« 005 ⇢ event005.exe »

[reparator]

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!

Comments

[lionly]

[Wow Oz way to generalise!! Don't classify animal people as all the same-- Elza's expression contorts with mild confusion at the mention of a festival (no he doesn't remember at all maybe blissfully so), but...]

You had me thinking we were from the same place for a moment, there. So you ran into him here... I don't know him that well, only through Nesso, but he's an ally.

[harepiece]

[Prove him wrong and maybe he'll reconsider, gosh!! But he'll just nod along at that, briefly taking his attention away from the conversation to glance back out at the hall.]

Right! Sorry, I should have said so. He was a big help earlier, though. [That is a bit of an overstatement, but who's keeping track...]

...Are the two of you the only people from your world here?

[lionly]

I'm not certain yet...

[Elza sighs, his fingers combing over his hair as his eyebrows scrunch together.] Everything's been such a mess that I haven't had a chance to investigate properly.

It would be relieving if Nesso were here, though. He's my captain-- he's a huma, tall, red hair, armoured, uses a bastard sword, will probably mention his sister Fiona in the first ten minutes you're talking with him...

[harepiece]

[WELL THAT DOES INDEED RING A BELL. The sisconning does, but the name doesn't... incredible.]

Oh! I think I met him, too. He seemed really worried about his sister... I don't think that she's here, though; neither of us managed to find her.

[lionly]

[Elza blinks, before his expression fixes somewhere between exasperated and relieved. His usual set of emotions when it comes to his captain.]

He would be worried... but he's like that even if he's away from her for fifteen minutes. [Siscon... Even if Elza's promised to support him if he wants to marry his sister. Of course. Because he's a bro.]

But in this situation, I'm worried about the young lady as well. But if you and Nesso didn't have any luck...

[If Nesso can't find her no one can tbh]

[harepiece]

[Elza that is not the kind of bro you want to be...

But Oz, as someone who is in the "skeptical of the worlds being destroyed" camp AND FOR GOOD REASON murderpark, thinks that it's probably a better thing that Fiona isn't stuck here wandering the halls being harassed by bug people.]

We can keep looking, though! I know what she looks like, at least. [Nesso described her in loving detail, Nesso why.] We were checking classrooms before, since it seems like so many people are hiding in them... Even if we don't find her, we can give people who are stuck a hand that way.

[lionly]

[And did he describe his best friend... his best lion bro... of course he didn't. Because Nesso's rude. Except no he's not really all that bothered, though the news that Oz knows what Fiona looks like has his eyebrow hiking up.

But it's just as expected.]

Then, shall we do that? We'll be killing two birds with one stone. [He sets a hand on his sword, the other on the wall as he carefully stands.] Just stick close to me, hm?

[harepiece]

[Elza all alone in the snow... Watch Oz mention it later and Nesso be like "ah yes right that one too".

THAT SAID yes, time to march out to battle. He'll stand, careful and watchful and on guard even though he seemingly has no weapon to draw.]

All right! But, um— [The briefest of pauses:] I can fight too, so you don't have to worry about me if we get in a sticky situation.

[He'll fight anyone who puts themselves at risk for his sake. FIGHT THEM!!]

[lionly]

[So lonely...

Elza blinks down at him at the words, confused. Wait what.]

You can fight? [But he's so... small and fluffy and blond and... bunny-like. Yes.] Still. I'm the one wearing armour, so you should let me guard you.

[He chuckles, smiles.]

[harepiece]

[Elza's observations aren't untrue...]

I can! [He doesn't even need armor, probably!! But he also feels bad because this guy is trying for him... He can't spurn an effort made in earnest, okay.]

—Just keep it in mind, all right? You don't have to put yourself at risk for me.

[lionly]

I'm a knight. That duty kind of comes with the armour and the sword. But, hmm--

[He seems to be considering it for a moment.] It sounds better to say something like I'm gallantly guarding you, doesn't it? Rather than putting myself at risk for you.

[harepiece]

A knight?

[SUDDEN ADMIRATION. What's with all these actual knights running around here, though... WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. But Oz is having a little admiration doki, either way!!]

Ah— Well... When you put it like that, you make it difficult to say no! But I shouldn't be the only one being guarded... [He will be a gallantly guarding knight too okay.]

[lionly]

A knight.

[Look at that face... Elza's just going to reach over and ruffle his hair just for that. YOU'RE A GOOD KID, OZ.]

In that case... how about I leave watching my back to you? Sound good?

[harepiece]

[Elza is his new favorite...

His hands raise automatically to smooth his hair back into place (or try?? because it is still springing up everywhere messily?!) as soon as Elza's done ruffling it, almost like SOME LOSER musses it so frequently that he's gotten used to the gesture. It actually is a really nostalgic thing... But there's still some softness present, so it's clear he doesn't mind it.]

