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« 001 ⇢ INTERLUDE001.EXE »

Who: Mosley and these unfortunate souls
When: OOC: 6/27, IC: 1/26
Where: CERES Research Tower
What: Mosley takes a few lucky souls on a tour of the CERES offices.
Rating/Warning: PG-13: Some violence, injuries and possible death.

▶ VIDEO.EXE | IC: 1/25

[ The broadcast comes bright and early for those paying attention to their CereVices; the man who appears on the screen is strikingly pale, white-haired and piercingly blue-eyed. He looks young, no more than nineteen or twenty and he's dressed in a crisp black and white suit. He stares into the screen for a long moment, long enough to be, frankly, just a bit uncomfortable.

And then white eyelashes blink and an awkward, unsure smile spreads across his face. He lifts a hand to fix his tie and speaks. ]

This is Mosley.

[ The smile drops, leaving him with a blank expression once again. ]

CERES has decided in a show of good faith to open our doors to you. I have been given the task of, [ He lifts his hands to emphasize with air quotes. ] "being your tour guide." If that is what I must do, so be it. The lazy worm does not get the apple, after all.

[ He looks down at the tablet on his desk, giving it a few taps and suddenly an icon appears on the bottom right hand of the video. ]

That link will bring you to a listing to make an appointment. You will be given a time. Show up promptly or do not, it is no matter to me. The tour will leave ten minutes after your given time and that will be that. Tours will only last a few hours so you needn't worry about the rest of your day. You will certainly return home in time to catch the latest episode of [ Air quotes again. ] "Banana is the New Black." I hear there's going to be a cliffhanger!

[ A pause and he looks oddly thoughtful. ]

I suppose you could also steal it off the internet? [ Blank again. ] Which would be wrong. Our lawyers will contact you if you do that. Do not.

[ And then another of those awkward smiles before quickly turning into something a bit startled and he taps his tablet again, ending the video. Replies to this feed have been disabled, unfortunately. Seems like someone isn't feeling very chatty. It's a miracle. ]

▶ ACTION.EXE | IC: 1/26

[ The next day, that Monday, those who take Mosley up on his offer will find that him standing there right in front of the main CERES office building, waiting. It’s with that same disconcerting smile that he unlocks the door and ushers them in.

Welcome, all of you, to our lovely CERES!

The group will find themselves standing in a lobby. Clean white walls and floors, a bright blue rug leading towards the elevators on the far wall, and a white reception counter. At the counter are two CERES robots answering calls and directing any visitors (though the lobby seems quite empty today) and on the wall behind them is a hologram of the CERES logo for all to see. Mosley stands in the center of the carpet in his usual suit and claps his hands together, putting on a smile. ]

Welcome to CERES.

[ And then the smile drops. Voice flat, he continues. ]

There has been... talk over the past few months that we at CERES have not been working 24/7 to help you, our clientele, return to your homes safely and soundly. There has also been... talk that we do not do anything. That this entire company is a farce, which is honestly quite hurtful to both me and the other hardworking staff at this company. Mr. Vincere had his way of running this place but Ms. Recreare is fond of a more hands on approach. We want to share that approach with you.

[ He spreads his hands to indicate to the building around them. ]

CERES has many fingers in many jars and they've all been sealed tight for a while. We would like to open those jars. So once again, welcome to CERES and please follow me.

[ After that, Mosley turns and begins to lead the group off. ]

▶ RUN.EXE | MOD NOTES

This is the event log for these sign-ups! Your groups have been sorted below; here are a few handy links for you:

Group 01 | OOC plotting
Group 02 | OOC plotting
Group 03 | OOC plotting
Group 04 | OOC plotting
Group 05 | OOC plotting
Group 06 | OOC plotting
Group 07 | OOC plotting
Group 08 | OOC plotting
Group 09 | OOC plotting
Group 10 | OOC plotting
There is no tagging order, so feel free to tag in whatever way works best for you as a group.

