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« 005 ⇢ event005.exe »

Who: CERES & you
When: IC: 10/04 | OOC: 11/15
Where: ViViD & McCERES
What: Intro Log
Rating/Warning: PG-13 | slightly nsfw

//event005.EXE

Learning is Fundamental! Let's play CERESLearn

ViViD's usual worlds are unfortunately down for maintenance. While CERES' programmers work on getting it back up and running, all new entrees this round will be going through a different level than usual. Only a single world is accessible at the moment, a simple one entitled 'CERESLearn.' "What the $%@& is this?" you must be thinking. Well, it's simple!

It's a study program, of course! CERES' advanced AI technology is here to make sure you learn and that you learn sexily. Whether or not you pay attention to the actual content is up to you, the player. Please enjoy it while it lasts. They're here to teach you a variety of subjects and also to make you feel vaguely uncomfortable all over.

New arrivals and those logging into ViViD will first find themselves in a classroom with a new operator greeting them rather than Vidia.

"Greetings and welcome to Cerealia! It's nice of you to join us at last. As you can see, we're just about to get started!

Here are the instructions:

♥ Choose your subject of choice. They include things like medicine, math, CERES economics, CERES history, fun facts about Julius, engineering, and science!
♥ Choose your tutor. You can hire Astor, Hilda, or UN-Zippy
♥ They'll teach you slowly, deliberately, sensually. Then after that, they'll drill you hard and without stopping.
♥ Just when you think you've had enough, they'll quiz you all over until you're sweating and panting.
♥ For those of you who pass, you'll be welcomed well into Cerealia and be given a free voucher for a McCERES Mildly Content meal. Please enjoy!"

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ xxxx ] Once you choose your lesson and your tutor, you will be transported to a classroom where you and a few other players who decide to choose the same lesson will sit with your tutor after school, getting knowledge taught to you by someone who seems more intent on learning what's under your clothes than filling your head with knowledge. They will be awkwardly stretching, dropping pencils by 'accident' on the floor, and bending down slowly to pick them up. Certain things might be spilling out of their clothes. Awkward things. They will breathe down your neck and make sure you are well-versed in their anatomy by the end of the lesson.

Fortunately, it won't last long as their bodies start to flicker erratically.

PHASE II

[ xxxx ] Just as things begin to escalate, the flickering will grow intense until your tutor will start to morph before your eyes. What takes their place is something that is anything but friendly. And yes, it will continue to breathe down your neck and speak in a sweet, soft, alluring voice while reaching out with its 'hands' to try and touch you.

This will be your cue to run through the halls of the school while That Thing chases you in every single direction imaginable. There will be others joining you as everyone starts bolting out of their classrooms.

PHASE III

[ xxxx ] Feeling tired already? Well, don't stop and rest now! For those who successfully murder their own tutor, they will get their food voucher and a lovely welcome into CERES. You've officially passed! Everyone will be allowed to mingle around the game room in the CERES Research Tower before being directed into McCERES just across the street. For those who were already in the colony, you will also receive a voucher and directions to McCERES at the end of the game in case you want to go meet up with the newcomers there or just eat some artery-killing fast food.

PHASE IV

[ xxxx ] For those who get eaten by That Thing or don't pass their quizzes and upset their tutors, they will be forced to endure the Price of Failure. This means being sent to the gym with the other 'failures' to endure a painfully slow and erotic striptease by UN-Zippy. Once that is over, they will then be logged out and allowed to have their complimentary McCERES voucher.

BONUS

[ whyo'clock ] Congratulations on surviving CERESLearn! Here's your complimentary voucher for a free Mildly Content Meal at McCERES. This month's special is also the McKnight Burger. Characters are immediately invited to take a load off and enjoy some good ol' fashion fast food of questionable origin. Those who decide to order and eat here will also get a special toy included inside their Mildly Content Meals.

[ 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. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to CEREALIA's latest intro post. For your convenience, we have compiled a post detailing everyone's usual arrival experience (which is not entirely applicable this round for reasons stated above^) and a FAQ that should explain everything in more detail. Please read them thoroughly before playing. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He doesn't have a sixth sense, exactly, but it's at least close, since he follows along briefly, but then starts to lead the way. ]

Well, no, not exactly. But I do have the address of the store I'm to work at, and surely there would be a candy store near a toy store. If there isn't, that's moronic.

[ you have to appeal to fattydingdongs kids ]

Ah. Now that you mention it, there are always sweet shops near toy stores...

[But has he really not noticed that before... PROBABLY, ACTUALLY, since Gilbert makes so many sweets that it's not like he ever needs to visit a store for any.

