//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

Sanosuke Harada | Hakuouki | Phase III

[ohspearme]

[At first Sano had been confused and on edge upon finding himself in this new situation. And it is rather new, even for a guy who likes to party as much as anyone else. But as the night wears on and he grows used to the sounds and lights assaulting his senses - which may or may not be helped by the fact that he has been imbibing - he begins to relax.

Don't worry, he hasn't reached the shirt-stripping and scar-baring state yet.

But despite everything, he still feels something in the back of his mind that something isn't quite right - though that may also be because of the booze. Either way, he keeps his eyes open for any trouble while still mingling through the crowds, sometimes taking a pretty girl up on an offer of a dance (or something like it, anyway), and other times politely declining a not-so-subtle offer of an entirely different type of dancing.]

[guardia]

[ she's been watching him, but not out of any of the two above reasons that most women are. instead, she simply notices that despite obviously doing well enough to blend into the party, he still seems somewhat on guard. which, is unique enough in general ( but especially here, where it seems the more serious and nervous have opted to avoid things all together while the rest get caught in the atmosphere ) to catch her interest. Exploring this place hasn't given her answers, so she's resided to wondering if any individuals could give her a hint that she's not completely crazy and imaging things.

the problem with approaching someone off to the side removed from the socializing is that they may be of the same thoughts as her. while it's nice to be in the company of the like-minded, it gave her little more than personal comfort that she was not imaging things. for a situation like this, though, she really wants the truth rather than what soothes her nerves in terms of 'being right'.

naoto approaches from one side of his, waiting until he's ended a conversation and gone to turn before making her way the rest of the distance to put a hand on his arm to get his attention, just in case her voice isn't loud enough for him to hear in all this noise. ]

Hey, do you hear something out of place?

[ohspearme]

[It is difficult to hear anything besides the thumping of the music right now, and especially when Sano's ears are starting to ring from it all (when he thinks about it, it's not dissimilar from standing too near a cannon when it goes off), but thankfully the woman has gotten his attention with a touch, so he automatically bends down to try and hear her better right off the bat.

And at first the question confuses him, because although he has assimilated pretty well, he thinks, everything is still rather foreign to him. But while he's sure that isn't what this woman means at all, he still needs to figure out what exactly she does mean. And this also includes separating himself as well as he can from the throng of party-goers. Easier said than done, but he gently takes her elbow and starts to direct the both of them toward the wall.]

Hold on, I can't hear much of anything.

[guardia]

[ While she isn't surprised by him not being able to really hear her, Naoto is surprised by his ultimate response on what to do about it. She does let him lead them away, though, only catching the glance a female (or...three...) giving her the dirtiest of looks. Naoto can't help but give them the proverbial finger in the form of a chilly and silent glance back; eat your hearts out, sweethearts. They definitely have more important things to concerns themselves with if that sound is real, anyway. Probably.

When they reach the wall, she looks up towards him to make sure he's ready to pay attention to her before attempting to speak again. Unfortunately, so far in their new location she doesn't hear the same sound (yet) to be able to point if out to him. ]

I know it's pretty loud, but did you hear something out of place? Like, something shuffling around in a container or... [ her eyes catch sight of a small gleam of blue light from the dance floor reflecting off of the belly of the vent system, and her brow creases in concern. ] ...or a vent.

[ohspearme]

Shuffling?

[It's said more to himself than for her benefit, but this woman seems concerned, so he'll put his current energies into trying to figure out what's wrong. Standing up straight - and here his height comes in handy - he tilts his head and closes his eyes in an effort to cut out at least one distraction of sight.

And, naturally, he doesn't hear anything out of the ordinary at first, even when he tries to listen past the oppressive noise, but he remains still, just in case something "shuffles" eventually. Sano stays like this for a few moments more, and just as he's about to give up -

Is that-?

His eyes snap open and he looks back to the woman.]

Like that?

[nostatus]

[ Guess who's right there and staring when Sano's dancing with some of the pretty girls. His angry househusband, yes--

He does look a little like he's sulking, but maybe it's also just since he's at least a little bit drunk already thanks to the general atmosphere here that makes it so hard to think of anything from before the party including the fact he's not exactly as keen on drinking anymore - not enough to be drunk off his ass, anyway, but he's had a few drinks. If nothing because it's the only thing here to distract him while his best friend's gone off to flirt with girls. God. This is his life, these are his choices.

