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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

[Cynbel makes an affronted face and moves to stand in front of the doorway, blocking Oz in. Or trying to, anyway, since they both know Oz could lift him out of the way, if he tried.]

I think not! Are you trying to get yourself killed, after going through all the trouble of hiding us both?

[Oz kinda, sorta saved his life, though Cynbel will never admit it out loud. It's just fairness to make sure he doesn't get his fool head knocked off minutes later, anyway.]

[Luckily for Cynbel, Oz is not in the habit of manhandling people unless it's a necessity, so he keeps his hands to himself for the time being. He does raise them up in a placating gesture, though.]

No— I mean, you don't have to worry about that. I'll be fine, I promise! But I can't just let it roam around with so many people still out there.

[That's very lucky, indeed, especially since Cynbel doesn't seem inclined to move, even as placating as Oz is being.]

And what ways do you have of protecting them and yourself, apart from hiding?

[He's about two seconds away from tapping his foot disapprovingly and doing his best Disappointed Dad impression, so Oz better have a good answer handy.]

[The disapproving dad impression... He can feel it coming and there is Real Fear here.]

Ah— Well... I'm not defenseless! If it's to protect someone else, I can... I can fight them off. The bugs... [Somehow it is more difficult verbally explaining this to a stranger than it is showing a stranger accidentally in a fit of panic. There is no easy way to say "oh well I can summon big stabby things out of thin air because I'm basically a demon hAH".]

Just give me a minute and I'll be right back, I promise!

Is that so?

[HE WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS AN ANSWER, TBH, but the dancing around any solid details that makes Cynbel Dad-Stare even harder. He's been under that look before, so he knows exactly how effective it can be, and he's going to use it as much as he can get away with.]

Then you won't mind telling me exactly how you plan to do that, if you're in such a great hurry. Will you?

Yes! I mean— no?! [Or maybe yes for real... But the longer he hesitates, the farther away Bughilda gets. He can hear it lumbering away down the hall, windows rattling as it scuttles by, and - is that the sound of a distant door opening??]

—Here! [AND THERE IT IS his... his bigass scythe that just sort of materializes out of thin air.] I'm going!

[At which point he will just sort of attempt to move around Cynbel without knocking him over, but tossing the door open with vigor. NO FELLOW CLASSROOM REFUGEES ARE GOING TO BE EATEN ON HIS WATCH.]

[Cynbel hears the door, too, and is distracted enough to double-take when the scythe appears out of thin air, his jaw falling open.]

That is...

[A gardening tool?? It's huge and dangerous-looking, though, so it can probably do some damage.

And as Oz moves around him to leave and throws the door open dramatically, like he's just walked off a stage play or something, Cynbel recovers enough to raise his voice while Oz is still within hearing distance.]

—Don't get yourself killed, whoever you are! If you die, I'll be very upset with you!

[And before Bughilda or any other creepy tutor monsters can come back for him, he's going to make his way to another classroom down the hall, from which there'll be no suspicious shouting to make him easy to find. Oz'll be able to find him, if they need to, but he'll let Mr. Shounen Hero go handle the rest of it.]

[IT IS A DANGEROUS GARDENING TOOL INDEED and Oz will just abscond into the distance with it, making a vague noise of acknowledgement as he goes... He'll be touched by the sentiment later, okay. Thanks for being potentially upset over him getting his dumb self killed, stranger!! He'll try not to end up a tasty rabbit appetizer...!

That said, he skids to a stop near the end of the hall, where the classroom Bughilda's busted into is blessedly empty of other newcomers. There's no hesitation this time as he rushes in, expertly wielding the blade despite its mighty size and dodging the few strikes that it tries to get in on him. It gets easier to predict, after dealing with two others... Because of that, his work is quick but somewhat messy, leaving a bisected corpse on the ground. Luckily there are no little girls around to scar for life or crazy beanie skaters to ask if he's the grim reaper this time...]

[AND BACK OUT HE GOES, time to return to his new friend!! He'll check the first classroom they had been in, but isn't too surprised to find it empty; he had kind of compromised their position with a Shonen Exit and all.

Since they aren't in immediate bug danger anymore though, he just sort of stands in the middle of the hall and calls out instead of creeping around and quietly opening every door...]

Hey! Are you still here?

[A door Oz hasn't opened yet moves, and Cynbel sticks his head out. He's not sure if Oz is stupid, brave, or some combination of the two, but he knows he's probably not going to die if the yelling is back down on this corridor and not filled with "run away"s.

But none of that is going to stop him from giving Oz a flat look.]

Did you kill it? Or are you merely trying to bring it here to finish the job it started?

[Pipe down, weirdo gardener!!]

[Don't give him that look!!! He's not dumb enough to mosey back super carefree with a rogue killer bug still on the loose...!]

I'm not leading anything back! [INDIGNANT. But then, on a more serious note:] I said I'd take care of it, so I did. I really don't want those things to end up hurting anyone here...

[So his reluctance about dicing up a former human(???) has been put on the backburner.]

[You sure about that, Bunnyman... Cynbel really isn't, especially after he went chasing after it in the first place. Only crazy or stupid people do things like that.]

If it's gone, then I suppose I have no reason to stay in this place, after all.

[He lets go of the door and walks out, smiling at Oz in a borderline mocking way.]

Though, would anyone have really been hurt? I've never heard of a proper death in ViViD, after all, so if they are possible, I'd like to know.

[LOOK... okay both are debatable, but still.]