But he'll follow along, just assuming that Ciel will be able to traverse these weird streets with an address alone. His faith is far too high...]

—What's your favorite kind, anyway? [Of dessert, he means, but doesn't explain.]

Of course. It's a very purposeful placement, since most of the time, partner companies own the two stores, so they'll buy adjacent properties to make sure they both make a profit.

[ Ciel says it with a casual air, like this is normal, everyday talk for a young teenager rather than something pretty much exclusive to Ciel the Weirdo. He does look over in mild surprise at Oz's question, since at first, he doesn't quite get it, but it clicks. ]

...My favorite sweet, you mean?

[IGNORING that first part because yeah it's exclusive to Ciel the Weirdo. Who even pays attention to these things... what a nerd...

But the question earns him a nod and Oz picks up the pace a little so he's walking even with Ciel instead of trailing slightly after.]

You like most of them, right? But what's your favorite?

[ There's a long, thoughtful silence as Ciel gives it quite serious thought, since it's a very important question. But ultimately, he nods once he's made his decision. ]

You can't tell him I said so if you ever get the chance, but Sebastian's chocolate cakes. They're magnificent.

[SEBASTIAN. He'll nod once regardless, because he's not too surprised by the answer.]

I won't tell! But you'll have to do something for me in return. [HOLDING UP A FINGER.] I'm going to ask Gil to make us a cake when we find him- [when, not if-] -and you'll have to try it! Okay?

[ Ciel looks surprised by this, but he nods and agrees easily, which might be surprising. In fact, his expression even looks a bit light instead of habitually grumpy! ]

That's acceptable. I hardly mind sampling cake.

[ ...So, yes, it's all because he won't turn down sweets. ]

Is he a decent baker?

[AGAIN HE IS NOT SURPRISED... Why does everything revolve around food with like 80% of the people he knows.

That said, prepare for Gushing. This is like the one area he doesn't ~~often~~ tease Gilbert in, so his praise is very genuine.]

He's more than just decent! Gil's sweets are the best I've had. [A decisive nod.] He can cook really well, too. Even Alice loves his food.

Oh.

[ Ciel nods approvingly, since even if Oz is a terrible not-quite-nobleman, he's enough of a nobleman that Ciel assumes that he knows good food. ]

I look forward to it, in that case. He should prepare a Forêt Noire cake. [ Ciel, Oz was not asking for requests. ]

[His one proper nobleman trait: being a sweets fattydingdong.]

Sure, I'll ask for that! [He may not have been asking for requests, but he's fine with taking them, apparently?! He's just going to shove it all in Gil's direction in the end anyway...] Even if he doesn't know how to make it, he'll keep trying until he can.

[ Ciel nods like this is completely fair, because hey, he treats Sebastian pretty terribly... But at the same time, Sebastian deserves that treatment and Gilbert does not, so. ]

Ah, he's that sort of servant, then? That's a good quality, at least. Sebastian is the same way, but that might just be because I demanded it.

[ There's a pause, then he shakes his head with a sigh. ]

...Though now he does like showing off, so that's different.

[Yeah Oz has no reason for being a shit to Gilbert outside of the undying urge to bully people he likes...]

Gil's always been that way. He has trouble seeing his good qualities, but that's definitely one of them! I admire it a lot. [Gross... he's getting his fondness everywhere... It's hard to help though, since he really does miss his dumb nerd friend after being away for a while.]

Does he like to impress you? [No Oz he is just after praise.]

[ Ciel's expression softens too, since he might have shared a story about one of his other servants, since that sounds like... Pretty much all of them, actually, and Ciel does care for them all much more deeply than he'd admit.

However.

He will not pass up the chance to complain about Sebastian, so he frowns sourly before correcting this terrible assumption. ]

Oh, no, it's not me. That moron is just a terrible show-off, more often than not. He'd do anything in the most over the top, ridiculous way imaginable because he loves praise. And I'll never give him a single bit.

[Clearly Ciel is just focusing on the wrong servants!! But this is a decent topic too, because it just gives Oz more reason to sideeye Sebastian unnecessarily...]

Oh. It's a little sad that he needs validation that badly. [SAID WITH A SMILE. It's a good thing Sebastian isn't here though, because then his quiet shittery would just turn into straight up yandere hearts...]

It's irritating is what it is.

