open up a beer and you say

[capforthat]

Who: bigbingoattack & capforthat
When: Backdated to 2/05(7/16)
Where: ViViD
What: This is not a date.
Rating/Warning: None, probably.

---

The grass underfoot is convincingly uneven, rippling as a cool breeze blows over the landscape. Floating platforms sway slightly, anchored by snarls of tangled roots and heavy rocks. In the distance is a huge wall, stretched dark over the landscape.

Level One

Player One: Online
Player Two: Online

Materializing into ViViD isn't as unpleasant as Bulma expected. She hops from one foot to the other experimentally, acclimatizing to having soft grass beneath her boots. It's a nice change from the artificial floor of the colony. She notices that half her vision is tinted green, numbers scrolling across in jagged yellow shapes. There's a distinctly familiar weight on her ear.

"What--a scouter?" The game must have used her memories to give the accouterments of her class form and function, she decides. "Well, at least it's something I know how to use."

Comments

[bigbingoattack]

[The familiar grunt from behind her was all the reply the Saiyan had to give, Vegeta stepping forward to stand at his wife's side, his mouth already flattened in annoyance.

Entering ViViD was not so strange an experience to him anymore--not when playing these stupid games was one of the few things he could stand to take up his time since entering Cerealia--and it should have been no surprise that the battle suit he wore normally was the same outfit he'd be brought in with.

Vegeta's arms fold over his chest, and while there was aggravation seeping into his tone, the woman at his side would no doubt be able to pick up the small cues that he was a little overeager to begin. It wasn't sparing with Kakarot, it could never reach that level of intensity, but at least the action was something.]

About time. [He turns his head to glance over to Bulma, dark gaze taking in the strange suit she's been put in.] I've been ready.

[capforthat]

Who's fault is that? [It's not her fault he was early! Bulma logic: technically accurate, always irritatingly in her favor.] Another minute isn't going to kill you, geez.

[Bulma rolls her eyes and returns to familiarizing herself with her inventory. She toys with the idea of taking her sweet time just to wind him up, but ultimately decides against it. Peevish comment aside, she's well aware that it isn't just his usual impatience talking. There isn't much here to challenge him, and she suspects he's been... well, bored might not be the most accurate word, but it will do.

Three color coded devices that remind her of extra large capsules are hooked into her belt: green for healing, blue for defense, red for attack. On her opposite hip is a futuristic looking pistol, covered in lines that glow absurdly. Definitely not a game that expects stealth, then.

...And then there's the outfit. After a bit of twisting to get a good look at herself, she decides it will do for now. Black and yellow wouldn't be her first choice, but it is doing some pretty amazing things for her figure, so... she puts one fist on her hip and points at the dark wall in the distance.]

Okay, let's go!

[As if they were politely waiting for her go-ahead, alien creatures with thin, gangling limbs and bulbous, flat-featured heads appear on the floating platforms.]

[bigbingoattack]

[Vegeta would just be ignoring that comment, swiveling his attention towards the alien threat ahead of them instead. The thin line of his mouth only pressed tighter as a single gloved hand was thrown up casually, aiming for the creatures but not quite firing for them just yet.

The Saiyan's head inclines slightly towards his wife, brows raised in an uncharacteristic display of earnest curiosity. Bulma Briefs is likely the only human alive to have ever seen any expression like this grace the prince's royal features, but it was one of the privileges of their closeness.]

This game is a bore. [He'd been through the levels before, frequently needing to stretch his legs and find something physical to entertainment himself with, but so far nothing had managed to keep the man's interest for long.] Tell me, Bulma, can you really reprogram this place to suit my needs?

[It's the lack of resources that makes him hesitate briefly, not lack of faith in her intelligence.]

[capforthat]

Wow, doubting me already? That was quick. [There's a lilting, teasing note in her voice and she quirks an eyebrow at him, what can only be described as a smug smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

Anybody else would've gotten an earful about her mighty intellect--heck, Vegeta would have had to suffer through it, too, if not for the fact that she's brimming with excitement at the prospect of finally doing something.