—If you'll leave that to me, then I'll do my best! [kya what an important job HE WILL BE THE BEST BACK-WATCHER EVER.] I'm ready to go whenever you are.

[lionly]

[Man look at that nest of hair... so messy...]

Great. Then it'll be easy for me to focus on what's ahead. [Grin grin what a duty you're doing little friend!! He turns to the door now, twisting the knob and carefully easing it open. He peers up and down the hall before he slips out into it, keeping quiet in case monster bug things have good hearing...]

Let's go down this hall first. [OFF INTO DANGER...]

[harepiece]

["Can't be tamed."
-Oz Vessalius's hair, 2014

But he'll follow along as soon as Elza sets off down the hall, feeling a little better about things because he is Helping™ and not just being a useless lump. After a little while of traipsing around in danger town, he'll quietly whisper:]

...I don't hear or see anything this way. Not even people.

[lionly]

Maybe that bug beat us to this place and scared who was here off... hopefully they just did what we did.

[Elza keeps his voice quiet too, looking around suspiciously because we all know what happens when it gets too quiet in one given place.

And when you comment on how quiet or empty it is in that given place...]

[harepiece]

[AND LO, because they have invoked the ancient magic of horror movie tropes, there's a crashing sound from somewhere down the hall right as Elza finishes speaking. The ominous sort of could-be-friendly-fire crash, too, like perhaps some skittish person accidentally knocking a pencil tin off of a desk rather than a big obvious A BUG IS THIS WAY crash.

Oz hesitates for a second, glancing up at his travel buddy with some measure of trepidation. If it were up to him he'd just barrel down there to see what's what, but he doesn't want to be responsible for dumbly leading other people into danger...]

Should we go look? It might be a person...

[He says while already starting to shuffle in that direction.]

[lionly]

[Elza stiffens at that very suspicious sound that could be danger or could be a person in danger... now, if he was familiar with horror movies, here's where he'd say "hell naw I've seen this a thousand times LET'S RUN" but alas he's from some medieval place.

That lacks some common sense, apparently.

So he'll put his hand on his sword hilt instead and slowly walk around Oz, peering down the hall toward the sound.] A quick look-- and let's be very quiet about it.

[harepiece]

[WELL THAT IS two of them who come from places that lack common sense, considering Oz was the one to suggest it and he is also definitely ready to go charging off down the hall at the speed of light if it becomes necessary.

He'll glance up when Elza walks around him, and then down the hall as if trying to assess the DANGER levels from way back here...]

All right... [Crouching down and sticking close to the walls it is!! He'll set off like that toward the Mysterious Noise.]

[lionly]

[Please don't let that Mysterious Noise be a monster please don't let that Mysterious Noise be a monster-- That's on repeat in Elza's head as he loosens his sword from his sheath, thumb pressing against the hilt.

He'll go first!! He'll be the human lion shield.]

[harepiece]

[BILLY ELZA DON'T BE A HERO don't be a fool with your life elza......

Oz kind of seems like he wants to step around him to share his duties as meat shield, but he also has a very important job here! Watching Elza's back to make sure a second opponent doesn't come scuttling up the hall to stab them both!!

But since they're living a horror cliche here and all, SURPRISE, THERE TOTALLY IS A BUG INSIDE. And at about the same time that said bug is revealed, Oz will also jump back a little, bumping into Elza.]

Ah— I see one coming down the stairs!

[TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE.]

[lionly]

[Good boy Oz you guard his back like the tiny thing that you are and jfc it's a bug get in the car-- Elza sinks back, gasping a little as Oz just like bumps into his back. Luckily, he's got good balance so he doesn't stumble.

But he does curse.]

Another one... Great! Just what I was hoping for. Come on, we can move faster than those things, let's go down this way! [He'll move to urge him along with a push and start to run... okay so the running might attract their attention BUT HE TRIED

stupid bugs]

[harepiece]

[HE IS THE MOST FEROCIOUS TINY BACK-GUARDER except no apparently they're running?! Apparently they're running!! Oz stumbles a little since he had actually been preparing to fight, because he's a dang moron, but after a confused glance over his shoulder he decides to just roll with it.]

Okay—! This way?!

[Just STARTS RUNNING BLINDLY AND HOPING HE'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Though of course the bug in the classroom notices them (because of their dumb loud yelling, probably) so there will be the distinct sounds of desks getting pushed aside so it can pursue coming from behind them and OZ WON'T HAVE THAT. IT'S HIS JOB TO WATCH ELZA'S BACK.]

[lionly]

[YOU'RE TAKING THIS DUTY SO SERIOUSLY, OZ...

But no they'll need a bigger space than this to fight okay!! His longsword is... long. You know. And hard to fight with in close quarters. He could turn into a lion and like maul it but that's ~improper~ or some stupid thing.]

That's right! Ahh—they're coming, aren't they, [Elza groans as they run, darting a quick glance back.]