//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

hajime saitou | hakuouki - bonus

[iaijutsu]

[Fun...in the ball pit.

This would surely be more meaningful to someone who understands what, exactly, fun in the ball pit is supposed to entail, rather than someone who's just staring blankly at all the little colored balls with the expression of someone who's never had fun in his life and has no idea where to start.

(He'd argue that isn't quite accurate, but it's not as far off as he'd like you to think.)

Still...Saitou's trying. He's seated dead center, there's a red plastic ball neatly balanced on his head (no sign of who put it there), and he's very closely watching the actions of everyone around him, as if by watching everyone else have fun, he'll somehow crack the code and figure out how to have some himself.

...it hasn't been working too well so far.]

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.]

leonardo | tmnt 2k3 - phase ii

[cutsnoslack]

[It's not until he's seen at least two rounds of people use the helmets and unhook themselves unscathed that Leonardo finally steps up to give it a try himself - though after that incident with the Utrom's VR technology, there's really no blaming a guy for being cautious, right? But nobody seems to be getting stuck in the game (and no creepy jerkface heads mounted on robot spider bodies are around to sabotage the controls), so eventually, curiosity wins out.

Besides, it might be informative!

If fighting a gigantic dragon-monster thing can be informative, but that's a worry for later.

For now? It's all about winning.

The stage setting seems to be a city - not quite New York, but an urban jungle is still an urban jungle, and Leo's spent enough time training in them to feel quite comfortable with his odds. He's crouched atop a street lamp, eyes on the creature circling overhead, even if his words are loud enough to carry to wherever his fellow players might be nearby, and his question is clearly meant for them.]

Fought anything like this before?

[Dragons are new. But he's sure he can figure something out.]

souji okita • hakuouki • bonus

[tuberculosis]

[souji isn't pay all that much mind to the security that surrounds the ball pit. or any of the rules, in fact. he's just standing near it pretty casually, a drink in one hand. he seems to just be observing the people who pass by...

well, until they walk past him.

anyone who walks past souji and remains close enough to the ball put may just feel a nudge. it may be a light tap, a bump of the shoulder, or a full on shove with the palm of his hand. regardless? if they go tumbling in, he'll be laughing and offering a wave.]

Ahh, they only give you an hour, so make sure you use it well! [there's always gotta be one asshole causing petty trouble at the party, right?]

[iaijutsu]

[Out of place?

Absolutely.

And from the ripple in his expression, however subtle, it seems like he might be slightly self-conscious of it - but his face quickly turns professionally blank again. No, he doesn't quite get it, but this is just a serious and dutiful attempt to reach some kind of understanding about these strange new surroundings, and he is not at all concerned about his inability to explain why this contraption even exists in the first place.

Not one bit.]

Such things do not exist in my homeland.

PHASE II & III: ViViD START: VIDIA'S HELP ZONE!

[careo]

[ HELLO players! When you enter the strange little room, you'll find a cute little lady ready to take you on. Don't be shy, don't be afraid, she's here to help and guide you into the amazing and wonderful world of ViViD! Not only will she help you with your VR headset settings, but she'll also suggest scenarios if you can't think up any. Everyone gets a turn, and no one is left out!

So, are you brave enough to try the wonderful world of ViViD? Let her know...! You can comment here for some adventurous plotting or questions, but remember, be nice and she might throw in a special surprise! ]

We have a great turnout today, and it's going to get even better! Come on in and don't be shy, I'll hold your hand and we can fly! Just remember the rules, everyone! No hurting players, no rudeness and definitely no trying to cheat! Don't do things you wouldn't do in real life! Are you ready?

[ And right before your eyes, as you enter the chamber to put on your sexy headsets, an image appears! ]



Create your fun, beat up the bad guys, there's lots of prizes to be won! Hey, you there. Right this way. What kind of a game would you like to play? Would you like a solo run, or maybe a friendly group game? The name is Vidi, I'm going to be your guide, so let's have fun, it's going to be a delight!

Oh, and... Don't worry if you're having trouble using the mood set-up in the private rooms. I can help with that, too!





