//TESTDRIVE6.0.EXE

[reparator]

//TESTDRIVE6.0.EXE Tonight, We're Going to Party Like It's 1899 With Hallow's Eve rapidly approaching, the famed Cerealia night club Niteo has been transformed into a Victorian gothic wonderland for its Masquerade party sponsored by CERES' CEO Julius Vincere. Everyone is required to attend with at least a mask on (though full costume is preferable). For those who don't have any, they will be given a mask at the door. Several young women and men in Victorian-era clothing will be moving around, handing out drinks and pulling guests to dance out on the ballroom floor. Don't be shy, come join them. Anachronistic techno music will be blasting through the speakers, and the side tables will be stocked with all sorts of candy and treats for guests to snack on. As you first enter, a mysterious masked employee is the first to greet you: "Welcome, one and all, to Niteo's All-You-Can-Eat-and-Drink Night of a Thousand Ghouls. Tonight, we'll be treating you now that the ghosts have all vanished. But where have they gone you must be wondering? It's a mystery indeed. They couldn't have just vanished like that. Someone had to have gotten rid of them? …I wonder… While you think on it, relax and have a drink or ten. Don't let a couple of hauntings stop you from having a good time. Tonight is a night to celebrate excess and indulgence. Let us surrender to our baser urges."

//SCENARIOS.EXE PHASE I [ 2000 ] The evening begins promptly at 8:00 PM. There will be crowds gathered, lining up to get in. Everyone will be allowed, children, adults, the living and flesh-filled, the robotic, and the undead. The music will be thumping as far as the sidewalks outside, and the first thing everyone will notice would be bowls of candy everywhere as far as the eyes can see. They'll be sitting on top of the tables in all their innocent glory. For the most part, they are harmless. But not the candy corn. Never the candy corn. Within it is a secret chemical that causes those who consume it to exhibit attraction to the nearest object/person to them, whether it be inanimate or otherwise. They will feel compelled to be close, to kiss and touch whatever is around them, though the effects only last an hour or so. Consider it a low-leveled aphrodisiac of sorts. PHASE II [ 2122 ] You're dancing. You're moving to the music. Or you're clinging to the walls and wondering why you're even here to begin with. That's when the holograms start playing around with you. The image flickers frequently until a face appears. You can swear it's talking to you beneath the music. 'We need you. We want you. Join us. Come to the back room. Number 005.' The closer you get to the hologram screens, the louder the voice becomes until it disappears completely, leaving you to question how real it was. PHASE III [ 2217 ] For those brave enough, you go into Backroom #005. What awaits you there is a room full of masked and costumed figures. You don't know if they are human or not, but they watch you eagerly, inviting you to join their private party. Unfortunately, if you chose the backroom, you chose wrong. You chose very wrong. The door is going to be slammed shut and locked, and all the figures will then pull off their masks and reveal faces familiar to yourself. Faces from your world. They'll ask you accusingly why you haven't saved them yet. What's taking you so long. Did you forget them? Their eyes will glow as they crowd in on you, yelling and growing more caustic until the lights flicker. When you can see clearly again, the entire room will be empty save for a single glass of wine sitting on the table. You'll be sure someone was inside just a moment ago. You were definitely talking to someone. You can't be going crazy, right? PHASE IV [ 2345 ] Fifteen minutes to midnight. The music is getting louder and more intense. You've been eating candy or drinking all night (or avoiding food entirely if you're wise enough). Yet the music lures you in with its haunting tone, and you spot in the middle, a masked figure dancing more hypnotically than the rest. He's waving his chainsaw around as he puts out his lethal dance moves, and you are being drawn by the music into a violent dance off. You can fight the feeling, you can try and run. Unfortunately, none of the other natives and robots see the masked man but you. Only outsiders can see him, and the closer you get, the more you reach out to touch him- you discover he's only a hologram like any other. Your fingers move through his shape, and distort it, but you're still so sure it's real. BONUS [ whyo'clock ] One of the back rooms has a beautiful fortune teller by the name of Aria. She will be seated inside, welcoming individuals or groups of people to give them their fortunes, and she will be giving them bizarrely specific and intimate details about their life from their underwear preference to how many partners they've slept with and how many moles they have on their ass. Prepare for awkward embarrassment. Ah, but what does the future hold in store? She'll smile when asked, and then her face will fall apart until a drill protrudes from the center to try and stab through your face. If your reflexes are fast enough, you can dodge it. If you're too slow, prepare for a hospital visit to the CERES Medical Facility. Once that ordeal is over with, her face will reconstruct itself back to normal, and she will smile and say your future looks very bright in CERES. [ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the meme. ]

//RUN.EXE Welcome to CEREALIA's sixth 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!

