//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

[virginous]

[ Now it's taking everything not to just leave him there like that. Really, what was he expecting barging into a room only to inspect things when it was clearly occupied? Four rolls her eyes, taking steps closer to grab him by the arm yet again before giving the owners of those wandering hands a stern, cold glare. ]

Excuse us. [ She even slaps a hand away before pulling Break. ] Please go back to enjoying yourselves.

[ And with that she pulls Break out of the room, slamming the door behind them. ]

Disgusting. Don't these people have any sense of restraint?

[unathletic]

It'll look weird. [ At least he's answering fairly quickly and simply now.. because this one should be pretty obvious, he thinks. If there's a guy taking a girl back there and other people see it.. well, they're going to assume all sorts of stuff. And even if he might not recognize anyone at this party, it's still going to be a pain if his sister would suddenly ever find out even if it's a misunderstanding - or maybe there is someone he knows here, that'd be even worse.

It probably explains why he looks so annoyed - which is just his way of expressing awkwardness, really. ]

You wouldn't want people to start talking about you, right?

[ Because he sure doesn't want them to talk about him, he already gets enough of that normally. He doesn't need to add some weird reputation involving girls to it. ]

[unathletic]

[ Honestly, he doesn't know how to get back home either. Heung Soo doubts it'll be as easy as catching a bus or something, considering they don't know how they got here, plus with the way this place looks, and the people that walk around in it.. it almost feels as if they got dumped into some kind of manga with just how near-comically weird some things are. It's not like either of them would have the kind of money with them to pay for the bus fare back, but it'd be something they could figure out with the two of them, anyway. It's been proven a few times before that they can make a hell of a lot of things work if they put themselves to it, especially together. But right here, they don't even have a starting point to figure it out. ]

They'll probably tell more once the party is over. [ Whenever that'll be. Your sense of time really gets screwed up in a place like this.

But somehow he doesn't feel as fully worried as he should be about leaving such an important thing up to the future. It's probably since his first priority is already settled, Nam Soon is right here and just fine, judging from the way he's getting more and more comfortable against him. Sure, it'll be trouble if they're going missing for a night, and if there's anything he is still worried about it's the fact that his sister must be freaking out over him being gone - but there's just nothing else they can do right now. Heung Soo's already mentally apologizing to her, even if it won't do a thing either.

He's about to open his mouth and say something else, but something interrupts him before he does.

A scream.

And not just the usual partygoer screams he's been hearing this entire time already, that is a scream of terror for sure. Not from the backrooms like the one they're in, but from the main party hall, it sounds like.

Heung Soo immediately turns his head to look at the guy resting against his shoulder, knowing he won't have to say a thing. The sound was so loud that it's impossible to have missed it. ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He staggers along when she pulls him, his body loose-limbed and unresisting. He's disheveled. When she lets go of him, he reaches up to smooth down his hair, rearrange his cravat, and button his jacket. ]

Er. Apparently not.

[ His cheeks are pink and there's a funny expression on his face. It smooths out after a moment, and he says in a more matter-of-fact tone of voice: ]

Indeed, our host, this... this Julius Vincere gentleman seems to be positively encouraging a lack of restraint, by providing rooms such as these.

[nostatus]

.. Oi, I'm not plannin' on taking it with me on something like that!

[ Since it almost sounds like a mission.. or, well, it would be if this wasn't a party. Getting out of a party shouldn't be too hard, right? (Unless the doors have some sort of electronic way of getting outside, then he'll be lost on this one..)

He stands up and does leave his plate standing there - but he doesn't walk off with her before sticking another piece of the meat he was eating into his mouth. Farewell, sweet steak, may they meet again in another life..

But as they're making their way around to look for an exit, he can't help but glance at her for a moment. ]

So.. uh.. you're with the army? [ Considering she has a rank and all.. and he did see a lot of women back in Zelien who fought in that sort of capacity too, as strange as it is for him to wrap his mind around. ]

[cutsnoslack]

If we see them here, they could be from anywhere.