[ Feel free to talk to Vidi, all game guidance and start-up will go here, and you can also make your own top level Phase II threads below! Be careful, the game can be slightly addicting when it starts to go your way! Are you brave enough to take on the challenge? ]

Re: souji okita • hakuouki • bonus

[bloodtablets]

[Smiling, Yuki takes in her surroundings and is immediately excited by the sheer vastness of the ball pit. It was so big and while she wasn't a kid anymore, it actually looked fun! Of course, no one in their right mind would ever shove someone into a ball pit, right? Right?

Wrong, apparently since she suddenly feels someone's hand on her back and she's falling face first into the ball pit in an ungraceful heap of long brown hair and skirts and feet kicking out as she shrieks and falls all the way down the tube into the sea of balls.]

Who-who did that?! [Surfacing she looks around, equal parts surprised as she is upset.]

Only one hour? [ Hesitantly, she peeks up at him, a little sad that it's only for an hour but - wait!!]

Uhm, did you push me just now?

Yuki Kuran | Vampire Knight | phase iii

[bloodtablets]

The loud music pounded in her ears and more importantly, she could hear other's heartbeats, practically feel their blood pumping almost as if she could taste it. Heightened senses as they were, everything seemed to drown into one dull noise. She swept the crowd a bit, occasionally getting shuffled along and maybe even propositioned to dance only to decline. Her ankles hurt a little from the heels on her feet that began to take on a constricting feeling. Stopping, she has a drink, turning into a second and then a third drink before she realizes it. She was getting swept up in the atmosphere, all the while a small headache began to form. Some sort of rustling sound was beginning to make her ears and her head hurt. Maybe it was just the music getting to her after a while?

All the same, she slowly pushes back through the crowd to collapse against pillows. The room she found herself in was beautiful with red walls, accented with rose colored curtains. The couch she collapsed into was also red, the pillows soft enough that she grabs the nearest one to hug it to herself. She couldn't recall how she'd wound up here, only that her brother seemed to be nowhere to be found. Maybe if she rested a while he might find her, or she might feel up to searching for him more.

"Hmm..." she mumbles sleepily, curling up into herself as she drifts farther. Her limbs felt heavy and while the pounding still remained, she felt tired enough to sleep a year if need be.

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.]

[o_ran]

[ He... actually has no idea what's going on. All of this is beyond his own understanding and comprehension and by everything he knows, it's nonsensical.

That's probably what allowing Lord Toshiie to get him to drink is probably to blame for... or... is it? His mind suddenly feels like he hasn't seen him in a while, so obviously, drinking with him shouldn't be possible, right?

And it all began with that young lady pushing him into a seat, making him wear that visor and now-

There's a talking turtle.

Which, if he's being honest, isn't the strangest thing he'll probably have experienced, and his own nodachi is drawn as he watches the creature overhead, before he shakes his head at the speaker. ]

Not unless you are referring to inebriated festival-goers dressed like one...

[ It's magic, and he's dreaming. He follows the tail of the creature before trying to figure out where it's going to land before preparing to run. ]

However, if defeating it is what will end this spell, then we must not hesitate. Forward!

hinata shouyou - haikyuu!! - bonus

[quicks]

[Yeah. Shouyou being in the ball pit really shouldn't be a surprise. Could anyone really imagine this shorty on the dance floor? With a bunch of strangers? Hell no! It doesn't help that high school students can't drink, and high school students as short as him can't exactly get away with faking it either. Even if the taller volleyball club members were around (which they aren't, far as he can tell), he doubts they'd sneak him a drink anyway. Pass, dancing's totally lame. And he'd probably just embarrass himself anyway.

So ball pit it is. And Shouyou is alternating between flopping into the sea of balls like a humpback whale and throwing one above his head, jumping, and "spiking" it back down into its fellow colored friends. These spikes are usually accompanied with a loud shout that vary in intensity, but never in volume. He's gotta get in some practice somehow, right?

Sorry if you catch a ball to the face though.]

