()||9BGM_Empty<黑屏1>0,10: ()||82<黑屏2>:...In one of the Griffin dorms... +...On a bed, under the blanket. ()||:Tap tap tap tap tap. MDR(0)MDR||BGM_Room:What? For real? This isn't a scam, is it? +Is the source credible? MDR(0)Private Message||:It's true, Kalina told me herself. ()||:Tap tap tap tap. MDR(0)MDR||:But I heard the previous organizer had no plans for a Halloween party this year? Even the one at the café... MDR(0)Private Message||:Springfield has no intention of organizing it, which is why I'm thinking about doing it myself. MDR(0)Private Message||:I'm recruiting some like-minded Dolls so that we can put our heads together. MDR(0)MDR||:Heh... ()||:Tap tap tap tap. MDR(0)MDR||:What exactly do you have in mind? MDR(0)Private Message||:Nothing specific yet, but I'll try my best to avoid causing mayhem like they did last year. MDR(0)MDR||:...In that case, I have just the idea. Wanna hear me out? ()||:Tap tap tap tap... ()||:MDR rapidly types in her reply. Just before she hits the "send" button, she licks her lips deviously. MDR(0)MDR||:Hehehehe... FIRE. ()||:MDR grins as she turns off her phone. She buries her face in the pillow and kicks her legs in excitement. MDR(0)MDR||<黑屏1>:Hohoho, I can't wait for Halloween. ()||BGM_Empty<黑屏2>89:...A few days later, in a warehouse at the Griffin base. MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Brain:The fearsome hemorrhagic fever spreads throughout the nation within a very short time... +To protect himself from this horrific plague, the king builds a massive wall and shuts the city gate. +The king, his friends, and his family take refuge in the depths of the fortress, but they can still hear the cries over the walls... +...And so they start trading stories – just like what we're doing now. That way, they can forget about the pleas for help coming from outside. ()||:Pairs of wide eyes are all focused on the story teller. +MDR pauses dramatically as she basks in the attention. SAT8(4)S.A.T.8||:...W-What happens then? TAC50(2)TAC-50||:Don't give her what she wants, S.A.T.8. MDR is waiting for us to react. BrenMK(2)Bren||:It doesn't matter what kind of ghost story it is. If ghosts or monsters appear, just fight them off. MDR(2)MDR||:The people in the castle don their masks and throw parties night after night. They take turns telling stories – funny ones, scary ones, astounding ones... +However, one night, when a story teller stands up after the end of the previous story, everyone can tell that something is amiss. +This person is draped in white cloth from head to toe. Among the lavishly dressed aristocrats, he sticks out like a rotten corpse wrapped in old bandages. MDR(2)MDR||:He looks exactly like... MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Empty:AAAAAAHHHH! Like that, behind you!! ()||:MDR points toward S.A.T.8, behind whom a hovering white phantom appears out of thin air. SAT8(4)S.A.T.8||:ACK! BrenMK(2)Bren||:This must be a trick... Watch me! ()||:S.A.T.8 jumps in fright, but Bren nonchalantly leans over and grabs the phantom. She takes hold of its fabric and flips it over. MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Danger:The king orders the others to capture this stranger who managed to slip into their sanctuary, but when the cloth wrappings are removed, nothing remains except for a pungent waft of crimson fog. +Soon, the people in the castle collapse one after the other, blood trickling out from every orifice of their faces... MDR(2)MDR||:Yes, it is Death! Death is upon us! Nobody shall be spared! Hahaha! ()||BGM_Empty:MDR finally gives into her urge to laugh as she guffaws at Bren for triggering the trap. She laughs so hard she blows out several candles. BrenMK(2)Bren||:...I don't find this funny at all. MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Room:True, if we were humans instead of Dolls, we'd all have contracted the Red Death and died, thanks to you. +But I really have you to thank for – for being such a cooperative audience and lending so much to the overall immersion. BrenMK(2)Bren||:Humph, whatever you say. TAC50(2)TAC-50||:I see... So you used a drone and a dye pack? That is an ingenious way of creating that immersive effect. MDR(2)MDR||:Sheesh! It's taboo to expose a magician's tricks! Even if you have it figured out, you shouldn't have ruined it so quickly! +More importantly, what do you think, S.A.T.8? I put a lot of effort into preparing for this, I'd love to hear some feedback from the organizer! SAT8(4)S.A.T.8||:Hold on, I-I'm still calibrating... My neural cloud is a little... +It...it's Bren's turn next, isn't it? Please get ready... ()||:Looking incredibly pale, S.A.T.8 gasps for air as