ioculus | //TESTDRIVE9.0.EXE

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!test drive

//TESTDRIVE9.0.EXE

//TESTDRIVE9.0.EXE

Hey there! Did you know that yearly check-ups are the best preventative medicine you can give to your darling CYbuddy? Their health is of the utmost importance and from the Pomeranian to the Velociraptor, it's so very necessary to give your CYbuddy what he or she needs to be as happy and healthy as can be. After all, CYbuddies are the first and last defense in the war against loneliness, so you must do your best to protect the ones you have! You wouldn't want to be a friendless CYbuddy-less loser, would you? Through thick and thin, rain or shine, your CYbuddy will love you forever. And ever. And ever. Do not disappoint your CYbuddy.

You blink and suddenly find yourself in what looks like a doctor's waiting room, completely alone aside from the robot receptionist. Posters line the walls in various degrees of friendliness. Actually, is this the vet? It kind of looks like the vet. In fact, when you look down towards your lap, there will be a creature snoozing comfortably on you. Really, how did you not notice? The creature's collar names him Fluffy. (That's a dumb name, why did you name your pet Fluffy? Be more creative!) If you decide to call out to the receptionist, they will ignore you, but soon after you will hear clacking of sharp nails on the floor as someone -- or something -- comes out of the back room.

No worries, it's just the doctor.

Greetings! My name is Thelonious T-Bone the Third and I will be Fluffy's doctor today. I will take good care of your dear Fluffy and be right back to you with him or her in a jiffy. You can, of course, completely trust me for I am the best in the business! No other Velociraptor can treat and heal pets as well as I, most certainly. But there is one tiny little thing, you see. My nurse is out sick today and my hands are too small and dangerous to work well without accidentally killing your poor pet. So, to make up for this, I will need you to be my nurse today. Do you think you can handle that?

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ 0900 ] Welcome to ViViD's state of the art pet care simulator. It looks like everyone is ready and willing to get started -- maybe a little too eager to get started. There seems to have been a minor misunderstanding actually and Dr. T-Bone seems to think that... well, that you're the pet. Didn't he see Fluffy's collar? (Still, such a dumb name!)

If you don't think fast, you're likely to be shoved into a kennel or forced into getting really uncomfortable shots (to prevent rabies, you see; side effects include dizziness, nausea, sprouting animal ears for a few hours and the increased desire to bite people). At least you'll have company since it looks like this mistake is happening to everyone. Might as well get cozy and get to know the people stuck in the kennels next to you while you're here.

PHASE II

[ 1200 ] It's time to actually be the nurse! And time to treat one of Dr. T-Bone's most prominent clients. You will be led to, well, a dinosaur -- a T-Rex to be exact. And you will be told that your job is to take care of its teeth.

That's right. Someone has to clean all of those teeth. And it looks like you're the lucky sap who got the job. Don't worry, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's name tag proclaims it to be vegan (and to go by the name of Sir Gadzooks) so it should be perfectly safe to reach into that gaping maw and start cleaning those teeth.

Alternatively, you could make your dental assistant do it; looks like you weren't the only one to get dragged into this farce. The question is, which one is handling the sharp pointy objects, and which one is sticking their hand into that mouth?

Also, it's not really a vegan dinosaur, that was a great big lie. And it's very, very hungry -- now might be a good time to run.

PHASE III

[ 1300 ] Hope you weren't doing anything important (like sticking your hand into the mouth of a dinosaur), because someone is now throwing a blindfold over your eyes and hustling you right into the basement. A couple of twists and turns later, and you're being shoved into what appears to be an underground... peacock fighting ring? With a jaunty peacock headband on and none of your weapons on you, it seems as though you've been mistaken for a particularly ugly peacock and have been tossed into the ring.

Look out though. Those peacocks look mean. They'll go straight for the eyes if they get the chance, and will peck away merrily at your head. Of course, the walls aren't that high all things considered (they're peacocks), so it probably wouldn't be that hard to escape the ring.

(Or, if you manage to find your way down there yourself, you can always join in on the ludicrously outlandish betting pool. It might be a good way to get some cash -- if you bet on the right peacock.

Actually, is that Mr. T-Bone in the crowd too? Someone get the quack out of here!)

PHASE IV

[ 1600 ] There's someone whispering.

It's a quiet, throaty whisper, and no matter where you are in the ViViD level, you can hear it. Sometimes, it's clearer than others. Sometimes, it can barely be heard at all. But it's always there, whispering, "Come closer. Come closer. Come closer."

If you should gather up your courage and follow those whispers, they will lead you to a... bird. Upon seeing you, the bird will begin to speak again in that throaty whisper, this time detailing the destruction of your world, down to the tiniest of details, such as the look on your best friend's face as they died, or the last words of your most important person. It's almost hypnotic, so much so that you can't pull away --

And just like that, the bird squawks, and it's over. What was that about? Hopefully nobody else heard all of that.