Peggy Carter | MCU:Captain America | Phase I

[pure_confidence]

[ She may have fought for Ceres in whatever battle had taken place for the colony but she certainly didn't have to agree with everything Julius Vincere did. And, for starters, she was exceedingly disgusted with the thought that any staff member should be a part of the entertainment. She certainly hoped that the men and women she had worked with had better taste then that. Of course, passions of the moment did tend to flare, especially after a victory, but at least consent was usually involved.

Turning a blind eye to some of those same men and women sneaking off to the backrooms, she turned when a waitstaff stopped with a tray of champagne glasses in hand and she quickly took one with a tight smile and a thank you. Taking a gulp, she turned and surveyed the room again, obviously ill at ease in the party and, after a moment, she glanced to the nearest person next to her. ]

It's a, um, lovely party isn't it--[ and that's when she saw her. Staring back at her from the screen behind her perfect stranger was a young woman, scared (obviously) and in pain. Disregarding propriety, she started to push past her perfect stranger when the girl suddenly disappeared leaving Peggy half pressed up against someone and suddenly with nowhere left to go. An awkward breath later, she suddenly stepped aside and cleared her throat. ]

Sorry, but did you happen to see a young girl over there? I usually wouldn't believe it, but it almost looked like she was trapped inside the screen.

[ Because while Peggy was still wrapping her mind around all the advanced technology here in Cerealia, she did know at least one thing. Getting trapped inside a video screen wasn't supposed to be possible. Not even in ViViD. Right? ]

[idealistic]

[ it'd be a lie to say that the ball pit didn't interest Lloyd. it was huge, it was colorful, and it wasn't anything he'd seen during his year and some of traveling the world(s)-- though it looks like something that could have been an attraction in Altamira's theme park, he muses. he couldn't resist getting a closer look at it even if he tried, so he'll just be stepping forward curiously, peeking over the edge while not paying attention to the homosexual samurai behind him...

the next thing he knows, he's falling face-first into the pit with a shout, arms and legs flailing as he tries (and repeatedly fails) to get his balance. balls are flying everywhere thanks to his "efforts"-- one of those flyaway balls might actually end up hitting Souji square on the forehead.

once he finally rights himself, he's going to shoot his assailant(?) the nastiest glare he could send while sitting in a pit full of colorful plastic balls. ]

Hey!! [ YOU SUMBITCH YOU GONN GET YOURS ]

Oona | OC | Phase 1 + bonus

[mermaiding]

[Phase I]

[She hates crowds. Why was she here? Too many humans walking around, bumping into her. She's not interested in their drinks or chatter, abruptly shoving a woman away when she reaches out to touch Oona's hair. She bares her teeth in a silent snarl and quickly stalks away to look out the windows and try to find a bit of peace.

The view outside is gorgeous, if alien to her. She missed the sea. Why was she even here again...? But the more she tries to remember, the more it seems to elude her until she's pressing a hand to her head and turning away. Her eyes catch a screen, the brief, terrified look of a woman, and Oona jumps in surprise. She turns quickly to the nearest person and asks in a demanding voice:] See that?

[Bonus]

[The fuck is this. Oona looks heavily skeptical of the ball pit she's sitting in--when did she get in here anyway?--and that fact it's more difficult than it should be to move or get out.

She looks at the brightly colored balls and then at the other gathered people, before picking on up and oh-so-casually chucking it at the nearest human-looking person.]

[mantheycalledjayne]

[Jayne was too busy lookin at the pale fizzy stuff in the glass in his hand, makin a face as he raised it 'n took a swallow. The expression that followed made it clear that it weren't exactly the sorta drink he'd been hopin for, 'n he put it down on the closest surface quick.

Then he focus'd, head turnin to the woman in her fancy dress. She was pretty, no man live coulda denied it, but there was somethin about her that made him hesitate. Not long, but hesitate all the same.]

Wha? Lady, I ain't see no goram girl.

[Well, not trapped in a whatsit... screen thing. But the lady with the cute dark hair was much more interestin, 'n tonight was his night off, he weren't gonna rescue no girl. It was probl'y the docs crazy-ass sister. He weren't getting stabbed again, no way.]

