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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

. . . LOADING FUYUHIKO KUZURYUU.$$$ . . . LOADING PHOENIX WRIGHT.$$$ . . .
. . . LOADING RICHTER LAWRENCE ALCROSS.$$$ . . . LOADING XERXES BREAK.$$$ . . .
. . . LOADING ZARA SKEENS.$$$ . . . START TOUR.EXE. . .

[ Instead of going to the elevators, Mosley veers right and heads to a door that leads to... the stairs? The stairs are equally white and pristine as the building but Mosley does not head up, he heads down. ]

Actually... I was thinking of doing something a bit different with this tour. I thought to myself "why bring you to things you've already seen, why not show you part of the mystery of this place?" We at CERES are quite known for our mystery! So, today we are heading to one of our containment facilities. Contain what, you may ask? Well, you will see. This facility in particular is quite old, so please watch your step.

[ As the group travels lower and lower into the building, the walls become less white and pristine and start to rust over and flake. It's a gradual shift but their walk is long and Mosley ignores any attempts to be engaged in conversation. Finally, he will stop at what seems like the very end, if the pitch blackness of the staircase in front of them is any indication. The walls are red and flaking and the building creaks with disuse.

Once in a while, there's a splash of water. If anyone of the group looks at the walls closely, they will be able to make out B89. It seems this building goes quite deep! ]

Oh, the light is out. When did that happen? I suppose I will have to go fetch a lightbulb, otherwise how could we see? How... unfortunate. Please wait here, as this will just take a second.

[ Mosley directs a smile at the group before heading back up the staircases they just came down. Two steps at a time, at that! He seems quite in a hurry to get that lightbulb. Of course, a few moments later, there's an ominous little click, and then all of a sudden, the stairs underneath their feet turn into what seems to be a slide, sending them hurtling down into the basement.

When they finally come to a (possibly painful) stop, they're in the darkness, the ground beneath them rough and dirty. The only light is a soft glow a few feet away, as if from under a door. ]

[ "A bit different" was more or less the first clue that this wasn't going to be the standard tour. Break is naturally paranoid, but also definitely the sort of person to investigate curiosities, even if it may not seem like it. His odd personality tends to cloak that fact rather well. So, really, he should have trusted his instinct at the first statement that seemed off, and certainly at the second of a mysterious missing lightbulb (not that Break could exactly tell), but.

Hindsight is always 20/20, as the saying goes.

Break is about a half-second from suggesting that they all leave when the floor goes out from under him, and that one red eye widens in distress, but he's also wild and ready to fight. It's the sort of thing naturally ingrained into him at this point, but much less so when he has no footing to speak of. He simply holds his cane close, then rolls as best he can when the bottom of the slide suddenly comes, though it's not exactly pleasant. It might seem odd that he would hold onto the cane with such dedication, but considering the sword inside it, he's hardly going to let it go.

Though still, half-landing on it winds him, so when he hits the ground, he chokes out a strangled noise, then coughs bitterly as he tries to regain his breath. He's an old man and not used to this sort of rough treatment...!! ]

What—

[ —Happened, but that too is broken off by a cough. The darkness isn't any different for Break, but he still reaches out to grope in the darkness to try and better figure out just where they've landed, since he has only sight and sound to rely on.

...If he gropes you, sorry. ]

[Phoenix landed right on his belly in an undignified heap. He had a feeling that something would go wrong on this trip, but the chance of finding out more about their situation and about CERES seemed worth it. Things seem to have gone awry much sooner than he had expected.

He crawls along the ground for the moment as he tries to squint and figure out his surroundings. He probably hears some of the others, but he manages to avoid being groped as he tries to call out.]

Mosley? Hello?

[Then, in a quieter tone.]

...Is everyone alright?

[Kuzuryuu seems like a tough kid, but he's still a kid. I hope we're not mixed up in something too horrible ...I'm worried about Zara, too.]

[Kuzuryuu also fully expected something to go wrong at some point, especially since their tour was "a little different" for some unexplained reason. But he actually wasn't put out by that prospect, much the opposite really. Yeah, sure something was probably going to go wrong but if they weren't getting the standard tour, surely they'd have a better chance of learning something useful, right? Hopefully...]

[He doesn't really expect Mosley to come back with the lightbulb, but that doesn't mean he isn't surprised when the stairs decide that slides have more fun. What is this, some kind of bad cartoon? The landing is kind of painful, but Kuzuryuu doesn't stay in a heap for very long. He pulls himself into a sitting position fairly quickly.]