It's after the third dance that he finally pipes up before Sano can talk to the next girl that approaches him. ]

Oi, is this seriously all you're gonna do? [ Give some attention to your needy husband, Sano. ]

[ohspearme]

[Really it's Shinpachi's own fault he's not taking more advantage of the situation. There's nothing and no one stopping him from dancing with his own set of pretty girls, after all.

But, because Sano is a Good Friend, he turns his attention to Shinpachi, though he also grabs another glass from a passing server. Taking advantage of the situation, yes.]

As opposed to what?

[He has to yell to be heard above the music and the crowd, but Shinpachi can't complain anymore since Sano's attention is all on him now.]

[nostatus]

[ That would imply Shinpachi would actually know what to do with a girl when it came down to it... swords he can understand, sure, but girls are a whole different level of complicated. You can't even just learn any technique on how to deal with them, geez!!

So instead he's focussing on Sano, especially now he's finally gained the other man's attention tonight. It was about time. ]

Hang out with me and drink some?

[ You know, what they usually do.. since they're sad, sad bachelors. Even if Sano even usually already gets all the girls draping themselves over him. ]

C'mon, you ain't gonna tell me you're just abandoning me now some pretty women have popped up, right? [ Sano abandoning Shinpachi because of a woman? How unheard of.. ] I thought we were gonna have fun together!

[ Scratch Heisuke being the kid out of the baka trio, because Shinpachi sure is sounding like it right now. A jealous kid that feels abandoned, apparently. ]

[ohspearme]

[Goodness, Shinpachi, you act as if Sano ran away for a whole day or something. Really, it's only been a few hours, at most.

But luckily for them both, a server comes by just in time for Sano to reach out and pluck two drinks from the tray, immediately giving one to Shinpachi before Sano moves to stand beside him, leaning against his friend slightly.]

Drink up, old man. But it's not like I know anyone's name out there, so you're safe. For now.

[Shinpachi is always safe, really or is he, so even if Sano were suddenly introduced to every pretty girl on the dance floor, he still wouldn't just elope and leave Shinpachi in the dust. He has best friend duties, after all.

That doesn't mean Sano still can't tease him, though.]

[nostatus]

[ Well, at least he has Sano here now and a drink, that's two reasons to stop whining.. although being called an old man is a new reason to whine altogether, but he'll keep from it. Just for now. Since even if there's something hazy about his memory, there's something that keeps him from feeling too uneasy about it. Like somehow, everything's going to work itself out sooner or later and reveal why he can't remember anything clearly about the supposed battle they've been fighting in.

Well, that, and probably the fact that he always feels a lot more calm around Sano. Hell, they could be in the middle of a big battlefield together and he'd still feel pretty calm or at least more secure with the redhead watching his back in the middle of all of it.

So Shinpachi raises the glass to his lips, taking a sip - fortunately a lot more used to western drinks now, thanks to the bar in Zelien. ]

If I see you disappearing into a backroom with some girl, I'm gonna complain to Hijikata-san, y'know.. [ About.. what.. Shinpachi.. the fact that Sano can get laid and you can't??

At least it sounds a lot more like he's actually joking by now rather than still seriously whining like a jealous housewife. ]

[bloodtablets]

[Yuki always felt so out of place at big parties like these, though the ones back home were more elegant and less loud. She isn't sure what to make of all the noise and the crowds of people - several of which propositioned her for a dance to which she'd politely declined. After being offered a drink, she takes it, downing it in one go as she looks through the crowd for Kaname. She still hasn't seen hide nor hair of her brother, but right now her attention is grabbed by someone else.

Standing on the edge of the crowd is someone tall with red hair and a large build to him. She didn't know what to make of him and decided maybe he would be friendly and - against her better judgement - she hopes he's seen her brother.]

Uhm, hello... [A lame beginning but she's trying her best under the circumstances. Hopefully he can hear her over the music. Just smelling him as she drew closer, she can tell he's had more drinks than her. Maybe he wouldn't be that much help after all, but she had to try.] Uhm, so... this party - are you used to this kind of thing?

[He seemed right at home, if he was able to relax and drink. That could very well be outward appearances, of course.]

[ohspearme]

[to be honest, he doesn't hear the girl right away over the music - then again, Sano can't hear too much of anything else - but when he happens to glance over and see her focusing on him, he immediately returns the favor, bending down in order to hear her better.]

This? Nah, it's my first time.

[But it is enjoyable, if foreign. So maybe because he's seemed to fit in well enough on his own so far, it's not all that surprising for other people to think he's a regular.]