Other than making friends and trying unsuccessfully to learn about CERES, that is.] Watch and be amazed!

[...and then she looks like a crazy person, because she addresses empty air with apparent nonsense:] Run "b one test dot exe".

[There's an acknowledging chirrup from nowhere and everywhere--

--and those little green men Vegeta is aiming at? Fluffy bunnies. It's a simple edit, swapping one game asset for another, but Bulma beams like she's cracked the universe. If she can do this, she's confident she can do anything. Not that there was ever any question, as far as she's concerned.]

Give me a month and I can make this OS sit up and beg.

[Will it be pretty? Probably not. For all her vaunted talents she's no artist, but she can definitely cobble together something that will work from what's already in the system.]

[bigbingoattack]

[Their eyes catch and Vegeta shares a satisfied grin with his wife, right before the man is engulfed in golden light and those fluffy bunnies explode into pixelized tufts of white fur.

It's a small success in the grand scheme of their wretched stay so far in Cerealia, but it's exactly the splash of hope the pair have been needing, the jumpstart to kick them both into gear. As loathe as he would be to say it, it's what Vegeta himself really needed. Without a proper sparring partner and no gravity room to put his body to it's absolute limits, the Saiyan has felt like a caged animal with too much energy to burn, listlessness holding him down.

But this? This changed things.

Still grinning at his wife, Vegeta closed the distance between them with an almost playful advance, his gloved hands framing the curve of Bulma's hips in that ridiculous outfit before the woman was tossed all too casually over his shoulder.]

Let's get this over with then.

[capforthat]

Hey! Put me down, you jerk! [Amazing how unconvincing Bulma's irritation becomes when it's broken up by delighted laughter. She isn't even going to ask what brought this on--she's just going to enjoy it while it lasts. She plants her hands on his broad back and makes a token attempt at squirming free, knowing full well that unless he wants to set her back on her feet she might as well resign herself to being carted around like a sack of flour.

Unflattering comparison. Like a beautiful maiden being carried away to the lair of her darkly handsome captor. Better.

She gives up with an exaggerated huff, folding her arms.] Ugh, you're the worst, Vegeta. I hope you know where we're going.

[... she could pull up a map, but that's no fun.]

[bigbingoattack]

[That grunt of affirmation was all the reassurance Bulma would have before Vegeta was off, zipping forward in a blinding flash of gold.

Between the overpowered Super Saiyan and his super genius wife, the game clearly stood no chance. Even without Bulma's ability to access the game's inner workings and manipulate the level design, Vegeta could still effortlessly surpass each obstacle that loomed ahead of them, pausing only briefly at some of the more complicated puzzles, his brow furrowing in growing irritation.

Thankfully for him, Bulma was easily able to solve each problem ahead of them before his infamous temper roared to life.

But beyond that, everything was just too simple for the pair and their combined strengths.

It was no surprise when the final boss finally loomed ahead of them, pixelated and angry, Vegeta pausing only to shoot a nonchalant glance to his wife. His look said it all:

Is he allowed to absolutely obliterate this thing or not?]

[capforthat]

[Maybe this ViViD thing isn't all bad. She's actually starting to have fun, now that she knows what to expect from it.

...mostly. The sheer size of the boss is a surprise. Perhaps more surprising still is its form, incongruous against the highly detailed landscape. And... why is it holding a gigantic barrel over its head? Bulma cuts a glance toward Vegeta, wondering if he's noticed and taken offence.

From the nonchalance in the look he shoots her, she guesses he's either seen it before or doesn't care.]

Hold up golden boy. I've got plenty of data on how this thing handles a Super Saiyan. I still need to establish a baseline, unless you're planning on working out powered up all the time. [She cocks a challenging eyebrow and grins widely, hands on her hips.] So what do you think, can you handle that thing without the frosted tips?