I'm fine. Pretty sure he's not coming back though, Wright. [There's a soft click as Kuzuryuu flicks on a zippo lighter. Hey, it's not much but it's better than the sliver they're getting under that door. He knew this thing would eventually come in handy for more than fireworks if he kept it in his pocket long enough.] You're wasting your time calling for him.

[Mosley, that is.]

[ Zara, too, went into this knowing it would go wrong - things go wrong here even when he's not sent suspicious invitations - so although the floor suddenly giving way is a surprise, it's... not as much of one as it could have been? The fact does little to make his bruised elbows and tailbone feel better, but at least he's not panicking. He groans upon landing.

The uncertainty and the fear were certainly still there, but he has no regrets about what he's done (yet.) If he wants to get back to Fiona, he's going to have to take a few risks. The dark, underground chamber is unfortunately reminiscent of another dark, underground chamber he was once locked in, but he does his best to put that out of his mind. ]

... I believe Mr. Kuzuryuu is ri- [ suddenly, he feels someone grab his tail, which causes him to let out a rather embarrassing squawk. ] --iieeght! -- P-please unhand me, sir.

[ that'd be you break ]

[ For the briefest of moments before Zara lets out his very undignified squawk of distress, Break is absolutely baffled by what he's grabbed onto, since though it's soft and fluffy, it's not exactly a normal jump to assume that he's grabbed onto Zara's tail. Considering he's never seen Zara, he's not even aware of his ears or tail, though when Zara makes a noise of distress, Break is quick to withdraw his hand.

He looks Zara's way with that surprise open on his face, since he's still not sure what he grabbed onto. It felt like a small animal, but in Break's mind's eye, this doesn't quite connect... ]

What was that?

[ At the very least, grabbing a handful of bun is distracting from the fact that he landed on his cane, so grandpa won't die. Probably. ]

[I don't know what I think of that Mosley guy, but he's right. Whatever the situation is, we must be on our own for now.

He smiles towards Kuzuryuu for a moment.]

At least we're alright. We'll just have to figure out...

[Then he hears the squawk and sharply glances towards its source.]

Zara, what happened?! [Is something horrible happening already]

[Zara, r u ok?]

[Kuzuryuu holds the lighter up over his head and moves a little, trying to get the flame's light to fall on Xerxes and Zara so they can see what the hell they're doing over there. He's helping?? Sort of. Look, an attempt was made here.]

My tail, [ Zara hisses back, sounding mildly offended - though he knows Break didn't mean to do it, that accusatory tone puts him on the defensive. Grabbing someone's tail just isn't something you do where he's from. Unless you're really good friends. Hastily, he gets to his feet and takes a step away from Break, feeling faintly violated.

Of course, then Kuzuryuu puts them in the metaphorical spotlight, and he quickly becomes more embarrassed than offended. At least the darkness helps hide his expression. ]

It's no matter. I'm fine. [ clearing his throat. ahem. ] ... Let's focus on the situation at hand.

...Tail?

[ If that question delivered with just as much bewilderment doesn't make it clear, then Break's reaction to the light put on them will. Or rather, it's the lack of reaction that's notable, since while he can hear ~~Kazoo~~Kuzuryuu approach, the flick of the lighter was an unfamiliar sound to him, so he hadn't realized that it meant giving a little illumination to the area. He doesn't react to it at all, though as Zara stands, Break starts to as well, even if he's using his cane for support.

It comes with another cough, but he's fine, really. His body just isn't quite as youthful as it once was, okay!! ]

What in the world just happened?

Edited 2015-06-27 04:33 (UTC)

[Phoenix follows the light of Kuzuryuu's lighter while trying to wipe some of the dirt off of his suit. He blinks at the unusual sight, looking between Zara and the old man for a beat.]

You know what? Let's just forget whatever just happened. If everyone's alright, we should get moving. [They'll have strength in number at least, even though Phoenix is worried because he doesn't know of any of them being anything other than an ordinary human... or rabbit-man.

But he scratches at his head and glances around at that point, to try to spot the last member of their tour group.]

[The invitation from Mosley, or rather, CERES was alarming, not to mention suspicious but he plays along anyway. When placed in the group, Richter wondered if Mosley was not mentioning his real name out of courtesy or to mock him, either way it was fanning the already raging flame of disgust he harbors for CERES, so in a way he was expecting some form of foul play.