The tours will technically last 3 hours icly, but that may change as ic events happen; oocly, the threads will last as long as necessary, though Mosley will come and collect your characters if they are moseying around too long! There will be mod involvement in each of the tours.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask them here. You are welcome to plot with your groupmates by using the ooc top level comments linked above. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey, hey! I'll have ya know I'm a very adventurous spirit!

( He's trying to stay in good spirits right now. Being in a sour mood will do nothing to improve the atmosphere here and let's be real... in this situation, anything that doesn't make things worse is better than nothing at all. The heat here doesn't bother him so much-- he is, after all, a sword created from a smith's fire. The dark does and he really doesn't need Hawke to tell him that they need to be able to see.

He places a hand to his sword, making sure it's secure by his side and just... prepares. )

Alright, but be careful. ( He's trying to get his eyes to adjust so that he can help with the search. ) There's no tellin` what could be crawling around here.

( Bugs, rats, the normal things, and who even knows with this world. )

[ Athena looks back at the others, concerned for their well-being, but doesn't say much. It looks like they (or at least, Hawke) have things under control. Three people should be able to find a stick or something similar to use so the group can see things better as they move around.

Her necklace projects its own light, but it's not strong enough to illuminate the whole place. It does, however, serve the same purpose as a cellphone which you turn on so you can maneuver through your home if you're trying to sneak in and not get caught after partying and getting drunk without telling your parents. (Breathe. That was a long description.)

And she makes way for the door, clicking on the button without a shed of hesitation. She'll take whatever's on the other side than stay in this trashy (ha ha) inferno. Hopefully, the other side is illuminated. That'd help them a lot, too. ]

. . . NEW FILE CREATED . . . CHECKPOINT #001.SAV . . .
. . . CONTINUING TOUR.EXE. . .

[ The other side is only dimly illuminated by the light of the room they're currently in as the door slides open slowly with a groan. It is clear that this door has not been opened for a very long time.

The splash of water is the first sound that will hit their ears, as they end up on what appears to be an old, abandoned docking station of sorts.

There is nothing else in the room, and nobody else; the only noise is the splash of that dark water, impossible to see down into with the lack of light.

There are no other doors. ]

Edited 2015-06-27 21:54 (UTC)

[ hawke looks up from her rummaging when the lights turn on, with a dead rat clutched in a glove handed. she gives it a disgusted look before tossing it back into the pile and watches as athena approaches the door. well, let's see what's behind door #1!

... and that isn't what she expected at all. she blinks, pushing away from the dumpster and walks slowly into the new room, stopping at the edge of the ... pool? of sorts. she squints down at the water before taking a quick survey of the rest of the room. then she looks back at the other three. ]

I'm not the only one noticing the suspicious lack of exits, am I?

[Did the armored lady just have a handful of dead rat? Bulma pulls a disgusted face and turns toward the open door. Can this place get any worse.

... Maybe not. Maybe the only place to go is up. The sound of water is definitely welcome, and she perks up a bit. Even more welcome is the cooler air when she steps through the door and into the docking area, close on Hawke's heels.]

There has to be one somewhere! People come down here to burn the trash sometimes, right? They can't take the chute back up.

( He could have sworn she was waving around a broken sandal but okay.

Mutsu sure is going to walk into this new room. The sound of water is interesting and he'll find himself gravitating towards the pool, trying to get a look of what's in there if he can. Not that it helps much so he'll opt to look around.

Hawke is right, there don't appear to be any other exits. At least, not ones they can se right now. )

That guy said he'd come meet us too so has to be coming from some where. ( So where is he now? ) Can't see him coming down the chute after the fuss he made.

Right, Mosley-san?!

( He calls out loudly into the room, hoping to maybe hear something back from their missing guide. )

[ Suspicious lack of exits is right. Considering how the door sounded when it opened, the exit might not be here at all... Maybe it's there somewhere in the incinerator room, covered by one of the dumpsters or the trash bags?

But Athena's learned to inspect every nook and cranny available. It's vital to do so as a lawyer, and even more vital for someone who wants answers from CERES. ]

Let's try to examine and investigate this place before Mr. Mosley even comes. If we want answers as to why we're here, we have to search for them on our own.

