//TESTDRIVE.EXE

[reparator]

"I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." (CEO-SAN, NO...) "I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." (CEO-SAN, NO...)

//TESTDRIVE.EXE The lights flicker overhead, music blaring from the speakers as you step inside, every sound drowned out except for that hypnotic tune. The walls are painted in an array of hypnotic colors, saturated to the point where your attention doesn't know where to land, and all kinds of screens hang from each corner, showing flashing images of ads, gadget after gadget appearing in a second to show you the best of what Ceres has to offer. Dancing bodies flank each side of the large ballroom, bodies with eyes that look hollow and their faces too symmetrical. They'll occasionally glance at you and smile, maybe even engage and offer to take you to one of the private rooms in the back. However, their words are interrupted when the lights suddenly turn brighter and focus on the center where a raised platform sits. A man appears in the center, one hand raised to silence the music while the other holds a microphone. "It's been some time, hasn't it? As you may or may not know, I am the CEO and founder of CERES, Julius Vincere, and you can say, I'm the reason half of you are drunk at the moment." He chuckles lightly before continuing, "For a second there, I was worried we wouldn't make it, but I placed my confidence in all of you. I knew you'd surpass my expectations when I first brought you here, and you were able to utilize our tools to perfection. As you may have suspected by the gallons of champagne being passed around at my behest-" He pauses to reach out for a glass, snatching it from one of the wait staff passing by before raising it to the crowd. "We've finally obtained our first victory here on Cerealia. The colony is ours completely and will be fully functional from this day forward. Please enjoy all the luxurious amenities we have put together, and join me in journeying towards a new and better future. Together, we will expand our territory here and reach even further horizons. And by all means, don't be shy with the staff. They're also here for your entertainment." He gestures around the room, smiling before taking a sip of his champagne. Applause echoes from the crowd while Julius steps off the stage, handing the mic to one of the staff before pausing for pictures and interviews from reporters. You stand in the crowd as the lights dim once more, lost in a sea of people and wondering where to go next.

