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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 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.

[That's something that goes without say, though Oz won't really remember "Sebastian is a demon" in specific so much as "Sebastian has been a shithead to a friend of mine", which will basically amount to the same ire and caution in the end...

But he doesn't really want Ciel to have to worry about things like that. They have enough on their respective plates without considering distant what-ifs. Besides, he'd like to think that he's not so irrational that he'd cause immediate issue. SO FORGET ABOUT THAT, he's not going to give Ciel another thing to stay up until ass o'clock over. He spins on his heel, taking a few backward steps so that he's ahead instead.]

Oooh? What's this? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were worried about me!

[Which he is very genuinely touched by, even if he's trying to lighten the situation now. That much, as Ciel knows Oz, is probably obvious.]

I'll have to buy you the biggest candy apple in the store for making you leave your little spiky hermit crab shell.

[ It's quite obvious, and yet, even with Oz being terribly predictable in some ways, Ciel is just as predictable... So this gets him to go from dere right back to tsun immediately. His thoughtful frown turns to a scowl. ]

What in blazes are you talking about now? That's a terrible comparison to start with!

[ Note, however, that Ciel is not rejecting the candy apple offer. ]

[UNSURPRISING. The day Ciel turns down an offer for sweets is the day Oz will be convinced he's probably dying.]

I don't know what you're talking about, honestly. That's the most perfect comparison! Should we see who gets the most agreement?

I am not some kind of crab, thank you!

[ That's Sebastian, duh... ]

[He thought Sebastian was a crow!! Make up your mind Ciel, gosh.]

Hedgehog? Pufferfish? ...Cactus? There aren't a lot of prickly animals, you know.

Then don't compare me to an animal at all!

[ He huffs like the little nerdchild he is ]

You don't have to do it in the first place!

Well now that you've said that, of course I do! [Ciel stop dooming yourself.]

If we're taking it seriously, it probably would be a hedgehog and not a hermit crab, though. ...I guess you're reclusive like a crab? But hedgehogs have that cute soft underbelly and crabs don't...

[ Ciel doesn't even say anything in response, at least! But this is because this turn in conversation is so offensive to his sensibilities that he just gives Oz a Look as if to say "how dare you," much like this icon, but unfortunately sans tea. ]

What do you think?

[COMPLETELY IGNORING THAT LOOK. Just entirely ignoring it. Have a sunny smile, friend!!]

You're a complete and utter imbecile is what I think.

[ He says is immediately and flatly, but OH LOOK, here they are at the candy shop finally. Ciel opens the door, then immediately starts to look around to appraise the shop, though his face is still stuck as being sour because of the conversation. ]

Hedgehog it is!

[Why do you put up with him, Ciel...

He'll flounce right in after though, immediately drawn over toward a display of little cake pops.]

These smell good... I think I'll get some! [He won't have any money for dinner if he does this the entire time they're here BUT IT'LL BE WORTH IT.]

I'm not a damned hedgehog, you idiot.

[ But Ciel doesn't protest that one as loudly at least, immediately walking over to a bin of sugar candies, which he'll pick up to inspect. ]

They look fine. [ He means the cake pops... ] They don't seem very profitable, though.

Oh, right, market research. [HE ALREADY FORGOT... He's also already in the process of handing his card over for a little baggie of them.]

Why don't they seem profitable? They're cute and they look tasty!

[ Ciel shakes his head, then while the teller isn't looking, just unwraps one to eat it. Fatty... ]

No. They'd take too much effort to make to turn a steady profit. Something simpler is better, even if I'd have to invest in a factory first. Costs need to be low...

[ He trails off thoughtfully, since it seems like the candy is at least passable ]

[SHOOTING HIM A DISAPPROVING LOOK Ciel don't do that.]

How simple are you looking at? Small cakes simple or butterscotch candies simple?

[ It's market research, so it's okay, gosh!! ]

Whichever turns the most profit. I'll have to do some figuring to see which would work better in this market, but simple candies always sell, at least.

[YOU CAN'T JUST STEAL CANDY FOR MARKET RESEARCH CIEL.]

They're easier to pocket, too. [Being mobile with your sweets is Important™.] Maybe we should ask around? We'll come to a consensus pretty quickly that way.

[ Surprisingly, Ciel nods approvingly! Treasure this moment where Ciel agrees with you, Oz... ]

Market surveys are usually good. When we would think about launching a new line, that's what we'd do, at least... [ He hums thoughtfully ] It wouldn't be expensive to hire some people to conduct them.

[ ...Because you know Ciel wouldn't do that himself. That involves talking to people and pretending to be personable. ]

[He's gonna make a scrapbook with all these moments recorded...]

What? Why not just ask ourselves? [?! The level of Ciel's inability to interact with other people without dying is amazing to him...] I wouldn't mind! It would be a really good opportunity to get to know other people a little, wouldn't it?

It would. Which is precisely why I don't want to do it.

[ At least he's honest...?? ]

You're enough of a handful, so I don't need any more people making the false assumption that they might be my friend. [ wow ]

[WOW INDEED. He looks vaguely offended!! So rude, Ciel, what did he ever do to deserve this kind of friendship...]

It's not false. [That's apparently the part he has the most beef with... DON'T DENY THEIR SHONEN FRIENDSHIP BOND.] Anyway, if you don't want to help, I can just do it on my own.

[ He realizes how that sounds belatedly, so his expression falls a little, and he shakes his head. ]

Er... No. Ours is fine, [ He is accepting their shonen friendship, just very shyly. ]

I mean other people. You're enough.

[Oh... WELL, GOSH. Now he feels a little bad for being quick to assume the worst, even though he also knows it's entirely reasonable. He has a little friendship doki for this shyness though, what a nerd.]

...Well! That's fine, then. [...] But you can't just have one friend, you know.

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