourself, she'll be here one day. I know it. [He had faith that she was right on that one.] You feel any better?
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A tiny bit.
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[He definitely doesn't mind that she hasn't let go of him yet. Yeah, he might be kinda friendzoned, but that doesn't detract from the fact that he is getting hugged by a super hot girl.]
Maybe we just have to get you some hot chocolate or something. My treat?
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9/9 DONE
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