[ The pool of water is the most curious thing in the room for Athena, and she walks up to its edge, crouches, and puts her ungloved hand in it. Eventually, she scoops up some water with her palm to get a better look at its hue. Oh, and she'll smell it, too. ]

[ The water smells surprisingly fresh and clean--and salty. It clearly hasn't been sitting stagnant.

Unfortunately, the platform they are standing on is incredibly old; as soon as both Athena and Hawke are standing on the edge, the rusted metal caves, and gives way, sending them on a trip down into said water.

It seems to be harmless water, however, aside from its salty taste, and incredibly deep. ]

[ MAKER HELP HER.

but seriously, hawke wasn't expecting that at all and because, well, armor, she sort of sinks like a stone into the water and you all get to watch a very desperate bird claw her way to the surface. thankfully, they're still sort of at the edge so with a gasp, she grabs at the nearest railing and pulls herself to the edge of the pool.

then she lets out a very sarcastic laugh. ]

And now we're in the water! Because that's exactly what we needed! Bloody fantastic.

[ she isn't really able to pull herself out just yet because again, heavy armor so she's just going to bob there and clutch to the railing. she'll look over at mutsu and bulma now and bark out at them. seriously! take some initiative here! ]

You two! Stop being useless and actually find something we can use. Hysterical blue haired girl, try and find something dry for this one and [ to mutsu: ] you, the one who still thinks that our guide hasn't abandoned us to our fate, go check if we missed a door in the last room.

[ then to athena: ]

You, are you hurt?

[ at least she didn't insult her?! ]

Hey! I'm not hysterical! [Even while she objects, she's already shrugging out of the light jacket she wore to the tour. It isn't much, and it smells a bit, but it's dry and it can be buttoned up for decency. It'll do while she hunts for something better.

She drapes it over her arm and hurries to the wrecked edge, crouching and looping an arm through the rail while she extends a hand to Athena.] Here, grab my hand! Let's find someplace safe to pull you out.

Athena-san!

( When the edge caves in, he starts to dash over to help but then--

"--go check if we missed a door in the last room."

He's used to responding to orders but wow, he really wasn't expecting them from the one who fell in the pool? There's a split second before he follow through, first making sure Bulma has the situation taken care of here. So far, so good? )

R-right!

( And he spins on his heel, dumpster diving. Again. By now, his eyes are used to the dark and he can make out things much better than earlier before. Now, let's see, if he was a door where would he be... He begins to check the walls! He'll even look behind some of the piles. Look, there has to be another way in or out of this place some where. )

I'm fine! [ The immediate words she says the moment her head pops out of the water. Her eyes sting a bit from getting splashed, but if she stays in the water longer, she'd likely get used to it. For now, she'll keep kicking at the water to stay afloat, not exactly taking Bulma's hand yet. Her are floating nearby, but they're a bit too far for her to grab right now. ]

Take this— [ First thing's first, she has to make sure her necklace is safe. A little water likely wouldn't hurt, but any longer, and it'd probably break. The light immediately switches off once she removes it, though. Any contact made by any other person and the necklace won't result to anything, since it only responds to Athena.

She moves to another side of the pool without even asking permission from the others. (It's not like there's a team leader anyway??? Someone ought to put her on a leash.) YOUNG, WILD, FREE. ]

I'm going to go see if there's something we can use underwater!

[ The Aquarium she's been to had a really deep pool and it was a murder scene. MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING OF NOTE HERE, WHO KNOWS. Back down into the water she goes, staying very close to the pool's wall. Someone seriously needs to put her on a leash. ]

[ Mutsu's search will reveal a lot of metal walls, rust and emptiness. It appears as though this room is remote-operated, if it is used at all, aside from today's special occasion. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any other doors anywhere to be found.

Though he will find some friends behind some of the piles of trash. They skitter towards him. Have fun with that.

