DAY ???

[cascadingfailure]

[ Once upon a time, two heroes were having a very fun time in the city.

Okay, maybe it wasn't particularly fun. Maybe it was a normal time. Just two guys hanging out, doing whatever an ancient timeloop bound phantom thief and an ancient reincarnating demigod do in their spare time, you know?

But this day was unlike any other, because on this day said demigod finds himself consumed, and by consumed I mean there's a sudden swirl of wind around Eclipse, kicking up dust like a very small tornado. A very small starts to slowly peel away at his colour, pulling them away like yarn that dissolves into thin air. And at the same time, he begins to fade…

Mars, on the other hand, is completely fine! So that's nice. ]

Comments

[cascadingfailure]

[ Open the door, aaaaand...





You find yourself in what appears to be the waiting room of what appears to be a...normal business office? Complete with a reception desk and dangerously gaudy decorations.

Behind the desk is some variety of cute. So cute, it's incomprehensible. Enjoy your headache. ]

Hello! Welcome to the Fanservice Branch of #@!@$%. We've been expecting you!

[inspiteful]

[ ...Slow blink as Eclipse resists the urge to rub his temples. What is this, is that what happens when you encounter something your brain literally cannot understand. ]

H...ello?

[foolmetwice]

[oh god his head. Mars doesn't resist the urge to rub his temples, and he presses his palm against his forehead as he visibly flinches]

. . . caaaaaaan you repeat that? What the heck is #@!@$%--

[he probably mangles the pronunciation]

1/2

[cascadingfailure]

[ A voice comes from...the loudspeakers? }

-- ##########, you should have told this program they were here! You can't really interact with them!

[cascadingfailure]

[ and then,

a shitty fairy hologram materializes in front of them, blocking view of the front desk. ]

Welcome, welcome, welcome! This program is happy you could make it! Warden - we are very sorry for the inconvenience, but you really shouldn't interrupt important transferal processes! It's just not very smart, not very smart at all! This unit is sure you're very confused about what's going on, so if you'll just follow this unit we can fill you in and then get you sent back home. Of course, of course Spring Born Wind may follow as well!

[inspiteful]

I mean, I'm going to follow, but what is going to happen to me?

[foolmetwice]

[. . . FLIPS HER OFF!!]

Maybe you shouldn't transfer my unitmates at all if you don't want the process to be interrupted.

[still making sure he's standing between this mysterious unit and Eclipse like B(((( HE WILL FIGHT!!!]

If you're sending me home, I'm taking him with me.

[cascadingfailure]

Rude, rude, rude! Why does everyone blame this program for doing what it's written to do?

This program apologizes again for the inconvenience, but what you're asking isn't something this program is authorized or able to do. The functions this program runs do not include "change the fanbase's opinions".

[inspiteful]

[ Well, that says a lot. ]

...

[foolmetwice]

[immediately]

[takes]

[a step back, eyes flashing]

I don't give a shit about what the fanbase says.

We'll find our own way home.

[. . . and with that he grabs Eclipse's hand and just. fucking runs. WHERE IS HE RUNNING TO he doesn't know, past the weird program and further into the building, probably]

1/5

[cascadingfailure]

[ RUDE!!!

It manages to keep up though, by...rapidly re-materializing next to him as he moves, which leads to: ]

This program cannot reccomend -

[cascadingfailure]

- being very uncooperative -

[cascadingfailure]

- and really if you would just -

[cascadingfailure]

- automatic process will send you where you are wanted -

[cascadingfailure]

- please slow down! Slow down, slow down, slow down!

[ But at any rate, Mars just happens to take the two of them down a hallway that dead ends, with one door to the right at the very end. There's a sign above it, which is completely illegible in that weird dream way where the nonsense symbols change every time they're looked at. ]

[inspiteful]

[ WELP WE'RE RUNNING ALRIGHT. ]

-- Over there!

[ Eclipse gestures to the lone door at the end of the hallway. ]

[foolmetwice]

—! Right!

[absolutely ignoring the program as he wrenches the door open without even bothering to check the sign and just kind of. . . darts through it. this is probably not smart but HERE WE ARE]

[cascadingfailure]

[ well

you seem to have managed to duck into some sort of locker room? it may not be useful for, you know, getting back to Tokyo-F. But it sure is useful for avoiding programs! Thanks Hell Employee Privacy Laws!

At any rate, there's a mirror in here and some Imepro Volunteer Fan Outreach badges in a box, as well as unit coloured glowsticks and pamphlets.

At the far side, though - are several mannequins. Most of them are unclothed, except three - one with a WILD CITY uniform, one with a BAD END=DEAD END uniform, and the last with an AlcheME! uniform.

Incidentially, Eclipse's outfit has been steadily graying this whole time and his colour is now almost entirely drained. ]

[inspiteful]

[ Uh, ]

...If my clothes are gray now that's probably not a great thing, right?

1/2

[foolmetwice]

[NOPE]

[foolmetwice]

[unwinds the scarf from his neck and wraps it around Eclipse, like a memento from HSS of some kind will chase away the gray]

. . . it's fine, it's fine— do something Heart worthy. Give an inspirational speech?? Help me with something?

[he is trying not to panic as his gaze flickers across the room in search of something— anything— that might help]

[cascadingfailure]

[ there's nothing, no. the uniforms on the mannequins are the only spares there are, and everything else is just "free stuff you'd hand off to people at a con booth or concert" ]

[inspiteful]

The only inspiration I've got is the pessimistic kind.

[ But he does try to help Mars take a look around the room. ]

'Imepro Volunteer Fan Outreach'...

[foolmetwice]

I'll take pessimistic inspiration over no inspiration.

[mrrrrrgh. rakes a hand through his hair as he steps back]

The hell is this place. . . [a pause] . . . are they aligned with the Transgressors?

[inspiteful]

I thought he wasn't interested in us. Though I guess it doesn't stop his followers from being interested in the show, but...

...Besides, this doesn't seem to match the description I read about what might be his realm. It's too 'normal'.