You had enough to drink? Or not enough? Lemme get you another.

leanne | resonance of fate | phase i

[regives]

[ Leanne was never someone who attended parties, let alone one that kept her so on edge with the crowd of unfamiliar faces. The man by the name of Julius Vincere speaks of a victory that she can't recall, and the thought alone has her searching for anything in the back of her head before that's swept away with the crowd once the lights had dimmed down. She feels a force against her back that has her stumbling forward, quickly regaining her balance before she even has the chance to accidentally bump into someone else.

There's a bothersome itch in the back of her head as her gaze travels around the room, eyes still adjusting to the lights as she attempts to look for a familiar head or two (preferably two). She moves among the crowd, not exactly sure where she's going before her eyes catches the woman on the screen in absolute pain. Immediately she jumps, her heart stops for a brief second in surprise before she can even register that she no has someone by the arm in her grasp. ]

Oh! [ She immediately lets go. ] I'm sorry! I...

[ She points up to the screen. ]

Did you see that? The girl on the screen, did you see her?

chikage kazama | hakuoki - Phase III & bonus mishmash, sort of...

[abovedogs]

He could hear something rustling through the pipes, its steps soft on the metal and swift. His gaze followed after it, and Kazama eyes light up slightly as finally something about this party was turning out to be a little... fun. He'd have left long ago, but there was something that urged him stay and something that urged him to wait.

And let's face it, Kazama is just lazy enough that even the noise pounding against his ears wasn't enough to get him to move from the wall he'd been decorating all night long. But this? This thing stalking through the shadows was and so he moved, following (again) with both sight and hearing the path the thing must be taking and regardless of who he runs over, who he bumps into, he follows it.

Until he opens up a door to follow a pipe through the wall and steps directly into the ball pit. Falling, he didn't even have time to blink before he crashed into the garishly bright sea of balls, spewing them in an avalanche around him. And then he sank.

RIP Kazama, we knew you well...

((ooc: catch him before the ball pit or after, doesn't matte! Will also match brackets if you prefer brackets. I honestly have no preference.))

[insitor]

[ Oh, what a pity... it seems as though someone might not be enjoying the party as much as they should. They can't have that. In fact, boss might get a little too creative with his disappointment if they have that.

A smile rests on his lips, ever friendly, ever welcoming, because he's just that nice. And his hand moves forward, a drink- nothing sketchy, it's a soda, the same as him, offered to her. ]

I only see a pretty girl who might have had a pretty long day. Not that I'd blame you. Saving the city is such hard work.

[ She's a pretty little thing isn't she. He does let his eyes wander, but they're back at her face as he takes a sip from his own drink. ]

Bumping into people, seeing girls on screen... the text can make some strange shapes, but I'm quite sure the only girl on it is the one praising our company, Missy.

[ Now why would he ever let a pretty face like that fall into worry? It's just not done. ]

[tuberculosis]

[as this is all happening, souji manages to keep his composure pretty well. maybe his past experiences of shoving certain acquaintances of his into rivers have made it easy for him to be nonchalant about it, or maybe it's just because the situation feels like it needs a bit of harmless mischief.

better to focus on that than some of the more strange and unsettling aspects of the current situation, especially when he's not quite sure what to make of... well, any of this. it's all unfamiliar to him, after all.]

Would you call it a push? Sorry, sorry. My hand must have slipped. [his words are accompanied by a chuckle, but it's hard to tell what it's direct at. her flailing from being thrown in, her reaction to the time limit, or her accusation? who knows, really. souji isn't about to go making it obvious, and it's equally difficult to decipher exactly what kind of tone his laughter is. either way? he's definitely being a bit antagonistic, even if it's with a bright smile.]

[tuberculosis]

[lloyd's gonna have to do better than that in an effort to make souji feel at all bothered by the reaction.]

