The thing about Cerealia is, there really isn't any nature to be found here. Sure, you can go outside the walls of the city and explore the land beyond but who wants to risk a terrible, horrible death just to sniff the flowers? Not you, that's who! CERES understands that, CERES sympathizes, and sometimes CERES decides to take action when such problems arise. As part of the company's current "Healthier and Happier YOU" initiative, they've decided to let everyone get back in touch with nature a little.
Via ViViD.
Of course, this being CERES, the nature they've sent everyone to is more of a swamp. The place is disgusting, a real marvel of ViViD ingenuity and it smells like the dead. There's strange rustling among the leaves from creatures that may or may not want to eat you, and random pits that open up right under your feet with the goal of sending you straight into the marsh. It's not really that fun. There's no welcome sign either, no nothing except for swamplands as far as the eye can see.
Welcome to ViViD!  This is Mosley. One of our programmers forgot to include a welcome greeting for the level this time. How incompetent can you get? He's been fired now, it's fine. Instead, I will greet you today. Lucky you! You've been invited today to participate in CERES's "Healthier and Happier YOU" level where we've combined both physical exercise and relaxing meditation into the ultimate ViViD experience. Isn't that fun? You can... go camping and stuff. Or whatever. I don't... know...
Honestly, I don't even care. Have fun.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] Welcome to your new healthy living training ground! What does a swamp have to do with healthy living, you may ask? Absolutely nothing! To make up for it, CERES has outfitted all players with the proper equipment for their new healthy living lifestyle. They also may or may not have let you keep your shoes based on how benevolent the ViViD gods were being at the time. (Not very.)
Oh, and all newcomers will have something additional on their fancy new yoga shirt. It will be displayed loudly and proudly all over the front and back of it. And if you're one of the few not wearing a shirt, it will be on the back of your pants. As in, your butt. It will be on your butt.
What’s ViViD trying to say, anyway?
Regardless, it probably doesn’t matter as much as finding your way through the swamp. Some sort of dry land would be really nice right now, wouldn't it? You'll have to watch out for the mud that will suck you right down under the marsh, and the creatures with lots of teeth that will never surface from the mud but won't hesitate to snap up an unwary foot or two.
CERES is sure you'll be fine. Totally and completely fine.
PHASE II [ 800 ] Eventually, if you try really, really hard, you’ll make it to a house. Actually, it’s more of a shack, really. If you clamber your way out of the mud and the gunk and the marsh into said shack, you will find it to be empty aside from a table. A table hosting a huge pile of... well, health drinks. See, there's totally a health theme in this level. CERES would never make a ViViD level that wasn't thematically appropriate. Never! Health drinks of all sorts and types and sizes can be found here and there’s even a sign too; it simply says:
Take one.
Well, that seems safe.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to leave said shack until you do take one. And drink it. The door will lock shut and cover itself in more swamp until you do. Yay. Depending on your luck, the drink may do the following to you: ➟ Cause your ViViD experience to glitch. This may involve phasing through walls, seeing everything in 8-bit, or hearing really annoying old video game music everywhere you go.
➟ Cause status effects. This can include suddenly moving incredibly slowly, being turned to stone for a period of time, suddenly being on fire, suddenly being poisoned, etc etc.
➟ Be healthier. Mmm, kale and hummus smoothie. Taste those veggies. If you try to take more than one, that’s fine too, nobody will stop you, but you probably won’t get lucky more than once.
PHASE III [ 900 ] And back you go, out into the swampy wilderness. Don’t give up! Keep going! Eventually, you’ll find the end of this level. Probably.
Eventually, though, you may stumble across something in the mud and the muck. It’s... a little doll?
In fact, it’s a little doll of one of your most important people (or, alternatively, of someone you absolutely hate). It might be someone in Cerealia currently, or someone who isn’t, but either way, the doll is there and it’s clearly them (covered in mud and all). Be careful, though. If you toss it aside, you’ll suddenly see that important person being tossed aside. If you cut the doll, you'll suddenly see that person bleeding. Even if they aren’t present in Cerealia, whatever happens to that doll, you'll see it happening to them. Is it a hallucination or are they actually there? That's a little more up in the air.
And if they are present in Cerealia, well... doing things to that doll might very well hurt them too -- for real, this time, though.
Be careful! Or don't. You do you, as CERES would say.
PHASE IV [ 1200 ] And then, eventually you reach a quiet, swampy area. Not that the rest of the swamp isn't swampy, this area is just extra swampy.
There’s very little happening here in this swampy place; even the birds are no longer squawking. And for a long moment, everything will remain quiet and peaceful, a place of reprieve... until the swamp begins to bubble. Then suddenly, a new friend will burst out of the swamp, showering mud and gunk everywhere.