//SCENARIOS.EXE PHASE I [ 1801 ] The screens lining the walls inside even extend into the bathrooms and the back rooms, playing commercial after commercial, all CERES themed, as you mingle with the other guests, but occasionally, the image transforms into a flash of something else. It appears for a split-second. There's the face of a woman, lips parted in a soundless cry. She looks to be in pain, fingers pressed to the screen. It's so quick that most don't register it, barely even notice it's there unless they focus. The party continues without incident, otherwise. Because it's a pretty damn good party, isn't it? There's plenty of food, strong drinks - hey, no one under seventeen is allowed to drink - and many decorative people. Just ignore that feeling of being watched! You're just so good looking, after all. PHASE II [ ???? ] A room sits in the back with several helmets characters can wear to upload themselves into ViViD, a state of the art virtual reality game, and enter one of the game stages to participate in a team mission. They can sample a few minutes of gameplay as they enter a short battle with one of the NPC creatures. They'll quickly become familiar with the state-of-the-art technology as all pain and wounds experienced inside will feel real and will appear on each character's body. But what an awesome game it is. With amazing digital quality surround, it's a world like none other... but be careful not to fall too fast! (Those monsters even smell real, don't they?) Feel free to talk to Vidia, the game host, if you need help getting things going! PHASE III [ 2134 ] The evening is wearing on, the dance floor is becoming more crowded. The music seems oppressive by now. People are feeling charged with adrenaline, or feeling the intensity rise in the mood. Maybe a new partner is the right choice to go with- or maybe you can talk to a wallflower. But one thing is for certain... The loud vibrations disguise the fact that something is moving over the vents. You can hear it in the background, the rustling sound that agitates your ears. But hey, maybe it's nothing, right? After all, it's just a party... Maybe you'll want to go into the back rooms for a bit to... explore your new friends? The rooms (and your companions) are quite pretty and cozy, and can be adjusted with holograms to create a room for your desired mood. After all, it's a little too noisy when you're not alone, but the sudden silence might get oppressive too... [ Feel free to get intimate or just get out of the party and sleep off the drinks, but remember, anything above PG stuff must go into your own journals and under NO circumstances will unwanted propositioning be allowed or any non-consensual activity lest you want to be locked in a cold box on top of a huge ice cube for the rest of the night. Naked. Please use your own discretion, the minimum age for intimacy is 15-16. ] PHASE IV [ 0243 ] In the quieter corners of the party, it becomes more ever-present until something falls on your eye. It's red. Warm... As you gaze up, you see a dead body faced down, the half-sliced face lying against the ventilation screen. The body's eyes remain open, staring down at you. Screams and sounds of shock sound, and the party halts. As the security filters in to investigate the body, the rustling only grows louder. It's then that they suspect something is in the vents. It's crawling avidly across the ceiling, and lights fall one by one, exploding against the ground. There's barely a moment to register the chaos before the last knight of CERES appears. You can choose to run. You can choose to engage. The knight won't let you leave its sight alive. But you know you have to do something. Be it protecting the innocents there, or fighting off the creature that seems to only be there to harm you and your friends, old and new. And you do want to protect this place, because it's just been won... don't you? BONUS [ whyo'clock ] There's a ball pit hidden in one of the auxiliary rooms. All invited parties are given a maximum of one hour to have fun time in the ball pit. They must not exceed their one hour or they will be forcibly removed by the security droids. Please keep all food and alcohol out of the ball pit. Do not have any genital parties in the ball pit. The ball pit is sacred to CERES. [ The party will be long, so take your time enjoying each scenario... and dreading it. At the end of it all, things will be calmed down and you're free to enjoy the night as you please. Remember to keep things PG (the FAQ below elaborates!), and absolutely no forcing any R-rated things with anyone below 15-16 (so be sure to ask their age, right?) or the droids will have a little fun chasing you around! Do enjoy the pretty views of the gorgeous digital city though. Which seems strangely quiet, but at this late hour, why not, right? ]

//RUN.EXE Welcome to CEREALIA's first test drive! Please forgive our appearance as we are going through the final stages game completion. While most pages are under development and/or hidden from the public eye, please don't feel discouraged, since knowing everything doesn't always make the experience. Your characters will know as little as you. For your convenience, we have compiled a mini-FAQ - please read it thoroughly before playing. Thank you! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HOW DID MY CHARACTER GET HERE? You may have been just been doing their day-to-day activities - be it swimming or fighting demons - but the next moment, a crack and blinding light - now you're here, in your best attire, celebrating. The memories of your at-home activities fade away like a fleeting dream, and it's replaced with the feeling of happiness. ( You haven't forgotten your past, just that anything you were doing seems far too distant to be important. ) Must be something in the air. You can't remember clearly fighting for CERES, and whatever this Julius Vincere is telling you might be complete bullshit for all you know, but something influences you to play along anyway - if you think about it long enough, perhaps you had fought for CERES after all...? WHO/WHAT IS CERES? WHAT IS CEREALIA? You mean... you don't remember? After all the help you gave it? WHAT FORMAT CAN WE USE FOR THIS TESTDRIVE? Action (brackets/prose), video/voice, and texting are all available via your CEREVICE at this moment. Most functions are currently undergoing a system update, but as long as it is still connected to the Auralia Network, it will be available for communicative uses. WHAT IS ViVID? An amazing VR game! The demo version of ViViD will be here to play, aren't you excited? It's played with headsets that immediately allow you to experience full-body simulation, without having to move out of your seat! You can enjoy the demo world, design your own, play alone, play with a team, but remember, the boss must be beaten! Please check the phase ii thread for details and interactions! SO... PHASE III? Sexy things can happen, you're getting hot and heavy on the dance floor, and there are rooms in the back that can be decorated to your mood, after all. REMEMBER, the age of consent is 15-16, please use your own discretion and don't upset people. For the test drive, any situation that goes above PG (beyond kissing/grinding/light making out... We're lenient) must go into threads in your own journals. Any creeper behavior or unwanted advances will get an IC boot into the Frozen Locker with "Let it Go" on repeat. POWER LIMITATIONS? Actually, no, the characters don't have any of their abilities locked or otherwise suppressed. More info will be i the official FAQ, but so long as you don't destroy the entire game ( and we trust you can use your powers responsibly— as does CERES! ), limitations are nonexistent. OKAY, WHAT ABOUT PREVIOUS GAME MEMORIES? It's completely acceptable to bring a character that has been in a previous game to Cerealia! THE NAME LOOKS FAMILIAR. . . Yes, a loosely related setting concept with a place called CEREALIA was pitched for an ExitVoid phase before the moderators decided to close the game for good. A few of us got together with the original pitchers of the idea since we thought it really awesome and with a lot of potential and decided to try our own thing with it! ARE THE GAMES RELATED? Nope. Not at all, it's been rehashed from the ground up and built to stand on its own as an original place and game. We'll keep coming back to this, so don't worry.