Hmmm? [he hums out the question — curious and inquisitive, but yet lacking any sense of blame. the truth of the matter is that it's really difficult to keep a straight face while being angrily stared at by a guy in a ball pit.

never mind the fact that souji didn't even know what it was until just a little while earlier. but he's totally a serious samurai-type who cares about serious things! which obviously means that some pissy looking kid yelling at him while sitting in a pile of plastic, colored balls isn't exactly threatening him in the least. even with the balls that came flying at him in the aftermath of the shove, he doesn't seem all that fazed. (of course, half the fun is being that unsettling)

so souji folds his arms, an eyebrow quirking in amusement.]

Look at that! Even though you seem pretty angry, you're still alive. I guess there's no dangerous people-eating animals in there after all. How good to know. [not that anyone every even implied that there were. but who knows? seeing the kid's reaction could prove to be entertaining... which serves as a nice distraction from all the other weirdness about this party. and this place.]

[tuberculosis]

[trying to figure out the appeal of the ball pit... well, the two of them are definitely taking vastly different approaches to trying to figure this out. which probably wouldn't be a bad thing were it not for the fact that souji's method involves pissing off just about every single person who passes him by.

he can see what's fun about the ball pit — from the perspective of someone who watches other people go tumbling into it with arms and legs flailing wildly. that? well, that's pretty fun. as for what saitou's doing? well, it's definitely the most saitou-like approach to the situation, but souji has his doubts it's really going to accomplish much.

which is exactly why souji crouches on the ground outside of the ball pit to take matters into his own hands. he picks up a couple of stray balls in various colors, and then...]

Hajime-kuuuuuuun! [he calls out before tossing them one at a time, his aim set on knocking the red ball that managed to stay steady atop saitou's head.]

[unpresidential]

[awkward... well, awkward doesn't really begin to describe it. nam soon is grateful for the fact that this mysterious woman steps away quickly — she looks like she's about the same age as his homeroom teacher, which just makes this uncomfortable for him. he may look a bit older than he is to some with a keen eye, but he's still just 19.

it's an automatic instinct to bow his head as some sort of polite apology; he wants to make sure that she's okay as well, but her question manages to strike nam soon enough for that initial underlying concern to fall to the wayside.]

I saw her. [he says it simply, soft-spoken and as casually polite as his bow was. but the expression he initially had on his face — one that was a vague combination of being blank and surprised — faded into something a little more thoughtful. trapped inside the screen?] Don't know if she was trapped, though.

[it didn't make much sense to him. nam soon just thought it was supposed to be that way, that girl. it's unsettling, just like a lot seems to be about this place despite the atmosphere, but he's not sure if it strikes him as strange. wasn't it just supposed to be there? kind of like when they pop subliminal messages in videos.

...though maybe it was like that spooky, unsettling start to a horror flick. he'd probably have made that connection if he watched those more often, huh?]

[bloodtablets]

I think your whole arm slipped. That was definitely a push!

[She puffs up a little in the face of his finding this humorous, but she's a little more forgiving than she lets on. He was only trying to have fun too, right?]

Are you going to come in here too or is it only fun to push others in?

[regives]

[ Though she's hesitant, she accept the drink after giving both the beverage and the man before a quick gaze over. Mumbling a quick thanks before he's able to speak, in which she finds herself swallowing down a bigger drink of soda than she had originally intended. ]

A pretty girl? [ For a moment, it completely flies over her head before the comment acts like a boomerang and smacks her in the back of the head. ] Oh! You mean me? Uh, thank you... But I don't really think I can agree about that last part.

[ Because somehow the entire idea of saving this city felt so foreign to her. Especially since no sight of Zephyr or Vashyron made her only that much more skeptical. ]

I swear I saw something, though. It happened so fast, but I know it was a different person!

[occator]

[ A flicker of interest, but it's quickly replaced with a counter to the "professionally blank" expression of his subject - boredom. His eyes slip close, and his sigh comes off just a hair short of exasperation. ]

I see...

[ When they open, the boredom's gone, as though putting on a new face for CERES' honored guests. Stepping closer, he squats just before the glass separating them, resting a cheek on the palm of his hand. ]

Well, are you having fun? Most people your age would enjoy women and booze, you know.