Meanwhile, Athena dives under the water, and just in time to see her new friend. It was creeping towards her, almost curiously as they were talking, but now that Athena is down under the water, it seems to decide that she's worth grabbing.

So it does, grabbing her leg and dragging her towards it. Athena doesn't seem to be resurfacing yet, though the fish's fin might just break the top of the water. ]

Yes, you're very calm and rational at this moment. Completely.

[ that's hawke's snark to bulma as she watches the two of them. hopefully mutsu leaving will help them find something and when bulma comes over to hand her jacket to athena, hawke's about to try and lift herself out of the pool. seriously, this armor is so heavy.

but then athena goes back under and hawke presses a hand to her forehead with a sigh. ]

Oh, for Maker's--

[ except what the hell was that? hawke's still got her eyes on where athena went under when suddenly her underwater shadow gets replaced with a bigger one and -- IS THAT A FIN?! hawke plunges underwater immediately, keeping her eyes open despite the salt to see if athena's still there and gets a good look at her new friend. sweet maker. she'll claw at the surface of the water with a gasp and in a really quick shout, ]

MONSTER.

[ then she dives back under, just in time to grab the back fin of the thing and tag along for the ride.

welp. that's two down. ]

[Grrr. She shoots Hawke a simmering glare, but turns her attention quickly back to Athena when she feels something pressed into her hand. Her fingers instinctively close around the round bauble.] Huh? But--

[Too late, she's already out of grabbing range, even when Bulma leans out precariously from the edge. Lifting the necklace, Bulma gives it a puzzled look before calling out:] Hey! This isn't the time to be worrying about your jewelry-- [She bites off her words, watching the last flash of Athena's feet with a sigh.

Well, she can't blame her. She never wanted to listen to anyone else when she was younger, either. She rarely does now.

Except when they're shouting monster. Then she definitely listens.]

M-MONSTER!?

[She shoves the necklace into the pocket of her jacket and throws it as far from the water as she can, popping to her feet.

...and dithering at the edge. She isn't physically strong. She doesn't have a weapon. What can she do against a water monster!?] HEY!! SWORD GUY!! GET BACK HERE!!

( Something is going on outside in the other room but like heck Mutsu knows exactly what. By now, he can recognize Bulma's yelling without a problem and when he hears her, he can figure that something went wrong with the water rescue.

Right now, though? Trying to get away from these skittering new friends he never wanted. He'd stay and fight but he can hear some cries. "Monster?!" "Hey! Sword guy!"

You know what Bulma can here from where she is? She might not hear the steal of his sword fighting back to keep the robots away from him but she should definitely be able to hear the shots from his gun. BANG, BANG! )

Augh...! ( He's trying to run back to the other room now. But he doesn't want to bring these guys out too... If they're slow enough, he can try to slam the button to close the room off while he makes his escape? How fast are these things even??? Otherwise... ) Kinda busy here!

( Sorry. Really. )

[Are those gunshots? Those are gunshots. Bulma stares hard at the dark water a moment longer before spinning on her heel. She can't do anything here, but maybe she can help Mutsu. She books it back to the door, throwing her back to the wall before cautiously leaning around to see what's happening in the trash room.

Those look like some kind of robots. Robot fleas? Roaches? Does it matter? No, it doesn't. All that matters is that they're on the offensive, and it looks like maybe he could use a hand.]

Throw me your gun!

[... never mind that she hasn't had to fire a gun in more than a decade. She was a decent shot when she was a kid, though. It's like riding a hoverbike, right? You never forget how to aim?

Yeah, sure.]

Edited (word choices) 2015-06-28 01:31 (UTC)

[ Closing the door works; the skittering robot insects that remain and haven't been shot hit the door, but aren't able to come into the room with the water with them.

Either way, the fin has long since disappeared into the darkness of the water, dragging both Hawke and Athena down with it. It had seemed more intrigued by Athena than anything, but now that Hawke has jumped onto its back like a crazy person, the fish flails itself deeper into the water, dragging them both down with it. ]

( The doors are closing and Mutsu manages to squeeze on by. He's just outside the doors next to Bulma, scanning the room for... what is he even looking for? There was trouble but he doesn't see anything. He also doesn't see Athena or Hawke. What he does notice is the settling waves in the water...

