The doctor's office is hardly the funnest place in the world to be. Children crying, adults bickering in hushed, stressed tones, the receptionist looking incredibly bored...
Wait. How did you get here? Weren't you watching a powerpoint a second ago (or enjoying your time in your cozy apartment in Cerealia)? Well, now you're in ViViD, and in an attempt to concentrate on healthy living, CERES has released a new level: Health and You: A New Way to be Healthy. Sure, you could log out at any time if you're a ViViD pro and used to this whole experience, but now that you're here, why not sit back and enjoy it? Indulge in some easy level grinding or something. Besides, it'll take a little while for the game to let you log out without calling you a spineless quitter, and who wants that added to their ViViD rep?
So instead, take a look around the tiled hospital. Visit the receptionist and say hello (she ignores you, go back to your seat). Pick up a snack at the vending machine (except every single one only has these gross things in stock). Maybe you should just test the truth of that old idiom, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", especially with that weird doctor over there. Is he staring at you? He might be staring at you.
Seriously, go find an apple before he comes over here.
 Well,
well,
well...
isn't it time for your c h e c k - u p?
|
PHASE I [ 08 00 ] If you're a new arrival to this fine city, you will find yourself waking up in a bed after suffering through that unfortunate powerpoint. The sun streams through the window, the bed is uncomfortable but not terrible, and everything is quiet and idyllic... wait. Where are your clothes? You'll suddenly find yourself dressed only in a medical gown (yes, complete with back open) and you seem to be... in a hospital? That's new.
If you take a look at the medical chart attached to the bed, you’ll even find your chart, name on it and everything. That can’t be right, can it? You're the picture of health! You're welcome to wait around for the doctor to dispute these claims but no one's showing up anytime soon (aside from the possible roommate you might have, in the same situation as you). There’s nothing stopping you from leaving the room or looking around at least (except for the lack of clothes), but it’s all hospital as far as the eye can see. Try and be careful what rooms you poke your head into; there are some strange aliens getting their check-ups in there. They don't seem like they want to be bothered.
If you’re not a newcomer, and go into ViViD searching for riches and grand prizes (or just stumble in there by happenstance), the receptionist will stop you and hand you a stethoscope, lab coat, and name tag. Congratulations, you’re a doctor now, and you have free reign over the hospital. Go nuts. Or don’t, because there are still those aliens waiting for their check-ups. Now it’s your turn to get dragged away by a frazzled nurse to administrate a tentacle massage to a patient, as she's now on break! Have fun and don't get the hospital sued.
PHASE II [ 1000 ] Just don’t end up in the basement.
If you end up in the basement by some weird twist of fate (or via trapdoor, which could happen because let's be honest, this is ViViD), you’ll find yourself in a long, empty, blindingly white hallway. The floors are white, the walls are white, the ceiling and the flickering lights are white, and you have the odd feeling you're being followed.
If you turn to see who it is, you’ll find that it’s your younger self. They’re not solid. They’re not real. You can stick a hand through them, and it will go right through. But they are you, whether age 4 or age 14 or anywhere in between, and they’re covered in blood and holding an equally bloody knife. Quietly, as they follow you, they'll mumble, over and over and over again, “It was you, you did it, you killed them, you’re the murderer.”
And they will follow you until you get out of that blindingly white hallway, and away from those blindingly white lights, and if you tried to touch them, there will be blood on your hands. The younger you won't respond to anything you say, just following behind you like the frightening apparition they are. At least nothing else is stopping you from returning to the main hospital, no matter how surreal this experience might be. Just find the stairs.
PHASE III [ 1200 ] As soon as you’ve managed to escape the clutches of that frazzled nurse who still refuses to come back from break, you’ll find that the atmosphere has turned very dark indeed. There’s rain pounding against the windows, and as lightning flashes and thunder booms (it’s all ambiance, you see), there’s the tell-tale Mwahahahaha of an evil, mad doctor at work. What a sinister guy.
Turning a corner will lead you right to his very, very evil doctor's office. He's repurposed one for his sinister deeds and some nurses are looking very put out about it. There's someone attached to the medical table who might need some help and of course, it could be one of your friends that he’s snagged. You might want to help them before that very evil mad doctor tries to add an extra limb or two to your poor friend. Honestly, who needs three elbows?
Or maybe it’s you who’s been grabbed by him and attached to the medical table by strong, metal restraints. Hopefully someone follows the “Mad Scientist: This Way” signs all over the hospital and saves you because really, three elbows?
PHASE IV [ 1400 ] Of course, while the ambiance is still dark, grim and creepy, and the rain still beats upon the glass of the windows, there is a murder...because why wouldn't there be?
The director of the hospital has been found murdered, slumped in a seat in his office, hand in hand with his secretary. Oh no! You’re welcome to investigate the crime scene if you want, but it’s not a very good one; there aren’t any clues, and the director and his secretary actually seem to be alive if you prod them hard enough. They're a bit put out by your interruptions and might ask you to "go solve this somewhere else" the more you bother them. How rude of you to muck up their death scene.