[There is no way he comes from the only reality in all the possible existences that has mutated bipedal animal ninja, after all.

Otherwise how would they make that silly crossover movie where three teams of turtles take on the Shredder together?]

[iaijutsu]

I don't have to unless you give me a reason to.

[Which is as good as Saitou saying, look, if you're going to bicker with excitable girls, then okay (even if he doesn't really approve of that much, either), but if it goes any further, he's going to have to get up and ruin this postcard picture of Samurai Doing Silly Things Seriously.

You wouldn't want to ruin that, would you, Souji?]

[iaijutsu]

You take being contrary at every opportunity seriously, at least.

[Cut dat shit out, bro.]

[bloodtablets]

Me? I guess... a little.

[it's embarrassing to admit, honestly. All these strange places keep popping up the more she explores and it's sort of weird that people are actually partying at a time like this. Weren't there others like them?]

Do you know how we got here? [She couldn't seem to recall]

[bloodtablets]

She's still not so sure and this guy can doesn't seem to happy to her either about the snake or whatever it was. Maybe he just spoke that way? She could only guess.

"Are you sure? What if it bites someone?" It was a pity she didn't have any means of defending herself at present if such a thing occurred.

[bloodtablets]

"Oh. Maybe I forgot him too, then... but I remember him now?" Just not... this person apparently. She does her best to smile through such confusing thoughts, rapping her knuckles gently onto the side of her head.

"Ahahaha... maybe I'm just unlucky then. Forgetting stuff isn't that good but it seems to happen to me from time to time." Or really only the one time and that had been because of her mother's actions to protect her. This was a completely different matter entirely. What could she even do about it?

"Uhm... he looks tall, maybe about your height? Brown hair like mine and brown eyes. He always has kind of a sad smile on his face too..." Something she wished she could change, but that would mean him opening up to her, which wasn't something that came easily to him. She wasn't exactly any better in that department either.

[bloodtablets]

Uh- I... I'm sorry... I was over stepping.

[She looks between the two of them and it's obvious they know each other. She hadn't meant to set anyone off even if no one in the history of ever reacts to that sort of situation with death threats god Souji.]

Still...you probably should be more careful, you know.

[Unless you want Mister Ballpit Samurai to come scold you? On that note, she gives a bit of a bow towards Saitou.]

Thank you. I'm sorry you had to involve yourself in something like that.

[virginous]

Look weird? You're just--

[ And that's when the light bulb hits. Not like she didn't have the thought for probably a brief second beforehand, but she certainly pushed that aside for her own personal goals. This guy isn't Cent handsome and he looks like the type she can walk all over on, like Decadus, and the thought alone brings a sense of disgust that she easily covers with the reddening of her cheeks. ]

If people are immediately going to think about that, it's their own fault for having their head in the gutter! It'll be far more embarrassing for them to realize that I simply needed guidance than anything actually happening.

[ Because Four will argue against doing anything like until the day she dies. (Ha.) She's the virgin, after all, and she's going to keep her innocent slate clean so long as she was here. ]

So are you going to continue standing there or are you going to show me?

[ It's not like he has to follow her in there. That's his own choice. ]

[nostatus]

Thankfully he takes the forgetting stuff happening to her from time to time as her just being generally a little clumsy and ditzy, which is the kind of impression he's gotten from her back in Zelien.. it's sort of adorable, though.

"You're tellin' me he has a sad smile even with a sister as cute as you? What an outrage!" He laughs though, apparently pretty boisterous. Maybe he's laying it on a little thicker than usually on purpose to make Yuki smile, but part of it is just all natural too. It doesn't come difficult to Shinpachi. (Also, no, that's not flirting, okay, he's already definitely put her into the siblingzone a long time ago, anyway..)

"At least it means we won't have a difficult time finding him in a party where everyone else's being so loud, it means he's gonna stand out like a sore thumb." Hopefully. But they'll probably have a while anyway, who knows when this party will end and they can get a little more information.. might as well spend his time well until then. "Need some help getting up?"