[ Ciel's grumpy expression just gets grumpier hinging towards angry, since there's a rant incoming... Oz is the first person ever that Ciel has gotten to complain to, so it's like the flood gates have opened at times. ]

That cat-obssessed moron will do even the simplest of tasks in the most ridiculous, overly complex ways simply to hear people applaud him, and they're stupid enough to do it! When we infiltrated that damned circus, he couldn't just focus on one act and keep a low profile, no, he had to excel at every single one like a bloody moron! Then when it came time to actually work, of course he got pulled away to fill in for someone else, leaving me to do everything, and he only just took care of the snakes, since he would have liked to see me get bitten.

[ ciel isn't bitter tho ]

[Oz will listen patiently!! Mostly because he thinks it's a good thing that Ciel is venting about Sebastian and he certainly won't be the one to go "okay please stop now".]

You didn't get bitten though, right?

[The most important part to draw out of that entire rant... It's also clear that Oz isn't saying it in a "HOW IMPRESSIVE OF SEBASTIAN" way, but in a "I'M VAGUELY WORRIED FOR YOU PLEASE DON'T DIE" way.]

Anyway, it sounds like it's probably a good thing for more than one reason that you're getting away from him for a while. Better for your blood pressure!

No, thankfully.

[ Because no matter what Sebastian had thought, Ciel is frail and probably would have died... Whoops. He shakes his head with an exasperated sigh as he remembers it, but it turns into a nod at what Oz says. ]

But I'd agree, at least. Sebastian is a beast, so it's not bad to be away from him for a while. I'm sure he'll show up eventually anyways, with how relentless he is.

[Sebastian accidentally knocks his lunch out of his own hands...

RELENTLESS DEMONS, THOUGH. Oz laughs, but it's that weird "am I upset? am I not?? we just don't know!!" laugh that he tends to do when he is feeling Conflicting Emotions that are largely negative.]

You've probably used up all of your bad luck by now, so I bet you'll be able to enjoy a lot of time to yourself.

Well, I certainly hope so. My luck has been especially bad as of late.

[ Even before ending up in a murder-themed amusement park, he got mustard gas to the face and a weird existential dream crises. It's been a trying few weeks for Ciel, to say the least, and he looks as grumpy about that as you/d expect. ]

If nothing else, I'm sure he'll have difficulty. I expect a month. [ Which says a lot about Ciel's confidence in Sebastian, for one, yet with how he says it, it doesn't seem like praise at all. ]

[CIEL... Life is hard when your luck suddenly turns into a black hole one day and never recovers.]

What will you do if he's not here by then?

[Just, you know. Idle curiosity.]

...Continue living here, I suppose. There's not much of an option otherwise, is there?

[ He says simply, but he's glancing away, because obviously he knows there is one other option. But honestly, even if it's a bit cowardly? Ciel is in no rush to go home. ]

[Oz seems satisfied by that answer regardless, shifting to link his hands behind his back.]

Mm, I guess you're right! It'll give you more time to work on your business, at least.

[THEY ARE PROBABLY NEAR THE SHOPPING DISTRICT BY NOW speaking of. If they're walking?? where are they what's even happening]

[ He sighs and nods understandingly, at least, since he's glad that Oz doesn't push on the topic, as usual, and also just understands that Ciel is serious about his candy business... ]

Right. [ There's a pause, then he adds: ] ...If Sebastian did show up, what would you do, Oz?

[He knew from the moment Ciel jumped out of a moving teacup and remembered to grab his stash of candy before absconding that sweets are taken seriously...

That's a difficult question to answer, though. He's quiet for a second, debating what to say, and eventually ends up with:]

I don't really know... But I wouldn't do anything that would make things more difficult for you.

[OR AT LEAST HE WOULDN'T DO SO INTENTIONALLY but everyone knows how well that goes.]

[ Perhaps surprisingly, Ciel doesn't really seem surprised by that answer himself. His expression is neutral, but carefully so in that way that implies that he's hiding what he's really feeling on the matter. And it is complicated. He can understand by now why Oz would phrase things in that way, since his displeasure at Ciel's arrangement with Sebastian was clear, but on the matter itself, he's conflicted.

There's never been an opportunity for something like this before, he realizes. No one has ever known about his contract that lived to do anything about it, because that's the way that Ciel wanted things. He wanted to avoid this very conflict. Because a large part of him is duty driven, and he'll pursue the end of the contract relentlessly, because it's the path forward that he's carving for himself. But still, though he hates it, there's also a very small part of himself that's still that boy in the cage that wants the help that's implied here.

But... He can't take it, all the same. ]

Good. I won't accept you doing anything foolish for my sake.

[ He says it harshly, as usual, but his gaze is directed forward as they head into the district where Ciel's toy shop is located. ]

If he does show up, just never forget that he's a demon.

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