Seems like you're a little lost, though.

[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]

ev crau because i can

[regives]

[ Leanne was still admittedly a bit on edge as the party grew on. Her search for Zephyr and Vashyron had gone on since she arrived only to end up with disappointment, in which she found herself taking a drink or two to ease the nervousness building in the pit of her stomach. Honestly, anyone familiar would bring her a sense of relief so long as they were on good terms. Which is why when she sees a familiar build and red hair her heart pounds against her chest, just enough to ignore the shuffling from the vent above her.

She quickly moves towards him, declining any who step in front of her and asking to dance until she's behind him to shoot up a hand and grab Sanosuke by the arm. ] Sano—... !

[ Aaaaaand that's when she realizes that he's kinda dancing with someone; the woman easily glances over to Leanne, giving her an intimidating glare that doesn't so much as startle her as much it does make her register the situation. ] Er, ha...

[ She laughs, but it's so obviously awkward that she can feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. ]

Sorry, um, I-I'll just... wait...

yes good excellent

[ohspearme]

[Of course Sano, being Sano, does not have the same problem his current dance partner does. Because whenever he sees a friend, he wants to say hello and spend them with them. And while he and Leanne aren't terribly close, she is still a friend of sorts and, admittedly, someone he'd rather be around than the jealous woman who is being incredibly rude.

He doesn't have time for that, nor does he really want to be around such negativity. He does apologize to his partner with a smile, however, and explains quickly that Leanne is a friend, and then slips away through the crowd to catch up to the blonde.]

Leanne!

[When he's close enough, he reaches for her wrist to stop her.]

Sorry about that. Maybe I should thank you for rescuing me, though.

[regives]

[ Leanne's only moving to keep from any catfights more awkward situations to prop up, which is why she let's out a gasp of surprise when she feels his hand wrap around her wrist. But she doesn't pull back whens he turns to see him, and instead breathes a sigh of relief. ]

Rescuing you? You looked like you were having a good time until I butted in. [ Or at least that's what it seemed. ] But I'm glad to see you. I haven't seen anyone else I know... for a second, I didn't think I'd be seeing anyone I know.

[ So, yes, even if they don't have a close relationship, she's more than glad to see him. ]

[ohspearme]

With her?

[Sano glances back, though his previous partner is lost among the crowd, so he can't see her at all anymore, unless he tries to look hard enough. Which he doesn't.]

Oh, no. Well, a little bit, maybe, but you're already better company.

[And not trying to not-so-subtly get in his hakama. Because despite what Shinpachi people might say, Sano isn't just out for a good physical time.]

There might be a few of us around. Shinpachi's probably sulking somewhere.

[He lifts an eyebrow and smirks a little bit at Leanne. Does that look mean anything? Surely not.

...Right?]

[regives]

Well when you put it that way, I guess I really did save you. [ Of course she doesn't want anything out of it, since it seems like she was helping him in the long run. And it certainly did cause her lips to tug into a smile when he says that she's better company.

His gesture receives a raised brow of her own. Only it's much more out of confusion than anything else, which makes it only more obvious that whatever he was indicating just flies right over her head. She's much more concerned with, you guessed it, the thought of Shinpachi actually sulking around. ] Is he really? Maybe we should go look for him before anything happens.

[ like him getting too drunk and having to be carried out before he tries to show off any "cool" party tricks. ]

[ohspearme]

[...Ah. Well that effort was in vain, but it's no bother. Sano still has plenty of time. Besides, it's best not to rush things like this. Or not to meddle at all, but where's the fun in that?]

I think I last saw him looking miserable near the edges of this place. But you may be right. I've known Shinpachi long enough to grow acquainted with his party tricks.

[Which, in all honesty, are hilarious. But not necessarily appropriate for this setting. Or a lady's eyes.

Don't break things with your ass, Shinpachi. Resist the temptation.]

[regives]

[ Ah, that's right, the two of them were basically attached to the hip the first time she saw the both of them. And then how Shinpachi was taking care of him after the drinking incident, too... it really doesn't surprise her to learn that Sanosuke is aware of his "party tricks". Especially since they came from the same world, it was obvious that the two of them were close. Really, him not being aware of the other man's behavior would probably surprise her more than anything. ]

So... [ There's a hint of mild curiosity in her voice, completely brushing off the thought of finding that huge manchild for a moment. ] So he's just kidding with being able to break things with his... y'know.

[ His ass.

She's trying to imply his ass but like hell she's going to say that. ]