Comments

go nam soon • school 2013 • phase iii

[unpresidential]

[there's a buzzing in nam soon's ears that agitates; it grates and if it weren't for everything else, he'd probably have bailed already.

there are a lot of things about this situation that feel kind of fuzzy to him — it's a blurry sense of not knowing the hows or whys, but not being entirely displeased about it either. it's like a temporary weight has been lifted from his shoulders, even if he can't explain the reasoning. he doesn't particularly remember fighting for anyone at all. cerealia? huh. it feels like kind of a mystery, and while he could be inclined to think it was because he one drink too many. ...but the truth of the matter is that he hasn't really had anything to drink at all.]

...Annoying. That sound. [he mutters it quietly to himself, his lips pursing in some kind of vague irritation. nam soon kind of just wants to take a nap, honestly. it's crowded though, so as he seeks out a quieter room to recoup in, he may bump into someone, knock a drink from their hands...

or find himself in a room that's already occupied. he doesn't appear all that intent on interrupting anyone, at least, but if he finds a room with a table? he'll sit at it, stretch one arm out in front of him, and use the other as a makeshift pillow. he may need to be woken up if he's in the way, though there aren't any guarantees that he won't retaliate if things get too rowdy.]

[cutsnoslack]

[A quieter room is the best place to try and get a better listen in, and so Leo's already found his way back, standing in the corner with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze cast upwards, at the ceiling.

Not that looking at it is actually helping him hear any better, but it's less distracting than looking back out the door, at least.]

It doesn't sound right.

[He's used to paying attention to these things, picking out the sounds of things moving around, trying or not to stay quiet - and of course, in an atmosphere like this, it's not like anything even has to try to stay that quiet to go unnoticed by most.]

[unpresidential]

It's not natural... I don't think anything here is.

[but whatever was making the sound, specifically, just doesn't sound right. it's like something is moving, but unlike rats or other rodents, it doesn't just have that scurrying sound. it passes by, and it irritates, grating on him just enough.

nam soon can't really fathom the idea that it could be some kind of animal he's never seen, or a monster. or anything like that, because it's too far-fetched. then again, it could be a robot malfunctioning, for all this place seemed to have in the tech and noise. but that's why he answers so casually, the annoyance at it still seeping through his tone. he's not rude enough to keep talking to someone with his head down, so he sits up, looking in the direction of the voice...

...and staring, somewhere settled between a state of disbelief and surprise.]

I don't think this is supposed to be a costume party. [he muses, idly. yes, that is the first conclusion he's coming to. he's in enough of a haze to look at leo and not realize that it isn't actually a costume; of course, believing otherwise is going to be pretty difficult anyway. he looks like he popped out of a children's cartoon (shh), so what else could he think when faced with a human-sized talking turtle?]