she stares frightfully at the "phantom" fabric covered in red powder lying on the floor. MDR(2)MDR||:Hehehe... MDR(2)MDR||:(Just seeing the cute and cheerful S.A.T.8 looking so freaked out makes this a big success.) MDR(2)MDR||:(Not to mention that the whole thing was recorded by the drone. With a little editing, I can upload it onto Grifchan.) MDR(2)MDR||:(I doubt boring old Bren will have any fun story to tell. Then I should make use of the time to process the recording and make a new post on Grifchan...) SAT8(4)S.A.T.8||:MDR, I know exactly what you're planning. +You'd better not upload anything that happened today onto Grifchan! MDR(2)MDR||:Aw, c'mon! You were so funny, S.A.T.8! +Trust me, it would become the hottest thread of the day! BrenMK(2)Bren||:I suggest you don't do this. +If the Commander finds out about this, you probably won't have the chance to spam the forum for the rest of the week. SAT8(4)S.A.T.8||:Th-that's right! +Besides, we'd make trouble for Miss Kalina, who arranged this secret venue for us! MDR(2)MDR||:Tsk, but it's such a shame not being able to share this on Grifchan... +I've prepared so long for this day. ()||:MDR snaps her phone shut. MDR(2)MDR||:Humph... MDR(2)MDR||:(Fine, it won't be a live stream, but the drone will still record everything for me.) MDR(2)MDR||:(As for that bossy Commander...I already have a similarly equipped phantom trap drone waiting in ambush just outside the Commander's bedroom.) MDR(2)MDR||:(The Commander will spring the Red Death ghost trap just by opening the door, then I'll get the complete footage of the Commander's stupid face! Muahaha, Happy Halloween!) ()||BGM_Empty<闪屏>5<黑屏1>:But a flash of dazzling light overwhelms MDR's vision all of a sudden. She only recovers from the shock after a few seconds. MDR(2)MDR||89<黑屏2>:Huh? What was that? Has a fuse tripped? Or has the light tube blown? MDR(2)MDR||:...Hmm? Where is everybody? ()||:The little cubicle filled with Dolls dressed for Halloween trading ghost stories just a minute ago is now completely empty save for herself... MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Sneak:What's going on? Did everyone just decide to stand me up all of a sudden? Is this some kind of new flash mob practical joke? +Hold on... Let me think this through... +Hmm? Wait a minute, I'm a freaking idiot. The drone has been recording everything! Summon the witness! ()||:MDR smacks herself on the forehead as she figures out the simplest way to learn about the truth. +The video playback from the drone shows something that manages to leave even the seasoned netizen gaping in disbelief. MDR(2)MDR||:Replay at 1/8 speed. +Replay at 1/16 speed. +Replay frame by frame! MDR(2)MDR||:This looks like...some sort of flickering? +You guys... What's with this drop in frame rate? Huhhhh? Gone?! MDR(2)MDR||:...? What the hell? How's that possible? Everyone vanished into thin air just like that? MDR(2)MDR||:Is this some kind of time-traveling story? Then why am I not a part of it? Don't tell me it's because my case of 8th-Grade Syndrome isn't serious enough?! MDR(2)MDR||:Okay, this is unbelievable, but I should base my theory on facts... MDR(2)MDR||:But if I ask about this on Grifchan...people will probably think I'm trolling. MDR(2)MDR||:Oh well, just thinking about stupid stuff isn't gonna solve anything. I should head to the command center first. MDR(2)MDR||<黑屏1>:At least I'll be able to monitor the power and systems of the base from there. If they really got sucked into the electric cables, I might be able to find a way to get them back. ()||<黑屏2>8BGM_Empty:...At the Griffin command center. MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Hello:Phew, nobody here... +That's good, I don't have to waste my breath trying to explain this to the Commander. +Hold on, if I end up getting sucked in like the rest of them, won't it be game over? MDR(2)MDR||:Oh, right! I can start a live stream! If I get sucked in in the middle of that, someone is bound to notice. MDR(2)MDR||<黑屏1>:In that case... "Halloween Special! Live at the scene of the mysterious Griffin Doll disappearances!" Thread opened! +Now as everyone in the audience can see, the brave and resourceful yours truly has made it to the command center, ready to re-establish contact with my lost friends. +Huh? Come again? MDR has no friends, so this must be some kind of RP inside my head? +Damn, I didn't ask for this kind of roasting. When this is all over, I'm gonna find you and tear you to pieces! ()||<黑屏2>8:After turning on the main power, the lights on the walls and the control panels all come to life. ()||:MDR plugs her phone into the computer mainframe and starts searching