Turning towards her, he's already shoving his gun in her hands. It's an old model-- an original Smith & Wesson with six shots. Something's going on and right now, she's the unarmed one. Next, he's running over to the water's edge. )

What happened? Where're the others?

( Are they in there? He's beginning to sheathe his sword in case he has to dive now. )

[ meanwhile, down in the deep blue sea, hawke's still trying to hold onto this insane fish. she isn't able to see much because duh, underwater but she feels around enough to claw her way up the back of the fish using its spines. when she gets to the end of them, that's when she swings that stupidly heavily armored foot straight up into (what she hopes) is the stomach of the fish. she'll do again if it doesn't let go of athena the first time. she's going to keep doing this over and over and might even bring in a hand to start punching the thing.

seriously, fish. let go of her! ]

[ There's not much Athena can do given the situation, but she's kicking as much as she can, if she's even able. At the same time, she's struggling to swim up, not really caring about what else could be around them.

Seriously. What kind of incinerator room has something like this?! And what kind of TOUR... She actually had faith in the new CEO and Mosley, and yet!!!!! ]

Uh-- [Bulma isn't expecting him to pass her the gun how that the immediate danger is past, and she fumbles it before getting a grip. Older than she expected, and heavier, too--the weight is reassuring, and she joins him at the water's edge.]

I don't know! Hawke shouted "monster" and dove after the kid! [Sorry Athena.] They haven't come back up... she's wearing all that heavy armor...

[She swallows, heart in her throat.] You don't think... [They'd better not die down there! She doesn't have the Dragon Balls to wish them back!]

They're gonna be okay.

( Monster. Lake. Hawke and Athena. Bulma isn't even finished speaking when he begins to take his clothes off. It's all loose clothing so it comes off easily enough. Red top comes off, revealing a smaller black vest underneath. Shoulder guard drops down to the ground, and he starts to untie his belt, settling one of the sword mysteries: it is not a real tail.

Lastly, he hands her his sword. )

Keep this safe. ( It's his one absolute. Everything else is unimportant. And turning towards the water, ) If we're not up in 10, start looking for a way out.

( Because he has no idea how long they've been under but humans can only hold their breath for so long, right?

With a splash, he dives in after Hawke and Athena. )

[ Hawke's kicking and punching seems to have done something -- it's offended the creature, that was really just interested in Athena's bright orange hair and now feels incredibly hurt. You've hurt its feelings, Hawke.

Either way, it lets go of Athena, swimming away rapidly with the fish-monster equivalent of a huff. Unfortunately for both Hawke and Athena, they're both dropped right on top of a rather harsh underwater current, so unless they are incredibly talented swimmers, they're both going to be swept away.

Mutsu might catch a glimpse of them as they are swept away rather quickly. It's dark down here, but thankfully there's some red light coming from behind him, illuminating things for him.

Handy! ]

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newtimes - 2015-06-28 06:00 (UTC) - Expand

Ah! What are you doing!? There's no time for that!

[Seriously, what is he thinking, stripping down all of a sudden like that--oh. Her eyes widen in understanding and she nods, holding the sword close. It must be important. Swords usually are to the people that wield them, in her admittedly limited experience.] Okay... be careful down there!

[A splash and he's gone, leaving Bulma on the surface holding a gun and a sword and looking down at the water, completely at a loss. Now what. Ten minutes might be pushing it, she thinks, but she's going to hold out hope until time is up.

She turns away from the water, tucking the sword beneath her arm, and retrieves her jacket. There must be something useful she can do... maybe there's a blanket or something laying around? Probably not, and with the door closed it's too dark to poke around.

Luck was on her side once. Maybe, just maybe, she can find a light switch if she searches the wall with her one free hand.

This is going to be the longest ten minutes of her life.]

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▶ CHECKPOINT ONE.SAV

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