Though he will kick himself for an entire week for falling for that cliche stairs-slide trick.

He wasn't able to jump off the stairs and towards Mosley, but his instincts kicked in fast enough to chant the prayer to change into his hero uniform, summon his clawed gauntlets, and latch on the stairs as he slid down. Whatever train of thought everyone might be having will now be interrupted by a terrible metal-on-metal screeching noise as Richter arrived at the bottom.

Hello fellow prisoners, one of your companions was now replaced by a masked strange with jet black clothes. Not suspicious right?]

Wright's righ-- [The horrible screeching sound cuts off that silly statement before Kuzuryuu has the chance to finish it. He grimaces, covering an ear with his free hand and trying to use his shoulder for the other one which of course doesn't actually work. So there's a scowl on his face as he lifts the lighter and turns to look at the last member-- wait. Is that the same guy as before?]

Nice of you to finally join us, assuming you're the same guy as before.

[In the event he's not though, Kuzuryuu's got his hand on something inside one of his inner jacket pockets. Presumably a weapon of some kind. Because yeah, this is kind of suspicious as fuck.]

[He growls at the entrance way, clearly unable to back that way. He turns to face them when addressed, the silver mask reflecting their images in the dim light, and a distorted voice echoing out when he speaks.]

A divide opened up during the fall and your friend fell through, I tried to save him but...

[Well he's not here. Sort of.]

[For a moment, Phoenix looks in stunned disbelief at Kuzuryuu, with his choice of words. I can't believe that he almost said it...

And then he blinks at the masked man's story, feeling quite a bit unsure about his story given the timing.]

To be fair, I never really met that person before... [He scratches at his ear uncertainly.] But just to make sure... you're not here to hurt us or anything, right?

[Maybe the stranger in their group likes to play superhero. But there's still the possibility that this guy is some kind of weird CEREs trap.]

Edited 2015-06-28 01:33 (UTC)

[ Phoenix's thinking is the same as Zara's, once he's recovered from the horrible screeching noise of metal-on-metal momentarily deafening his sensitive ears. One offense after another here, it seems. The coincidental appearance of a "new man" when they're missing one is awfully suspicious - whether it means the man is in disguise or the man's been killed or kidnapped by this CERES agent is up for debate.

He stares at the newcomer's unreadable mask, clearly not entirely trusting as he crosses his arms. ]

... What a convenient time to show up.

If I wanted to harm any of you, you would already be hurt.

[Or dead. Depending on his bloodlust and temper. He scans the scene and immediately senses the doubt and distrust coming from those present. Time for some dialogue.]

My name is Cerberus. I came here hoping to get some intel on CERES and Mosley. It was my intention to try and save you all from falling down here but, as you can see, that plan went straight to hell in a hand basket. For now, I suggest we leave this place. I shall take point.

[And with that he walks past the group, but stops a little after he passes Kuzuryuu.]

Young man, that lighter will run out of fuel faster than you realize.

[He whispers some words to himself, a pair bright green lights flash behind the mask where his eyes would be, then a ball of light materializes above them and quickly illuminates the room.]

Better?

Edited 2015-06-28 05:16 (UTC)

[Kuzuryuu narrows his eye and his frown deepens. He can't honestly say he's digging the attitude but at least it looks like they're not dealing with an enemy here. He flicks the lighter closed once the room is lit and shoves it back into his pocket. When he pulls his other hand out of his jacket pocket, he's holding a gun which he cocks as he moves across the room towards the door.]

More like irrelevant since the minute we open that door, it's not like light in this room is going to matter.

[Sorry, dude, he just really hates being told what to do and being spoken to like a child.]

[Anyway, speaking of, he's going to go do that whole opening the door thing right now. Assuming it's not locked. That would really suck if it's locked. But if it's not locked, maybe we can get this party going. He has his gun held at the ready, just in case there's something nasty on the other side...]

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

[ It's not locked, and as Kuzuryuu opens the door, a soft green glow spills into their room. The room they can enter is filled with capsules...tubes filled with species and specimen. However, it seems to be a long abandoned lab; while there is light spilling from said test tubes, eerily green, everything in each and every single one is dead.

There are name plates on each one, but they are rusted over, in some cases covered in moss, and difficult to read. This could likely be scraped away, however.

And there is a console and a computer, though it seems to be off. ]

[He is, for the Nth time since arriving, he is speechless. He wondered slowly into the room, attempting to absorb everything he sees.