But there’s a new quest for you, and it says this: Pursue Justice or Pursue the Truth?
If you choose to pursue Justice, you will find yourself dropped into a new ViViD level, this one a straight hospital hallway with no doors and alternate routes. Some posters line the hallway but most of the detail is lost in the dim light. Not far ahead of you, The Suspect can be seen running away. (Naturally, you can tell that they are The Suspect by their poorly scribbled out face and black silhouette.) If you should follow them all the way to the end of the hallway (and it is a long, long, long hallway), you can grab The Suspect. Of course, that's if you make it there without falling through any of the trapdoors, tripping over medical supplies or stumbling into less fortunate player characters. If you're successful, you’ll hear a jaunty tune and you’ll receive a bonus of 50,000 ViViD points. Congratulations! You may now log out and continue with your daily life.
If you choose to pursue the Truth, you will find yourself dropped into another ViViD level. This level is a maze; there are filing cabinets stuffed full of papers making up the walls (though the papers are all blank) and they seem oddly impossible to move. You will need to find your way through the maze while avoiding more trapdoors, more scattered medical supplies, the occasional angry cthulhu patient and the occasional player character who has been grabbed by the occasional angry cthulhu patient. Eventually you will be able to find the end of the maze and there you will find a scrap of paper with a clue on it, signed Bellona Recreare. You may now log out and continue with your daily life.
Strangely enough, you can’t seem to access that quest again once you’ve completed it once. Oh well.
BONUS [ xxxx ] There are plenty of sexy nurses wandering the hospital (yes, everywhere) and they know your shots aren’t up to date. Should they manage to catch you and jab you with one of their needles, you’ll have some of the following side effects:
➟ Unstoppable urge to hug the nearest person
➟ Unstoppable urge to kiss the nearest person
➟ Unstoppable urge to dance with the nearest person
➟ Hiccups that last for 20 minutes
➟ Uncontrollable laughter that lasts for 20 minutes
➟ Hallucinations that everyone around you is dead, which also lasts for 20 minutes
You may pick and choose which effects happen at which times or if there is a combination of them. Have fun!
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
Welcome to Cerealia's July intro log! For your convenience, we have compiled the characters' arrival experience here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here.
Regarding phase IV, should your characters tackle the alternate ViViD levels and make it all the way through, please PM the mod account to let us know if they picked Justice or the Truth, as that will have an overall impact on the game! You will also receive your plot clue at that time, should your character have gone down the Truth path. Please PM the mod account by July 29th with the decision your character has made; the thread does not have to be completed, that just will allow us to tally up the choices for August's event.
Thank you! |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
I assure you, I am Miyako Hotsuin and no one else. In fact, I may be the only authentic thing in this room. After all, a name tag can be easily falsified. "Hiccdowns" are a nonexistent medical condition. My chart looks like it was written by a child. And you, "Doctor" Arc...
[She smiles. It's not a pleasant one, and although her mouth is smiling, her eyes are very clearly not. Have your first experience of the patented Angry Hotsuin Glare of Contempt, Jaune.
alas, this is not the sexy patient scenario he was maybe hoping for]You will answer my questions and drop this ridiculous act. I have no patience for games right now. Do I make myself clear?
no subject
Luckily, he's still intimidated by her enough to respond. ]
B-But if we don't play along, we'll never finish this game! ... But wait, you... you're new here, right?
[ It's clear enough that Jaune has been here long enough to get used to these kinds of scenarios. Hell, if anything, this was one of the better ones to be stuck in. ... At least for him, anyway! ]
no subject
She will break him if he tries to cop a feel or look.]I am. It is precisely because I am new that I do not particularly care about playing along at the moment.
[Anyway, she's supposed to be asking the questions! That glare ain't going away anytime soon, although believe it or not, her opinion of has increased ever-so-slightly. She wasn't expecting him to notice details at all. Not after his dance performance with the door, at any rate.]
Why is it so important to finish the game? What happens if we simply leave early?
no subject
They called me vomit boy at school!
no subject
In other words, there are no negative repercussions for leaving that you know of.
[How much does he know, though? That's the question of the hour, and Miyako doesn't trust this guy to know what he's talking about.]
Very well. If we do play out this ridiculous scenario, what are the conditions for completion?
no subject
[ Jaune's been in this level long enough not to trust any medicine these aliens administer. No, he just likes playing doctor, and telling people that everything will be ok apparently. So when he opens the antibiotics lid, he empties the capsules inside a trash can. ]
...it looks like you already did! What a good patient, I should write this on your record.
[ wink wink??
Sadly, it didn't exactly take them out of the level yet. Damn. ]
no subject
Please do. In fact, it should be noted that my legs have been healed and are in perfect working order. On top of that, the hiccdowns are a misdiagnoses, and are therefore of no concern. That should address all the issues, yes?