Without warning, that creature is going to try to grab for the nearest person (it might be you!) and let out a mighty roar when they have them. Then, they'll hold them up to... read the nutrition facts on their shirt? What?
Of course, it will try to gobble you or whoever else it grabs if it finds, say, the salt content to be acceptable (the monster is watching their carbs). If it's not, then they'll just fling you away and move onto the next snack. For those without a handy nutrition facts label on your shirt, well, it might just take a gamble and try to eat you anyway.
Great. A health-conscious monster. That's just what this level needed.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Finally, you’re free of the game. Without warning, you’re dumped into Cerealia properly and you’re able to scrub the mud and gunk from your clothing (wait why did that come back with you and where are your normal clothes?). You're able to then make your way to your new place of residence (or old) and...
There is a tiny tree there waiting for you. Isn’t it cute? And if you take care of this tiny tree, it will eventually bear fruit! Tiny fruit. Itty bitty fruit.
Depending on which tiny tree you get, it will be one of the following: a tiny dildo tree, a tiny bacon tree, a tiny kazoo tree, a tiny carolina reaper tree, or a (dumb) tiny hats tree.
Everything will, naturally, be tiny. Enjoy your new healthy CERES gift!
[ 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. ] |
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[THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE WAS ANTICIPATING. So she's yelping in surprise as she covers her mouth, trying to obscure her fright for a moment before she's rushing over to him. NEVERMIND THE DRINK.]
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...!!
[This is all her fault, isn't it?]
Are you okay? Can you still feel your feet? Maybe there's an antidote!
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That in itself is enough for him to calm down, even if his heart is racing, even if he hears his pulse race by his ears. ]
I'm— it's just my feet, it's... [ He tries to organize his thoughts, but even he knows he's babbling. ] ...it's fine, it's just my feet. It's because you told me to just take a sip, so thank you—
[ 'please don't feel badly', he wants to say, but he's also still mildly panicking. ]
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But Lili's still guilty. The concern in her eyes isn't going anywhere as she looks him over and then around the little hut - maybe she can find something to help? What if he drinks a different one? Oh, but what if that makes it worse? She can't drink something now because she's not affected by the same ailment....]
D-Don't thank me! Are you an idiot? You wouldn't have had to deal with this anyway if it wasn't....
[If it wasn't for her.
And the tears are prickling at her eyes but she's going to hustle about to look for an answer because if she has the strength to cry, she has the strength to do something useful.]
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[ Another weak laugh here, as he tugs at his useless feet to try to assuage her, or to move, or to do anything, really. If she's trying so hard, he has to do the same, shouldn't he?
But after a second to think: ]
...it's better this way, because otherwise, this would have happened to you, right? Aha... I would have been even more shocked if I found you this way.
[1/2]
... Hey... what are you saying?
[She goes completely still - aside from her hands which tremble. She's not sure whether it's from anger or anxiousness. What if he doesn't get to go back to normal? What if this is entirely her fault? What if...
What if he says he's weak and an idiot one more time?]
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So what if you're like that?!
I don't want to hear those words from someone who - who did something for me and ended up like this because of it! It's not better this way...! You're suffering and you didn't deserve it!!
[And she acknowledges it and the tears spill over, even as she sniffs. But despite that, she maintains her ferocity.]
Get mad at me.... Yell or something!
Don't give up so easily!
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Someone is crying... for him. For him, who's always been told that they're a nuisance simply for breathing, for someone who's always been a burden, someone useless, someone to be spurned.
It hurts, but he's grateful: his heart swells three, four sizes, and a hand moves to cling at his shirt over his chest, because this is the first time anyone's done something like this for him. ]
Ah... please don't cry. [ That's all he can say, first and foremost. ] It's fine... I'm not suffering.
[ He shakes his head, before lifting it to meet her gaze. It's the least he can do, for her straightforwardness and strength— it would be a disservice to shrink away from that. ]
I haven't given up. And I won't, because you got angry for someone like me.
So... I won't let you down. I promise, and we'll get out of here together.
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But.... But she can't stand it - to be told that he considers himself an idiot or weak. Someone who's weak wouldn't drink something that he's unsure about just because someone else told him to, because he thought that he owed that person a favor. It hurts her heart. She wants to tell him that that was strength. That he's already stronger than her.
The words won't come out of her mouth though. She curses her stupid pride.
Why does she never know what to say?
Why... is he reassuring her? She sniffs and clenches her hands into fists at her sides, keeping his gaze even as the tear trails stain her face.]
Sh... Shut up, I'm not--
[She is though. She's crying because this was her fault. Someone she doesn't even know - someone kind - got in this mess because of her.]
.... Just.... don't call yourself an idiot or weak again!
I won't stand for it! I hate liars....!