[cutsnoslack]

[Oh. It's that look.

He's very used to getting that look, even before the comment about costumes drives it home, and from the slump in his shoulders as he sighs, he's had to go through this before. More than once.]

This isn't a costume.

[unpresidential]

. . .

[that sort of statement earns little more than baffled silence to start. because seriously, he may be pretty dumb, but the idea of a turtle who acts... well, like a human, is something that you only find in cartoons and stuff like that.

he's read enough comics in his life for this, okay.]

You're telling me you're a real, talking turtle. [not a costume. not a robot. not animatronics of some sort. he probably would ask if it were those other things, but the slump in leo's shoulders implies he'd probably get a no to those, too.]

[cutsnoslack]

Weirder things have happened, you know.

[...okay, maybe not to this guy.

Leo lives a very strange life.]

[unpresidential]

Not really so sure about that.

[this is pretty high up on his list of weird things, honestly. he's pretty sure he's having the strangest late night-ramen induced dreams of his life, because that's the only way this makes sense.]

[cutsnoslack]

Wouldn't however we got here in the first place qualify?

[...pause.

How...did they get here? He's pretty sure there's a weird story in that, but he's having a hard time remembering what it was that happened, exactly.

Maybe it's not that important.]

[unpresidential]

It does.

[nam soon's not about to deny that the whole situation is weird, given how fuzzy and off it should be in theory.

...but still.]

This is more weird.

[envisaged]

[ She's fascinated with the holograms, spending the majority of her time within the quiet room simply adjusting what it looks like (it's currently a library, at the moment, she's working on a possible cathedral look-a-like). It's enough to distract her from her situation and the slight discomfort she feels just being here.

She notices the man entering her room (with her hearing it's hard not to hear it outside the room) and pauses. Given the fact the furniture already present included a table, she takes a single moment to watch him as he situates himself atop it. She's reminded of her sister, Three, who has the uncanny ability to sleep just about anywhere at any time. ]

Why don't you rest in the chair?

[ Or in another room, if he wants a good rest. ]

[unpresidential]

[good rest isn't something he's likely to get, but nam soon's grown so accustomed to tuning out the world around him when he wants to sleep.

he manages to remain aware enough when someone is addressing him, though, and the fact that he hasn't had a chance to really drift off yet means there's not much point in ignoring it. sure, he could pull the dick move and act as if he doesn't hear her, but he doesn't really see the harm in responding. so he lifts his head, looking over to her. there's not much expression in his face, almost like a a blank slate — save for a slight upturn of his lips as he shrugs.]

I'm already here like this. ["it's too much work to move when i'm already here," on top of the fact that there isn't really that much going on in this room anyway. it doesn't seem like it's hurting anyone for him to stay like this for a bit.]

[envisaged]

[ Already used to behavior like this, One isn't surprised when she gets an answer like that. She understands immediately what he means, and figures the effort isn't worth expending to move him elsewhere.

She stares at him calmly, a small tilt of her head as she speaks. ] That you are. [ She turns away, back facing him as she goes to study one of the bookcases the room is projecting. She swipes a hand through it, brows furrowing lightly. So long as he doesn't interrupt her, she's fine with him sleeping there.

When he does wake up, it's likely he'll find the interior of the room has changed. This time, resembling what looks to be a cathedral. Or at least, the best she can do with what limited options she has in customization. ]

[unpresidential]

Yeah. [it works out for the better this way, at least initially. she's not giving him any hassle, and he's not really interested in anything that one is doing. so it really isn't long before he dozes off, tuning out everything else for a while.

but it's definitely disorienting for nam soon to wake up in what looks like a completely different room. a first, that's for sure, though a lot of things on this particular night seem to be that way. sitting up properly, he moves into a cross-legged position, head tilting as he blearily observes the room.]