[Is it working? Is stuff changing? It's not working at all, is it?]
no subject
[ awkward silence. ]
Maybe it's just lagging.
...
[ You know what, they might as well get to know each other as they wait for the metaphorical bus to take them home. Jaune takes off his lab coat and offers it to his patient. Cover your bum please, it's distracting!! ]
So... you said you have questions, huh?
no subject
Ah... Thank you. That is very kind of you.
[With the coat on, she is finally free to cross her arms again, which she does. She also goes back to be stern.]
I do have questions. Are levels such as this normal for these...ViViD games?
[She's mostly referring to the lack of clothes, but the general weirdness counts too]
no subject
So...
This is one of the fun ones.
[ He's such a wuss, if Miyako hasn't noticed yet. ]
--oh yeah, the name's Jaune! But you can keep calling me Doctor Arc if you'd like. It sounds way cooler...!
no subject
I am Miyako Hotsuin, Mr. Arc. A shame we could not meet under better circumstances, but could you tell me more about the glitch? [She doesn't care about stuff trying to kill her; she's used to that.] Was it due to interference in the programming of how ViViD is run?
no subject
[ As for her name, he already knew it from the medical chart, but it's good to one at least not everything was a lie on the paper. Speaking of lies, he has no clue if that's the reason why ViViD glitched those few times, but it's rare for someone to take him so seriously, therefore....... he just nods. ]
.......y-yeah. It was... programming! Can you believe it? Stupid programming, always just... glitching at things!
no subject
I admit that I am not used to such informalities. It is somewhat...awkward for me to address people so casually. If possible, could I address you as Mr. Jaune? As for the programming...
[Annnnd back to stern.]
Do we know who is responsible for overseeing the system? Considering that our lives and existence is at stake, this lack of concern is appalling, and I need to speak with whomever is the administrator of the system.
no subject
[ Totally forgets to address her other question for the time being. Sorting out this name shit is important, ok. ]
no subject
My state of near undress was due to a circumstance far beyond my control! Furthermore, it is precisely because of such an inappropriate atmosphere that it becomes even more important to maintain a proper sense of decorum!
[AND DON'T THINK SHE HASN'T NOTICED HIM AVOIDING THE QUESTION. But, y'know, addressing this is also important.]
no subject
[ Mid laughter, Jaune motions his arms like a certain Star Wars droid and accentuates his words. ]
"I am Miyako Hotsuin and I talk like a robot and say words like atmosphere and deco-something."
C'mon, lighten up, will ya?
no subject
I will not be mocked! I am already aware of my deficiencies when it comes to social interaction, and I do not need to "lighten up".
And do not think I have not noticed your attempt at changing the subject. I believe I asked you a question, Mr. Arc, and I will receive an answer. Now.
[She's in full boss lady mode now. Look at your life, Jaune. Look at your decisions.]
no subject
S-Sorry! It was just-- I didn't mean it like that! [ He does consider himself socially awkward, too... but her way of talking is just so hilarious for someone seemingly his age. ]
Ah.... your question from earlier, right? You might wanna contact Mr. Mosley for that. I can give you his details from my Cerevice as soon as we're outta here, but... he's... not very helpful........ at all. [ Jaune is kind of miffed at him for recent events, too. ]
no subject
Mr. Mosley... I will remember that name and hold you to that. [A polite, business like smile, but it does soften her expression a little.] Even if he isn't helpful, it will be good to have a point of reference.
Thank you for your assistance. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Now, seeing as how neither of us have appeared to progress in this game, shall we consider other measures?
no subject
...
You mean, like............ w-what do you mean?
no subject
You mentioned earlier that ViViD games often contained entities that wished to kill you. If that is the norm, then could that apply to this hospital as well? And if so, then would destroying the hostile entities serve to further our goals in leaving?
no subject
??? ]
...
If you think killing me will set you free, then please make it quick! I... I'm not gonna put up a fight.
[ That isn't what she said, Jaune??? ]
no subject
over his brain HOW DID THAT LEAP IN LOGIC WORK]H-how did you come to such a conclusion? While our interaction with one another have not been entirely positive, I do not wish to see you dead. Ideally, I would prefer for both of us to escape this scenario unharmed.
[Did...did he think she thinks he counts as a hostile entity? AND WHY IS HE SO WILLING TO DIE. WHAT IS THIS GUY. WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?]
no subject
Oh, Miyako, you do care about me! I agree, it would be ideal for us to stick together in this crazy world. With my wits and your powers of persuasion, we would be untouchable! I can see it now, Special Agent Arc and Miyako, the half-naked droid.
I mean, y'know, final titles pending.
[ ...that might be a joke. ]
no subject
I believe I asked you to not mock me, and that my state of undress was out of my control.
And do not take my concern about you to be personal. I care about all lives, as all lives are equal and valid. I would desire the same for anyone I met. [Sick...burn...?]
(no subject)