In case she's still sleepy, he doesn't want her to fall on her face first thing..

[abovedogs]

He shrugged, still heading towards the door.

"Then they die."

Of course, there's no snake present (that he knows of). But her answers was proof enough that she was not the one he'd previously known. Even if she was scatterbrained, this was far beyond even that.

[unathletic]

[ This girl really doesn't listen to anyone, does she? Maybe she's just from one of those kind of families where she really got spoiled - it would explain the semi-ridiculous clothing compared to the stuff he's used to seeing. Daddy's little princess, something like that.

But what's most important to him about that thought is just that she's a complete pain in the ass. And as much as Heung Soo has the tendency to mother hen the people around him as well as he can, there's limits to that sort of thing when brattiness comes into play - even from girls, okay.

He heaves a sigh, glance sliding off to the size. ]

Aiissh.. don't provoke me.

[ Not that he hits girls or anything, but he did kick one girl's bag up like a soccer ball once.. but he doesn't really mean it in any violent kind of way, he just means that if she'll behave like a normal person, he'll behave like a normal person.

.. A very quiet normal person, but hey. He's not moving until they sorted this part out, okay, he doesn't let people walk over him that easily. Else he wouldn't have been called a thug in school. ]

[wolfthatbarkstheloudest]

[ The look of pure boredom on his face speaks volumes: Shinpachi, he is not impressed. ]

Shinpattsu-san, I promise you, I'm not jealous of your muscles. I wouldn't wanna look like a walking bicep.

[ Even with the pat on the head, the most he does is wrinkle his nose.

...up until Shinpachi calls him a kid. ]

Nuh uh. Maybe it you'd stop eating my food I'd grow some more! Or maybe I'll just chew on you instead! [ And now he's going to make a grab for Shinpachi's arm, intent on doing exactly what he threatened. ]

i'm going to hell because i completely forgot about this

[regives]

[ Maybe he shouldn't be seeing it as his children being taken away as much as they are... being shared!? None of this sounds right either way. But let's forget about any children for half a second and focus on the fact that the guy who barged over and took the food she was aiming for didn't look like he was willing to share. Even Zephyr would have compromised! (But that guy babies her, let's be real.)

But now he has everything between the two of them, and she's more surprised with the fact that he was willing to shove everything around. ]

There's a strong possibility. [ She gives him a bigger smile, one that she finds hiding behind her hands and turning away for a brief moment to regain a more composed look. ] I mean, what's with all of that? You might as well be feeding for two.

[virginous]

[ Don't provoke him? What can a mere human do to someone like an Intoner? And he doesn't appear like any sort of threat, just a fly in comparison to those lousy file and rank soldiers. Men that she was capable of crushing in the palm of her hands with absolute glee.

But she'll stop. Only because it will get her to what she wants. ]

If it is bothersome for you, then I'll stop. [ But, again, the only reason why she's pushing away that selfish "daddy's little princess" (that he so proclaims) attitude of hers was for her own benefit. And who knows, One may be around and could see her acting coldly to a human and storm over with a harsh scolding. ] I apologize for my behavior beforehand, so please...

[ Her entire demeanor turns an entire one-eighty, but she doesn't break any sort of eye contact. Even if the thought alone makes her desperately want to claw his eyes out. ]

Do you mind helping me?

[pure_confidence]

[ this is why Nam Soon will end up dying all alone and without a single friend to find the body. Not enough effort to even set up a home delivery order... ]

Well, I suppose that's usually up to the person now isn't it? But I've found that most people find a friend sooner or later. It's just not in our nature to be entirely alone.

Of course, there are always the exception.

[ and it is a little odd he has to ask that question at all and it's something Peggy files away under the file heading: Nam Soon. It's always good to remember at least a few things about the people one meets, yes? ]

[pure_confidence]

[ she stifled a laugh but only just barely ]

Are you certain? You look like you were particularly famished when you reached for my tart a moment ago. I wouldn't dare risk you fainting on me in a time of need.