Genetic experiments? Human testing? Whatever it was, it was way over his head.]

Everyone stay on your toes. There could be anything in here.

[He sounds composed and unaffected, but he's good at keeping face. He goes down the row of samples, studying them as best he could and stops at one that seems remotely human. He wipes the moss away at the plate wondering, what the hell CERES was trying to do.]

[ Break, on the other hand, has no idea what he's just walked into. Very literally. Sound echoes strangely in here, so he knows that it's a full room, and perhaps filled with glass? Liquid? He can't properly tell, so he sighs heavily as he walks to the side of the room. Most people would probably head towards the computer, but it would seem Break doesn't know what it is before he announces the source of his odd behavior thus far. Considering the situation, he can't quite keep it a secret and expect to be useful. ]

I'm blind.

[ It's said bluntly, almost with annoyance... He doesn't like admitting it, but he's certainly gotten better at admitting it over time. Though, yes, admitting it in this situation is considered "better." He reaches out to a tube, then his hand slips down until he can find the mossy plate, and he does the same. ]

What's in this room?

[Phoenix still isn't sure what to make of the masked companion, but at least he's leaning towards the idea that it's just a unique fashion statement rather than the most dubious possibilities.

Either way, the room is now calling for a lot more of his attention. This is even more sci-fi than anything he's seen in this place so far. It's eerie, unsettling and a little overwhelming.

But he snaps back to focus as the old man speaks. So he's blind, not some weird bunny tail groper. That's a light comfort in Phoenix's mind, he supposes, although he imagines this may make this journey a little more troublesome. Why is a blind old man taking a tour of CERES?!]

Well, you see... [He rubs at his neck uncertainly as he speaks.] You know what a science lab is, right? It looks like we're in a really old one right now... And we're kind of surrounded by these capsules that are filled with very unusual-looking creatures...

[His face scrunches as he hesitantly takes a closer look at one of the capsules.]

At least they don't look very lively. Are they asleep, or...?

[ announcing the fact that he could kill them all does little to make Zara feel better - or trust him more. He's been betrayed and tricked a lot in his life up until now. As they continue forward, he keeps an eye on "Cerberus," wary.

Until they open the door and get inside, at least. His eyes widen, and he takes several steps forward, staring all around at the bizarre room. ]

What in the world...?

[ he's never seen anything like this before. The technology is far beyond his recognition, but he surmises it must be some kind of research area. Why else would they have all these things in tubes? Hesitant, he touches his fingers to the glass of one of the tubes, peering inside.

Break's announcement makes him turn his head from the specimens. Blind? That... just adds more questions, honestly, though Zara is impressed by the range of things he's been able to accomplish without eyesight. ]

... It seems Mr. Wright is correct. [ a beat. ] Although they're likely dead, not asleep. Most creatures can't survive encased in glass like this.

[Kuzuryuu peers into one of the tubes, squinting at the creature inside.]

Yeah, dead would be my guess too. Let's hope you're right about that.

[Because the last thing he wants is weird alien creatures busting out of tubes and trying to kill them. That would just really ruin the moment. Man, if only Gundam were here though. He'd have an absolute field day with this. Kuzuryuu, on the other hand, is more interested in the computer. Much better source of info, in his opinion. So he very quickly abandons the tube and makes his way over there instead, setting his gun down on the console and giving the computer itself a quick look over for some kind of power switch.]

There's a computer in here too, by the way. [Clearly said for Break's sake, since the rest of them can plainly see the thing.] I'm gonna see if I can find anything useful on it. If nothing else, I'd hope it at least has information on what the hell they were doing in here.

[Assuming he can find the power switch, that is. Or maybe it's just asleep instead of off? He tries wiggling the mouse/touching the trackpad, whichever this particular computer happens to have.]

[ Richter's scraping at one of the nameplates gets him the engraved words: Species XX34. The creature in the tube corresponding to this is peculiar, though indeed humanoid (at least its upper half) and perhaps thankfully, not moving.

Meanwhile, Zara's appears to be more plant-like, leaves swaying lightly in the liquid inside the tubes.

Break may find, if he can read the engraved letters just by his fingers, that his nameplate reads Species XX23.

Phoenix's test tube appears to be empty at first glance. That's weird.

And Kuzuryuu will find that the computer does light up at the touch, saying immediately Welcome to CERESLab. Input Password: | ]

▶ GROUP FOUR.EXE

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▶ CHECKPOINT ONE.SAV

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