...What's this all about?

[envisaged]

[ She's about to reach and attempt to pass her hand through a nearby hologram when she hears him speak. Having already known he was awake, she easily shifts her attention from the images to the other. ]

You're awake. [ She withdraws her hand, turning to face him properly. She pauses for a moment, looking down to arrange her thoughts. ] The room can create replications of various items or places. While not tangible, they fool the eye at first glance. [ She looks to him. ] I've been exploring the different options, and managed to create this thus far.

[ The room in its current state, that is. Having never seen technology like this, much less any real conception of technology to begin with, it's the entire reason why she's so interested in this. ]

[unpresidential]

[for a moment, he remains in total silence, his head tilting a bit as he listens to what she has to say.

he's not exactly the brightest guy though, and that goes double when he's still a bit on the groggy side. it leaves nam soon quiet for a little bit longer, because he needs to find the right words to try and confirm what she's telling him. maybe if he actually did something other than sleep and eat while he was in school, this would be a little easier, but alas.]

So. Virtual reality or... a hologram. Something like that. [he says it as a flat statement, but it's really more of an inquiry. it's the closest thing he could come up with short of calling it a game, but he's still not really sure that's the right description for it either.

it's not even that he's really interested in it, to top it off. he's just more curious why the innocuous room he stepped in to nap in now looks like a cathedral, or something resembling it.]

[envisaged]

[ Her brows lift, disabling the holograms briefly. The room, now back in its original state, looks rather barren in comparison to how it was only moments ago.

One's quiet for a moment, trying to recall if she's ever read about 'holograms' or 'virtual reality' before. Maybe it's an illusion of sorts, all chalked up to some spell or foreign magic she can't use yet? But if that were the case, she definitely would've known about it, or at least heard mention of it..

Her head tilts slightly, taking a single step forward toward the other. ]

...Then you know what this is?

[unpresidential]

Yeah.

[well, kind of. but he really only shrugs as if it's not all that strange to have heard of those things — it may not something he knows that much about, especially not in the current state of what's before them, but he understands it enough.

though it does take him a little bit by surprise when the imagery fades, it's barely noticeable on his features. if nothing else, the kid's got a pretty decent poker face when he wants to use it.] Doesn't look like anything I've seen before, but it sounds like that. I guess.

[unathletic]

[ Even if Heung Soo might not be as particularly inclined to nap at any given moment, he's still not the type to be in the middle of a party like that either. Especially with his thoughts feeling all weird and fuzzy about the details of all of this. So he, too, goes to look for a place to at least have a few moments of peace and quiet without the lights and the pounding music and mostly without people who want to talk to him. It's a terrible thing for a guy who just really doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself anymore.

But when he opens the door to one of the rooms, he sees a sight that's far more familiar than it should be in this place that somehow feels a little strange. Nam Soon just lying there napping, as if there isn't a party going on in the rest of this place. He hadn't spotted the guy around at all yet, but even if everything from before might feel a little fuzzy, there's no way he wouldn't recognize him even in these surroundings. ]

Aissh..

[ He sighs a little. Honestly, Heung Soo feels some relief at seeing Nam Soon nap since it makes him feel a little more genuinely light rather than the natural lightness the party brought with itself. But even so, this is the way he expresses it just as usually.

The guy steps over to Nam Soon's sleeping form, nudging him lightly with the foot of his good leg. ]

Sleeping in a place like this, bastard..

[unpresidential]

[it's not the initial sound of heung soo's voice that stirs him (why would it, when he's so used to hearing it?), but the nudge. nam soon shakes his shoulders a little bit, letting out a quiet groan that seems to imply something along the lines of "don't bother me, don't wake me up."

but at heung soo's statement, he's caught. it's a strange feeling — a bit of annoyance for being disturbed, but mostly elation that his best friend is there next to him. even though he'd been wandering around the party for a bit, nam soon doesn't recall seeing a face he recognized; hell, that was even part of his reasoning for giving up and just napping it out until things died down. so much about the situation was still really fuzzy, but knowing that heung soo is next to him makes all of the other worries matter a little less for now. at least they could try to make sense of it together, right?

so without lifting his head, he turns to look at heung soo, a smile that's probably just a little too happy tugging at the corners of his mouth. it's not teeming with excitement, but relief and a genuine want to deal with this having his best friend at his side.]