[ but she moves along and doesn't press the issue more then necessary, weaving her way around the perimeter of the party where things are a little bit, well... calmer ]

I was although I suppose it doesn't matter too much here when we're so far away from home. There was a war; I answered the call. That's really all there was too it.

[ y e p, there was nothing special at all about Peggy Carter joining the army or anything. It's not at all as though she paved a new road for other women just like her to follow in the future. Nope, not a single thing to see here at all! ]

[unpresidential]

[unsurprisingly, it's heung soo's sister that nam soon worries about the most, too. it's not as if nam soon doesn't know that she'll be worried — and later furious — when heung soo doesn't come home. doubly so for not answering his phone. put that together with the fact that nam soon himself isn't there and it's just going to spell trouble in the aftermath.

actually, nam soon doesn't want to think about that much. she is one scary noona when she wants to be and he'd already been warned not to cause heung soo trouble. not that he wants to do that, but they're pretty good at doing that inadvertently anyway. at the very least, it's the only thing he needs to worry about. just making sure that heung soo gets back home safely... that's all that matters, right? he has someone to go home to, after all. someone who will worry.

which means it needs to be protected more than the boy who will go home to dark, empty silence. sure, there's a slim chance that his dad will be in the area, but those moments are so fleeting they could barely be considered lucky.

he's about to make a joke about that in strange synchronicity when the sound of a scream erupts. it brings nam soon to immediately attention, and he sits up. it breaks the comfortable contact and definitely pulls him out of hazy, post-nap grogginess he'd been fighting through all the while. that wasn't just a scream of terror, it was the sort of scream of terror that came out of a horror movie. ...and something that shouldn't have any place at a loud, upbeat party.]

Heung Soo-yah... [he looks over, his normally complacent expression replaced with that concerned spark that comes with a situation like this. he doesn't say anything else, but he doesn't think he has to. they need to go see what's up, even if it could mean getting themselves into some shit.]

[nostatus]

[ Why wouldn't you want to look like a walking bicep, Heisuke.. maybe that's how you'll attract some girls finally! (Then again, it's not like Shinpachi has much luck in that department either, huh. Clearly they just need to get rid of Sano since he distracts the girls from the two of them..)

But right now there's more important matters than that. Like the fact that Heisuke is turning into a cannibal on the spot. He pulls his arm back, but since Heisuke's already latched onto it as well it just ends up looking like a dumb game of tug of war, except with Shinpachi's arm instead of a rope. ]

W-- what, Heisuke?! Betraying me at a time like this?! [ Not like they don't do this shit to each other all the time though - it's more likely that his shock is faked and he's just playing along with it all, just fooling around like they always have. ] Do I look like some sorta chewtoy?! C'mon, down, boy..!

never gives you the otp

[nostatus]

[ Leanne is just asking for him to say something embarrassing by now. It's pretty predictable that it's going to happen anyway, judging by the dumb grin on his face slowly widening, bit by bit by bit.. ]

That's 'cause I am feeding for two!

[ And - predictably - he raises one of his arms after that, showing off the muscles on it. ]

For myself, and for this baby here..! [ No shame whatsoever. 0%. ]

[nostatus]

[ It's totally weird, okay. He's a little more used to it thanks to everything he's seen in that other place, but it's still.. weird, the idea of women fighting in an army. Shinpachi's smart enough to realise that times are slowly changing, that there's different weapons, so.. maybe it's just another thing that's going to change once the era of samurai is fully over.

It's a little bit of a depressing thought though, so he tries to not linger on it too much. Might as well just take this for what it is. Besides, if she did willingly join the army for a good cause - then that's just admirable, as far as he's concerned. Even if she's a woman.

Shinpachi reaches up to rub the back of his neck briefly. ]

Nah, if it's a title you earned, then stick to it. You gotta be proud of that kinda stuff, y'know? There's plenty of people out there [ and by people, he means "cowardly men", really ] who don't dare to fight even if it's needed, so at least be proud.