Comments

bonus;

[deontology]

[The moment he's in the back rooms, the mask comes off. The thought of masks and anonymity does not sit well with him, and he's poking around the back to try to figure out just what's going on here on top of that--the last thing he needs is to look sketch in a mask.

... Of course, then he stumbles across that scene. The drill is already out, batted easily aside by the woman and her sword, and he just...pauses.

Considers. Hm.]

Pardon the interruption.

[She's...got it well in hand, no need to pester her, he supposes--even if his hand automatically rested on the hilt of his own sword.]

[beanqueen]

It's a welcome intrusion. [ And the sword is smoothly back in its sheath. Her mask, too, is missing, but it still likely looks strange to see a woman in a gown with a sword at her waist. ]

Unless you wanted to speak with her?

[ This... smiling former drill lady. ]

[deontology]

No. I have no interest in predictions of the future.

[He treats her having a drill coming out of her face the same as if she didn't, honestly. That's...not even a surprise anymore.

But the future is what they make of it, so screw that.

and he knows kiiko who probably hides a dozen guns in the folds of her dresses he's not going to bat an eye.]

[beanqueen]

[ Who needs guns when you have bare hands and a very pretty sword-- okay right, back to the topic at hand. Which... to be honest, Seri doesn't know what that topic is yet. ]

Were you concerned about me?

[ She'll figure this out yet. ]

[deontology]

No. You are clearly capable of handling yourself.

[You're trying so hard, Seri, but quite honestly--]

I was attempting to see if anything dangerous was hiding here.

[...........a very pointed look at drill lady. Yeah. Like that.]

[beanqueen]

Ah. [ Well. ]

If you would count this dangerous, then yes, I've found something suspicious. I would advise any friends or acquaintances of yours against having their fortune told.

[deontology]

[Wow are drills that come out of faces not dangerous enough for you, Seri...]

Yes, I believe so. There are civilians and children here. These dangers should be warned for. [You know, for their sakes.

Too bad CERES is too incompetent.]

[beanqueen]

Then I believe I'll investigate further. I highly doubt this is the only threat of the night.

[ working during parties? Hell yep. ]

[deontology]

[Hell yeah, he feels you. He gives her an appraising glance, and then nods. Well. If she wants to work, he won't say no.

Instead, he'll give here a brief run-down--]

Those in charge of us here are either incompetent or outright malicious. The police force will mostly follow their orders.

[So......depend on yourself, mostly. Good luck.]

Many threats are not physical in nature here as well.

[beanqueen]

Psychological, then? Or detrimental in some other way? And the authoritative force here shouldn't be counted on...

[ She glances at him, just as appraising, and then nods. ]

Thank you for the information-- I'll be certain to make good use of it.

[deontology]

Both, as well as ghosts, hallucinations and holograms.

[you're...welcome.]

If you are familiar with dealing with such things, it would be useful to know.

[beanqueen]

I've had encounters involving sensory interference and mind-altering issues. Ghosts, not so much.

[deontology]

[...hm.]

I can handle ghosts. [Looks like they're going together, then.]

What encounters have you had? [So he knows what to expect...]

[beanqueen]

A winged horse, a rather irritating person who spread about his own delusions to others, an entire illusory city--

[ she can continue listing all of her Strain experiences without going into too much detail. She just might. ]

[deontology]

[....ah.]

That's enough. [He gets the picture.] You're well-practiced then. That should be enough.

[beanqueen]

Almost.

[ And she straightens, bowing her head just slightly. ]

My name is Awashima Seri.

[deontology]

[...right.

Manners. He doesn't really bow his head to anyone (but his Kumou parents' graves), but he'll nod at that, understanding.]

I am Abe no Sousei. It may be more sensible to go together, so these threats can be properly dealt with.

[beanqueen]

Then let's cooperate for the time being. I believe we've seen enough in this room.

[deontology]

[He's not one to waste words (and she doesn't either), so he simply nods in response to that, turning on his heel to continue to explore the back rooms of this club. This is...totally legit.

Yeah.

...not really, but who's going to stop them...? And he won't bring up anything about this place, but at least he won't shut her down if she has questions.]

[beanqueen]

[ Of course she has questions, but she'll be working through most of them herself, except for-- ]

Do they usually hold functions like this?

[deontology]

No. This is the first in the time I have been here.

[...weird, really.]

There are occasionally celebrations of "victories" here. [..."celebrations".] But this is different in many ways.

[beanqueen]

How do they typically celebrate, then?

[deontology]

With vouchers and useless rewards to places that nobody wishes to enter.

[tell us how you really feel, sousei, wow]

They are more mockeries than true rewards.

[beanqueen]

... I see. So in the end, completely pointless.

[deontology]

Yes.

[At least they don't hold back.]

Therefore, this event must exist for a different purpose.