You're here too? [and then, of course, to try and deflect some of the strange sentimentality to it (even though his expression doesn't change):] Ayyyy, I can't go anywhere without this bastard following me around.

tl;drs at 1 am just leave me in a ditch to die

[unathletic]

[ It's sort of ironic what he's saying, considering Nam Soon has done more of the following the other around like a puppy going after its long lost owner than Heung Soo has done. But then he makes that kind of weirdly happy (weirdly because it's not as much like before, still not much like what he's used to, but it's a lot better than that sad face he made a lot of the time) face and it feels a lot harder to make a remark about that, considering it would probably manage to deflate the expression in mere seconds.

Besides, he's happy to see the other too, despite the things that might still be lingering between the two of them. They somewhat feel like they matter less in the grand scheme of this situation, anyway. And his friend is obviously happy too, despite his choice in words - his expression gives it away so easily. Heung Soo's expression might not show it as easily, but it's obvious that he feels the same way from the way his body relaxes a little when he sees Nam Soon seems just fine.

Heung Soo closes his eyes for a moment and sighs before opening them again. ]

Someone's got to watch your ass. [ And he honestly feels a lot more secure in these weird surroundings knowing there's someone to watch his ass in return right there too. He trusts the other completely, despite what might have gone down years ago, so it's a lot more reliable to check up with him whether certain things are fuzzy too than with anyone else at this party.

Especially since he doesn't generally trust anyone else here as much since it's all so weird, he moves to sit down practically directly next to the other, shoulder to shoulder. If not just so he can keep his voice down in case anyone might be trying to listen along to what they're talking about. Not to mention that so many things turned out to be weird holograms or whatever already that he has to make sure he's not just desperately seeing Nam Soon there out of a sheer desire to see him in the middle of all this.

Still, the moment he sits down, he doesn't immediately speak up. Instead he looks the other guy over from the corner of his eye, as if he's making sure Nam Soon's really alright. Not that much could happen at a party of all things, but you never know-- even so, he does look fine. Did he really just walk in here and start napping and didn't do anything else? Geez, this bastard.. so typical, but at least it's a good thing in this case. More or less.

It's then that he finally says it. Softly - not soft enough to be a whisper, but more just a tone that means the entire room doesn't have to enjoy this conversation along with them. ]

... Something's weird. [ It's just a strange feeling he can't shake off at how fuzzy every detail about fighting for CERES is, at how he doesn't know how exactly he ended up at the party either. At that sound he keeps hearing. He's not sure what it's all supposed to add up to, but he might as well figure it out together with this guy.

It's not like he's planning to leave his best friend's side in a situation that feels strange, after all. ]

Re: tl;drs at 1 am just leave me in a ditch to die

[unpresidential]

[he's pretty sure he doesn't have to dignify that first part with a response; it feels more just like the idle chatter they need to try and sustain the notion that they're both here in this strange predicament.

of course, the fact that heung soo lays claim to needing to watch over him doesn't slip from nam soon at all. it's kind of amusing, in a way — it's not like this is the sort of place where they have to worry about that, right? it's not like nam soon has any plans of pulling any stunts to get them arrested. he barely even knows or understands why they're there at all, after all. theoretically, three years ago that may have been enough to set him off, but nam soon can't be bothered now. hell, maybe even under normal circumstances, it still might...