BONUS

[ xxxx ] You go to speak with the vet, whether to complain about your treatment at the hands of the others, the fact that you had to play dino dentistry or to let him know that there's an illegal peacock fighting ring below his practice, and before you know it there's talk of "just to be safe" and "you never know what someone with an attitude like that will do" -- which, what? All of a sudden Dr. T-Bone and his receptionist are shoving you into a cone of shame. How embarrassing! And no matter what you do, it just won't come off.

In fact, if nothing else, it seems magnetically attracted to the walls and anyone else wearing one. If one of those poor fools happen to be within a ten foot radius of you, prepare yourselves for a massive collision. What a pain, right? It seems like the cones won't come off until you (and your magnetic partner) get out of this confounded level. If only you could find the exit (and Fluffy too -- where'd he get off to?)

[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the meme! ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to CEREALIA's Ninth Test Drive Meme. For your convenience, we have compiled a post detailing everyone's arrival experience and a FAQ that should explain everything in more detail. Please read them thoroughly before playing. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Finally out of ViViD - seriously, what was that? And finally out of that powerpoint presentation, Akane Tsunemori feels nothing but remorse and indignation. Perfect society her ass, and now it's been destroyed?

As angry as she is, she needs to take a break because the actual ViViD experience was truly tiring. Outside the research facility is a vending machine, and she just swipes the card she received upon arriving for a can of ice cold coffee to roll down.

Ah, nothing tastes better than your thirst getting quenched. ]

[He's done his own looking around after starting to get the hang of ViViD, and already had time to decide that the presentation they had all gotten was garbage. Aliens blew up the world, like in some bad sci-fi movie? Kagari had been the only one to laugh during the slideshow.

He wasn't laughing now, sitting alone on a bench outside the research facility. Just the fact that nobody else was with him, or even really paying attention to him was enough to set him slightly on edge. His Dominator was offline, and there was no more Sibyl-- and how many times had he dreamed of that? But still.

It was strange enough even being alive without worrying about turning his head and seeing someone point a Dominator at him because he was unsupervised. Old habits and all that.

Given how everything else was going, Kagari feels like it shouldn't be that much of a shock to catch sight of a familiar face, even if it was one that he never thought he'd see again.

Well, he might as well get it over with. He calls out, loudly enough to be heard over the other people wandering around.]

Hey, how's the coffee?

[ Even if it's a stranger, it's only polite to respond to their query. Akane wouldn't be Akane if she wasn't nice to people, let alone helpful and well-mannered. After taking another sip from her coffee, she answers: ]

It's refreshing, to say the lea—

[ And that's when she turns around to face who she's talking to. It would be rude not to provide eye contact, after all. She isn't a barbarian.

But when she sees that red head with barrettes on his hair — no, there's definitely no other person like him. Akane Tsunemori is not wrong in thinking that this person before him is Shusei Kagari. This is the same person she's played video games with. They had dinner together, and they got along well... they worked together so many times, and succeeded so many times. His disappearance, as stoic as Akane presents herself to be, still hurt. Though, disappearance may not be the proper word for it.

And that's when she drops her can of coffee, spilling its contents on the ground, and some splatter on her shoes. ]

... Ka... ga. . . ri...

Edited 2015-07-07 04:49 (UTC)

[So, it really is her. He spares a glance for the spilled coffee, but then looks back up at her face and manages a weak smile. He is genuinely glad to see Akane, but it's hard to come up with good conversation after everything that's happened. What was he supposed to say? Hey, it's been a while, remember the time you never, ever saw me again?]

That's me.

[He gets up off of the bench to take a few steps towards her. Stops halfway to her, runs a hand through his hair.]

Look, I didn't mean to scare you. Want me to get you a new drink?

[Because that at least is something normal to think about for a moment.]

[ There are so many questions that she wants to ask, but truth be told, she already knows the answers. Thanks, Sibyl. Still, hearing it straight from Kagari's mouth may give her some closure, but. . . she also believes that that will just make her despise Sibyl even more.

Instead of continuing to gawk at the man before her, she picks up the can by her feet and throws it at the nearest bin. She's still frantic, of course, but her bearings are at least half-present.

With a deep breath, she addresses Kagari. ]

Um, [ A beat. So much for talking to him. Good job, Akane. ]

Edited 2015-07-07 11:39 (UTC)

[This was going about as well as he could have expected. At least she had recovered enough to move, if not talk yet. At least he isn't the only one that's not quite sure what to say yet.

He nods at the mess of coffee spilled on the ground.]

So is that a no on the new drink?

[ There's a million and one emotions rushing through Akane right now, that she just can't help but laugh. ]

You know, I think maybe some wine might be better than coffee right now.

[ And who cares if it's in the middle of the day? ]

[Of all things, he wasn't expecting a laugh out of Akane. It sounded good to hear someone from home laugh though, and he finds himself laughing at the familiarity and her statement.]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to get that from a one of these vending machines.