for the missing Dolls' signals within the storage drives of the base. MDR(2)MDR||:Electronic Warfare Simulation Training Room...not that. +Underground Arcade...not that either. MDR(2)MDR||:Main Server Room...activated ten minutes ago? +Bingo! MDR(2)MDR||:Identify signal... Oh, it's TAC-50! +Hey, do you hear me~? TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:...Is that...MDR? MDR(2)MDR||:I got a reply! Can't believe this is working! Maybe I'm actually a genius! MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Where are you? Are you also trapped? MDR(2)MDR;TAC50(2)<通讯框>||:Nope, I'm completely free and well. +I think everyone, except for me, got transported to cyberspace where you get to be heroines. Honestly, I'm jealous. +As for how even your bodies were gone – that's totally a supernatural phenomenon. MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:What? You've got to be kidding me! Hurry up and put us back! MDR(2)MDR;TAC50(2)<通讯框>||:...What if I say no? MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Huh? MDR(2)MDR;TAC50(2)<通讯框>||BGM_Empty:Humph, to tell you the truth, this has been my plan all along – sending people that rub me the wrong way to a different world... +If the plot develops this way, what do you think? Is it frightening? MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||BGM_Room:...You jerk! People could actually be in danger! MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:This is no time to fool around! What's wrong with you?! MDR(2)MDR;TAC50(2)<通讯框>||:Hey, it's Halloween – Trick or Treat. +As the only one spared by this..."displacement", I gotta keep a cool head, you know. Or would you rather I start whining and screeching like you? MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Well... MDR(2)MDR;TAC50(2)<通讯框>||:Just calm down and stay where you are. We'll keep in touch. +I need to locate the others' signals first. MDR(2);TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Alright, you're the only one who can sort this out... Please find the others. ()||:...Beep. MDR(2)MDR||:Great, there's a good chance the rest of them are safe as well. +So long as they're still within the computer system, even just as data fragments, I can probably still integrate them with their neural cloud backup copies and re-install them into new bodies... ()||<闪屏>5:Suddenly, the light tubes above her head flicker twice. MDR(2)MDR||<黑屏1>:Huh? ()||<黑屏2>72:Then with a snap, everything goes dark. MDR(2)MDR||:No way, another tripped fuse?! This is bad, is their data stored on the hard disk or the cache? +If the power doesn't come back soon, there's gonna be big trouble... Backup power supply... Where's the backup...? +Guys on Grifchan! People watching the stream, a little help?! Can't you at least give me a hint about where the backup power supply is? It's a matter of life and death here! ()Comment Section||:There's a switch under the left drawer of the desk. ()||:Following the instruction given by her follower in the comments, MDR soon finds the switch and flicks it. ()||<震屏>:The moment she flicks the switch, she feels a heavy impact on the back of her head, then she crashes nose-first right onto the cold, hard floor. MDR(2)MDR||:Ugh. Ow, that hurt... What was that, some kind of prank...? +Is...is the power back...? Why is the command center still so dark? ()||BGM_Empty:As MDR lifts her head, she sees something utterly beyond her imagination... +In front of her stands a cloaked pumpkin monster wielding a rifle with a bayonet. It does not look friendly. FAMAS(2)???||BGM_Boss:... MDR(2)MDR||:Eeeeeeep!!! +S-s-s-s-stay away! Back off! I said, back off! FAMAS(2)???||:... ()||:MDR ducks underneath the desk shakily, but the pumpkin monster bends down and peers at the cowering MDR. MDR(2)MDR||:Uh...um...I-I'm a carnivore, 100%! +I-I haven't killed a single pumpkin ever since I came out of the factory...I think... MDR(2);FAMAS(2)???||:Is that you, MDR? MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:Y-y-you're mistaken! I don't know you, and you don't know me. MDR(2);FAMAS(2)Fr FAMAS||:I'm Fr FAMAS! MDR, snap out of it! MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||BGM_Empty:Huh...? +...Is that really you, Fr FAMAS? ()||:MDR crawls out from under the desk and studies Fr FAMAS from head to toe several times. MDR(2)MDR||:...You've always dressed like a rebel, but I totally didn't expect you to go so hardcore for Halloween. MDR(2);FAMAS(2)Fr FAMAS||:I don't know when...I think I've been wearing this ever since I came back from cyberspace. MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:...Cyberspace? Hmm, hold on, even you got sucked in? +Were you