but everything here is strange enough for him not to care. maybe it's the underlying sense of elation he feels despite all of the unknown variables, but he just isn't questioning it as much as he could. instead, nam soon just replies by nudging his shoulder against heung soo's as some sort of silent acknowledgement. there's a slightly goofy smile that doesn't leave his face all the while; it's almost like a childlike satisfaction that the two of them are there together to deal with this. whatever this is.

he doesn't make much effort to move though, still a bit on the groggy side from nap. it doesn't mean he isn't marginally aware though of the glance stolen — aish, this punk worries too much — he thinks that to himself, knowing that without words, it's heung soo's way of checking up on him. nam soon knows he probably brought that onto himself by falling asleep in a place like this, but still. he lets out a somewhat amused scoff amid the silence, but doesn't say anything else for a while. there's probably a lot that he should be saying, but nam soon just sits and waits, listening to the sounds and squinting with vague irritation when that sound seems to find its way to his ears again.]

You think so too. [he states it pretty plainly when heung soo finally speaks up, and that's when he takes the cue to get a little more serious about things. finally sitting up (but not quite ready to get up), nam soon finds himself... well, leaning against heung soo. it's easier for him to speak with his voice lowered this way.

and it's comfortable.

it's still a bit before he says anything more; nam soon takes that time to think about it all a bit more. there's an innate knowing that something isn't right, because he doesn't remember anything at all. he can't even place what he was doing specifically prior to this. not the supposed fighting, not going to the party, and not how it correlates to anything else. he doesn't even know who these ceres guys are supposed to be.]

Not really sure how we got here. Or anything else. It's kind of just feels like some kind of uncomfortable haze. [which is a feeling nam soon knows well, but definitely not in a way that fits these circumstances. he keeps his tone as low as possible when he speaks. the fact that he didn't feel uneasy to start is drawing back a bit, though not completely.

he's pretty sure if he's too vocal in questioning it, they could be landing themselves in hot water. they should probably try to piece everything else together first, right.]

[unathletic]

[ There's other situations when he might have shoved the other guy off him for leaning on him like that - in public, anyway. Because even if it might just be the two of them mostly for now, he knows people can easily wander into these rooms, it's what he just did. There's not exactly something like privacy in a place like this, and he's not sure if he wants anyone here to see this, but--

Ah, whatever. The weight of Nam Soon leaning against him is a little comforting since it's the one familiar thing in a sea of things that he doesn't fully understand yet. It gives the same comfort as that strange light feeling he's been having all this time, but this way it feels a little more natural. Nam Soon's right there to watch and to have his back if this turns out ugly somehow - although, for some reason, he can't imagine it getting ugly. As confusing as it is, it's just a party, right? And nothing feels too suspicious, but at the same time.. ugh, it's weird, as if his own feelings are contradicting themselves.

(Besides, if there's one thing he's grateful for in this situation, it's that when they're focusing on something else that's at hand, no matter whether it's helping Jung Ho or others get their shit together or fighting gangsters or hiding in a closet together, they don't have to focus on everything that's still awkward between the two of them. They slip into a natural cooperation that's existed between the two of them since years ago as if it's natural to focus on what needs to be focused on and figured out right now.) ]

I don't remember it either. [ Heung Soo is not sure if it's a small relief or the opposite that his friend doesn't remember anything either. It means that they're at least on the same wavelength here, but the situation would be a lot less vaguely shady if he just didn't remember for some reason or another. Then he could have chalked it up to maybe hitting his head too hard or whatever, but if they both don't know.. ] I'd at least remember something about a colony if it came up.

[ Considering how big of a deal that guy earlier was trying to make it out to be.

The guy shifts to be in a more comfortable position to bear the leaning in. ] .. Somehow it doesn't feel as weird as it probably should though.

[unpresidential]

[the unease begins to ebb away, but nam soon doesn't really think about why that is. for some reason, hearing heung soo not sound terribly concerned about it makes him feel like maybe the notion is all in his head.

yes, things are definitely weird, but that's not synonymous with "inherently bad," so the thought that he should be suspicious sort of fades. not completely, but the contentment seems to take the reins in this situation. of course, that doesn't mean nam soon is dropping the subject, but there's a little more of a casual tone to his words.]