[ Laughter may be the best medicine, but it's also a good way to rid the air of any awkwardness. ]

I'm sure there's a bar we can go to. This is a city, isn't it?

[ A beat, and her expression becomes stoic. ] A city without the Sibyl System.

[A bar would at least give them somewhere to talk that could be quieter, though Kagari doesn't trust drinking with her too much; she can drink him under the table and he knows it. He doesn't really want to be drunk for talking this time, anyway.

When she mentions the simple truth that there is no Sybil System here, the smile doesn't leave his face, but it does shift into something sharper.]

Yeah. A city without Sybil breathing down our necks. All it took was the whole damn world getting destroyed.

[ The Cerevice is plenty easy to manipulate, so she looks for the map of the city to find a bar. She responds to Kagari, not looking at him yet. ]

It's disorderly.

[ That's all she can say about that for now. Maybe she'll talk more when Kagari's drunk and will probably forget what she's said the day after. ]

[Kagari steps closer so that he can get a glimpse of the map as well. Compared to the city he's used to, this one does indeed look far more chaotic in its layout.]

Great, that just means a lot more places to check out.

[That thought alone is thrilling; he's never been allowed outside without supervision in his entire life, so the idea of an entire city to explore on his own is almost unbelievable. He shrugs.]

Just pick somewhere. I don't think it matters too much where we end up at the moment.

Edited 2015-07-07 15:55 (UTC)

We should go to the Pleasure District. [ since that's where the bars are. Please don't think of anything dirty, Kagari.

She starts walking to a certain direction, making sure her pace is manageable for Kagari to follow. As for words? She says nothing... Yet. Her words are meant for a private conversation than anything else. ]

The Pleasure District, huh? Now you're talking! [If she was expecting anything other than a comment like that, then he has failed as a person.

He follows, of course. Unlike her, he isn't content to let everything lapse into total silence. It's actually the first time he's ever gotten to just casually walk somewhere without a MWPSB-approved reason. So he makes comments here and there on the people around them or the various sights that crop up on their way without really expecting any replies.]

Edited (get it together, self) 2015-07-08 01:34 (UTC)

[ Akane indeed doesn't comment on Kagari's enthusiasm. The last thing she wants is to be called a hypocrite by him again. However, she's glad that he's here - alive and well - and that he can roam about freely. It must have been very difficult to be shackled at such a young age.

Eventually, they manage to find a small cozy bar in the district. ]

You're paying, right?

[Kagari pauses at the doorway of the bar, waving away a robot asking about his age. He turns to Akane, offering her a wink. Really, it's her own fault for encouraging joking.]

What, you mean like a date?

[With that, he heads into the bar, looking for a spot for them to sit and talk.]

[ As if her eyes couldn't get any more droopy: ]

Dream on.

[ She doesn't mean to offend, but... that's just how it goes. ]

[All he winds up doing is snickering to himself because he isn't offended at all. It's exactly the kind of response he expects from her.]

He spots a booth in a corner and slides into one side of it, grabbing a tablet on the table that serves as a menu and beginning to flick through it.]

They have drinks I've never even heard of in here.

[Because the drink menu is clearly what he should be focusing on right now.]

[ As an Inspector, she feels like she needs to take care of Kagari despite the difference in age. Seeing him so fascinated over so many choices amuses her, but she doesn't make it obvious. She'll just keep it to herself. ]

Are you going to try something new, then? Maybe one of those flaming ones.

[He has indeed paused on page showing a delightful variety of drinks, all of them on fire. There's no way he's going toe to toe with her with alcohol, but the drinks are on fire.

He taps out a selection and slides the tablet at Akane.]

How could I pass up trying something like that?

[ Akane just orders chicken wings and beer. She's been drinking more and more ever since... well, the whole Makishima thing. But it's not enough to get her intoxicated, still... and it's not like she and Kagari will be spending the night in this bar. They're just here to talk over some alcohol. ]

You won't mind if I take a video of you drinking it, will you?

[Kagari is looking around the bar distractedly; taking it in, but he turns back to looking at Akane with a smile.]

Why? In case I don't blow it out properly and set my eyebrows on fire or something?

Edited 2015-07-09 02:35 (UTC)

[ It's a pretty rare feat for Akane to laugh, especially at work. But they're not at work right now, so she can be herself. And she does laugh at Kagari's comment; nodding at the same time. ]

Why else would I record it?

In that case, you've got my permission to record it, but don't get too excited-- I'm going to do my best not to end up with a scorched face.

[He only manages to look half serious as he talks, pleased that he's been able to put Akane more at ease.]

I don't know, I'm sure it'll end up with something funny, anyway, Kagari.

[ It's... really nice to be talking with him like this again, but her smile quickly turns into a frown as she remembers the bullshit Sibyl made him go through. ]

WILDCARD I DO WHAT I WANT FUCK SIBYL

YEAAAAHHHHH

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

oh ):

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