Mm, I'll let you know if I see another one. They don't seem to stay in groups, though... [As far as he's seen, anyway. Once he's run into one, there usually isn't another for quite a while. THAT SAID, even though he notices the borderline mockery going on here, the reason for it sails over his head...]

What's ViViD? Is that what this place is called? [By which he means the school itself but, close enough...]

Don't you know?

[His eyebrows go up, and his smile widens. Knowing something other people don't never, ever gets old for him, and he relishes the chance to show it.]

Oh, you must be a new one, if you don't. The short of it is, this is all one, big illusion! It's all very grand, of course, but it's still only a bit real. That's what they call "ViViD"; a very well-made game of pretend.

[WAIT... wait wait hold on back up why. Oz squints a little, giving Cynbel a look that seems both suspicious and baffled, but he doesn't seem to be lying?! Moreover, why would anyone even lie about something like this...

His gaze then shifts to their surroundings, and after a few seconds of thought, he scoots off toward the nearest wall and places his hands against it, palms flat.]

...Not real? [IS THIS BARMA, IS BARMA HERE SOMEWHERE, WHO'S DOING THIS-] Wait, how is it happening? It's a game—? [Patting the wall!!] This is a terrible game!

[Cynbel watches this for a few moments, before Oz starts patting at the walls and yelling. He guesses this is going to escalate to punching and smashing quickly if he doesn't calm the situation, so he steps behind Oz, hopefully out of the way of any significant flailing.]

What are you doing? You can't leave by smashing your way out, so stop that!

[He waves his hand in a "stop that" gesture and goes for a calm, cheerful voice, hoping it relaxes things more than a stern tone would.]

[Luckily Oz is not a very punchy or smashy person (usually), so it doesn't take much at all to distract him from his wall patting.]

I wasn't going to try that! [PROBABLY...] But everything feels so solid... It's not real? It really isn't real? [why... He turns back around to face Cynbel again, waving his hands emphatically in a WHAT NOW gesture.]

So how do we get out?!

As I said, it isn't! And because it isn't, breaking things in here with do nothing.

[He huffs a little, hands on his hips and shaking his head. His dad impression might be going a little far by now, but it's fun, so he'll keep doing it for as long as he can get away with it.]

Here, this is how you do it.

[And with a bit of a flair for the dramatic, he pulls up the menu screen for ViViD, letting it float in the air between them as he throws his arms wide open in a "ta-da!" gesture.]

There, you see? It's not much trouble at all.

What about people who get hurt?

[The bugs he's less worried about, if they're not real at all. That means they were never really people to begin with... NO HARM NO FOUL.

Either way, watching with interest (and a fair amount of confusion) as the screen pops up. He squints at it, squints at Cynbel, and then hesitantly reaches out like he's going to try touching it, too...]

How do you use this to leave? I don't really get it...

[Cynbel shrugs at Oz's question. He doesn't really know, and he mostly doesn't care, as long as it doesn't directly effect him. He should probably figure that out before he comes back to ViViD, though, if it's going to be as violent as this in the future.]

This leads you to the way out! Look here.

[He gestures with one finger, pointing to a little map in the corner of the screen. It doesn't do much when either of them touch it, except make it obvious it's just a projection. There's nothing there to feel.]

Those places that are marked out are exits. If you follow this path, you can leave!

Edited (homophones....) 2014-12-08 20:26 (UTC)

[THE FUTURE. Oz swipes his hand through the screen a few times just out of curiosity, but it's pretty obvious that nothing's going to happen, so he eventually pulls it away to peer at the map.]

That's it?

[THAT IS... surprisingly easy. He's a little suspicious... not of Cynbel, but just of this place IN GENERAL. Considering he came from a murdergame, he has fair reason for it.]

—That's a lot easier than I expected. Thanks for the help! If you're going to leave too, we should probably head to an exit together, right? [So he can fend off any more bugs...]

[Cynbel lets him screw around with the menu, but he does give Oz a "really?" look for his trouble.]

That's all you need!

[Don't expect too much from the future, Oz. That's the reason they're currently running from sexy tutor bug monsters.]

And if you can't use the map, of course you're going to need a hand finding the exit. We'll go together!

[Congratulations. You now have one tiny guide to (conditional) freedom.]

[YES REALLY but at least he will not give Cynbel any further trouble. He's on his best behavior here!!

Partially because he's still very confused and also on his guard in case more bugs show up, but hey, gotta take what you can get... AND HEY Cynbel's even offering to not ditch him and leave him to stupidly fend for himself, that's like a double bonus!]

That's really nice of you, um— I forgot to ask for your name! [wow] Mine's Oz.

[Well, that's better. No more need to put on his best impression of his own father, so he gives a smile at that. Since they're moving now, he can't bow, but he does put a hand over his chest in his equivalent of a salute.]

Cynbel Lightfoot, but just "Cynbel" is fine, if you're so inclined.

[Because "Oz" is so short for a given name when compared to his normal standard, he's pretty sure it must be short for something else.]

How long have you been here, Oz?

[WELL HE'S SEMI-WRONG BUT ALSO NOT ENTIRELY WRONG but it's also a weird topic... Oz would be glad to know that any awkward questions have been succinctly avoided.]

Cynbel, then! [A decisive nod!] I only just got here. I mean - it's the strangest thing, because I know that I went to some sort of festival where I met a few people here... But that's the last thing I remember before waking up in this building. [This fake virtual reality building...]

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