I thought I'd remember something like that too. [he pauses, and then lets out a hum of agreement to the notion that it doesn't feel as weird. heung soo is right. it doesn't feel as weird, but it's still questionable, right? but he doesn't pretty that much further yet. instead, nam soon shifts a little to get more comfortable, his head tilted and resting against the crook of heung soo's neck. he folds his arms over his chest — if anyone walked in, they may find this to be a questionable way for them to sit, but he doesn't care all that much. nobody's there right now, and even if they were, they'd have a lot to contend with if they said the wrong thing.

his eyes falls closed as he thinks a little more about their situation.] Have you seen anyone else?

[he finally says, and even if most people would assume that's a dumb question to ask at a party with tons of people, he's sure the other will know what he means. whether it's kang joo or ki deok, min ki or jung ho, jung-ssam or uhmforce — anyone else they know may be helpful to know right now. not that he really wants to think about seeing uhmforce at a party ever in his life, but that's besides the point.

regardless, everything else feels like it's on the backburner as they try to figure things out. and really, nam soon doesn't think that's a bad thing either. just like heung soo, he appreciates these moments where they're just themselves without worrying about the weight of their past looming above them the way it does when they start to relax too much.]

[unathletic]

No one.

[ It's with a small sigh, as if he's already resigned himself to the fact it means there's probably no one here they know. Unlike Nam Soon he didn't stop to just go nap anywhere, after all, so he's mostly been wandering across the party place to actually get an idea of whether there was anyone he recognizes unlike all the unfamiliar people. But until he found his friend here, there hadn't been anyone - enough strange people, but not his sister, not his classmates, not his teachers.

But he feels the light tickling of the other's hair against the skin of his neck. And as Heung Soo's gaze moves to the side again (without turning his head too much and upset their positions) to vaguely glance in his direction, he realises that the reason he feels so oddly calm despite circumstances is probably exactly because he found the guy here. He's aware enough of himself and the way he thinks to know that he'd be more worried about being able to find everyone else but specifically not Nam Soon than only finding Nam Soon like this and no one else. It means they'll figure something out. ]

I've been looking, so seems it's just us.

[ He sucks in a deep breath. It's not very likely they'll figure out anything more about why their memories are so hazy or why only they are here and what it's got to do with CERES' victory. At least, not in the middle of this party with the bright lights and the music that drains everything else out, and to find out anything they'd have to go out there again instead of sitting here with a little more quiet to ask people about everything.

Truthfully, he prefers to linger in the less bothersome backrooms with Nam Soon right there than going straight out there again.

So in that case, if speculating isn't going to help much anyway, he figures he might as well make the topic a little lighter. ]

You aren't just going to sleep like this again, are you? [ He can see those closed eyes from the corner of his own, okay. ] You bastard.

[unpresidential]

No.

[and that much is true. nam soon gives a small shake of his head, but remains unmoving otherwise, save for the slight smirk on his lips.

he's a bit thankful for the change of topic, if only because trying to make heads or tails of anything right now seems like a bigger hassle than what it's actually worhth. sure, he wants to know what the deal is with all of it. there's so much about this that feels annoying but at the same time, nam soon can't really will himself to make any other sort of concentrated effort right now.]

It's just comfortable like this. [another truth. he could definitely fall asleep like this if he really wants to, since it is that comfortable, but it's not exactly why he's positioned himself this way. if he really wanted to sleep, he'd have kept his head on the table and dozed back off, just as he always does.

using heung soo as his pillow, though? it's kind of warm, kind of secure. it's familiarity in a sea of strange things and he more wants to embrace that than leaning against the table while they try to make any vague sense of things.

what an annoying bastard, isn't he?]