1/2
It's nice— reminiscent of the same brand of kindness that someone he knows employs, someone who similarly didn't forsake him when push came to shove.
One hand curls outwards to reach for her, but it shrinks away when he sees her hands balling into fists. Look at her, standing on her own two feet like this: it's admirable, if anything else. ]
I'll...definitely keep that in mind. But I'm not...
[ 'Lying', he means to say, but. He reconsiders. ]
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...My name is Atsushi. Atsushi Nakajima.
[ That's better, he thinks. He's never been fond of introducing himself, but he feels like this is as good a time as any. ]
Will you give me your name, too...?
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But she's tired of the remains of tears on her face - she reaches up to wipe at them with her sleeve, taking it as a chance to obscure her face too. How embarrassing, crying in front of a stranger like that! Her response is just a weak mumble:]
... Lili. [one last sniff] Lili An.
[Her name is the very least that she can give him.]
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[ It's stated simply, with no amount of irony or malice: it's naivete on his part, but he really can't be convinced that Lili isn't a good person, not anymore.
His expression lifts a little more when she wipes her eyes, and he steadies his racing heart so he can at least attempt to be more useful. ]
First and foremost... maybe you can check the door to see if it's open? That would mean that at least one of us can leave.
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No!
If you're implying that I'm supposed to just leave you behind, I won't...!!
[DENIED.]
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[ Back to being a bit of a bumbling mess, good job, Atsushi. He gestures with his hands to make up for the lack of movement from his feet, but—
—he can feel his toes now, vaguely? Which leads him to believe, maybe, that this is quite temporary. ]
I didn't mean to imply that you're heartless, at any rate! You're very kind...
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And then he calls her kind. He calls her kind and despite the distress of the moment, she's immediately embarrassed and confused. Her face lights up, all reddened, and she isn't sure what to say for a moment.]
Wh-What....?!
[WHO ARE YOU.....]
D-Don't make assumptions about someone you don't even know...!!
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It's contagious?! He blushes too, why this... ]
Ah... but you just told me not to lie, so I didn't say anything untrue...?!
[ ????????? ]
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How do you know whether it's true or not.... You've just barely met me! You can't just place your blind trust in everyone that you meet, you know....!
[nevermind that she was def crying over him maybe five minutes earlier
Lili would like to forget that.]
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(What are tsuns... he doesn't know.) ]
Well... if you wanted to hurt me, you would have done that a long time ago, right? I can't move, after all.
[ He says this so simply, because of course that would be the case. It's happened to him more times than he cares to think about, being ambushed and the like. ]
And, despite all of this, you're still here... isn't that kind?
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(How lame.)]
I just have my pride, that's all! I'm not cruel - but that doesn't automatically make me kind....! Just -- keep your opinion to yourself. It's not like I care what you think of me!
[except she does]
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[ Lili, too fierce. His shoulders rise to his ears, as they're prone to doing when he gets scolded (even if he has no idea why he's being yelled at, in this case).
Again, though— he tests his feet, and he's heartened when they shuffle over the floor. ]
Ah... wait, Lili-san, I think—!
[ He tries to shift to emphasize his following point, 'I think I'm starting to be able to move again', but.
Stone feet aren't good for precision, and he winds up teetering, teetering, teetering...
...until he falls flat on his face. Good job, tigerboy. ]
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That said, she looks excited when he seems to start shuffling forward -- apparently there's still some hope for this!!
. . . though.
That thought is short-lived as he's suddenly face flat on the floor. She's quick to scramble over to him though.]
Why did you do that...?! Don't move if you'll just hurt yourself more!
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[ Pulling himself up on his elbows, here. He seems very convinced by what he's saying, though, and even laughs to make up for his stupid blunder that got him here!! On the floor! ]
But it looks like this isn't going to last forever...! I'm sorry to have made you worry.
[ His knees draw up, and he lifts a leg to stamp his stone feet on the floor. ] I always seem to get off on the wrong foot with you, but... haha, I'm glad this wasn't a complete disaster...?
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But even then, she'll maintain her pride okay!!]
You.... You're really laughing at a time like this? [Honestly! She doesn't get it! How does someone like him exist?] You're too carefree....!
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But in all honesty, this wasn't so bad for him. It beats the orphanage, having his ribs broken with hard shoes and only a callous word in return: "this is nothing compared to what your own parents did to you before they abandoned you."
He might be carefree, yes— comparatively. ]
W-well, it would have been better if it didn't happen, but. As I said— it's better than what could have been. But I guess I was pretty useless, huh... I promise I'll treat you to something, once we get out of here...?
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Normally she's the one treating others - mostly to make up for her own weakness and inability to do anything else. So instead she would opt for providing items and possessions and money.... so having it offered in return manages to confuse her a little bit.]
What...? Why?
1/2
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