at the ghost story party as well? +Wait a minute... +Don't tell me... MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||<黑屏1>:I'm...also in cyberspace?? TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||<黑屏2>72BGM_Room:Can you hear me, MDR?! We all made it back safely! +Hmm? Where's MDR?? Has she left? MDR(2)MDR||:Huh? Hold on... TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Whatever, at least everyone is fine. +Right then, let's all go and get our neural cloud checked. MDR(2)MDR||:W-wait! TAC-50? TAC-50! Fr FAMAS and I are still in here, help! ()||:... MDR(2)MDR||:How... TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Let's just get out of here. MDR(2)MDR||:How did this happen...? In the end, I'm the one who... TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:...If the plot develops this way, what do you think? Is it frightening? MDR(2)MDR||BGM_Empty:What? TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||BGM_Hello:Actually, we did some investigation after we got back to the real world and realized that even you were trapped in cyberspace. +Fr FAMAS is there just to fetch you. It's our way of showing a little gratitude since you inadvertently helped us by giving us an opening to leave. +It's Halloween – Trick or Treat. MDR(2)MDR||:... +Tsk... +So, Fr FAMAS... You've known about this all along? MDR(2);FAMAS(2)Fr FAMAS||:S-sorry... MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:Then why are you wearing something so scary?! MDR(2);FAMAS(2)Fr FAMAS||:I just wanted to try being a different me... MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:What even...? What happened to you in cyberspace? MDR(2);FAMAS(2)Fr FAMAS||:It doesn't matter. Now, should we get out of here? MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:Sigh~ Fine, though it's missing some sense of closure calling it just like that. MDR(2)MDR;FAMAS(2)||:Still, this "Halloween Special! Live at the scene of the mysterious Griffin Doll disappearances!" has been a great success. TAC50(2)TAC-50<通讯框>||:Huh? What did you just say? MDR(2)MDR||<黑屏1>:N-nothing! ()||9<黑屏2><黑屏1>:With that, the little commotion on Halloween night comes to an end... +...Or so it should have. ()||82<黑屏2>:Just after midnight, on a bed in the Griffin dorms...under the blanket. MDR(0)MDR||:Aaaaargh!! What is this?! What the hell is this?! What the flipping hell is this?!!! ()||:Trending— +1. "Best Halloween Shot Public Vote! Congratulations to the clip 'MDR begging to be spared' for getting the most votes!" +2. "Halloween Special! Live at the scene of the mysterious Griffin Doll disappearances!" MDR(0)MDR||:How is that footage so clear?! It was even shot in 4K! I didn't see any cameras from that angle! MDR(0)Private Message||:Don't you know? The cyberspace that you got trapped in contained a program for generating video recordings. MDR(0)MDR||:Why is that even a thing?! What's it for?! +Dammit! I can't believe I lost this information war... +Still, you have no right to do that! You captured that humiliating moment and even stole my No.1 Trending Thread! MDR(0)Private Message||:This is payback for the special gift you left me at my bedroom door. MDR(0)MDR||:B-but I didn't stream that! +I was just planning to edit it a little and release the video along with S.A.T.8's... MDR(0)Private Message||:Oho, too bad. MDR(0)Private Message||:The network hasn't been very stable lately so I'm thinking about turning off the wifi at the base for a week to perform some maintenance. What do you think about that? MDR(0)MDR||:Please, anything but that... I'll die without the internet! MDR(0)Private Message||:Then let's have a deal. MDR(0)Private Message||:"From now on, I will not go overboard with my pranks or my jokes. I am so sorry." MDR(0)Private Message||:Read out this line and send me the audio recording. Do that, and I'll delete the post in 24 hours. MDR(0)MDR||:Uh...that's a hard promise to make... +Can't you give me some wriggle room? What if I send you some bikini selfies? Hmm? I've got quite a nice figure, you know? MDR(0)Private Message||:I think there's a need to install some wifi signal jammers on the base to prevent unnecessary network usage... MDR(0)MDR||:Ugh... From now on, I will not go overboard with my pranks or my jokes. I am so sorry. +...Ughhhhhhh... Send. MDR(0)Private Message||:Here's an additional condition – delete the videos of S.A.T.8 and me. MDR(0)Private Message||<黑屏1>:If you don't do that, I'll upload the audio recording you just sent me. MDR()||9<黑屏2>:Aghhhhhh! ...Humans are so damn evil...! TAC-50()||:The way I see it, one should never go overboard, whether in the virtual world or in reality. ()||<黑屏1>: