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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Yeah! I was in a place kind of like this one except the Digital World has Digimon everywhere! Hey, you heard of that place before right?
Do you know about the Digital World?
[Please say yes, he doesn't want to be alone here!]
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He kind of gawks at the kid in thought; not once had he heard of that tower referenced as anything digital. His shoulders rise and fall in a shrug.]
Sounds like a video game.
[Just wait until TK meets his persona....they can be best friends yet.]
Don't tell me you've seen Tartarus before.
[Just because it's way too spoopy for someone this kid's age.]
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[He said as he pondered to himself. He was sure he never heard of Tartarus before throughout his months long adventure there!
Then again, he had other stuff to worry about when there were several evil Digimon coming to kill him and his friends!]
But you can think of it like a video game because it really is kind of cool! You get to see a lot of Digimon wandering around and help them out!
Wouldn’t you like to go there one day?
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Given his circumstances and all, it's kind of surreal to be having a casual conversation like this, questionable as the topic may be. At the same time, it's perfect. No need to get this kid (and his ferret???) all riled up (again). He offers a shrug, though. A place where you go exploring and acquire furry companion animals doesn't sound so bad to him.]
So someone just abandoned 'em all there and expects random people to take care of them?
[He's standing, subtly glancing here and there. He should probably take initiative -- physically, to get them the heck out of this swamp.]
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But as Patamon looked at Takeru, the boy just gave a nod]
Well, no, not really, I was made to take care of Takeru! So I just wanted a really really long time for him to come to the Digital World! Along with a bunch of my other friends from the Digital World!
So they can come and save our world!
[Although, as Patamon look around?] And I think we should probably save you too! You look like you could get sick in those clothes!
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He would probably not want to be friends.]
So uh, you got animals assigned to you and you had to help 'em out?
[That's actually weirdly cute, even if the entire thing started out weird. This has been an unpredictable process from the start, though. At least the weird talking guinea pig is providing an explanation for himself..!]
-- Huh, I ain't gonna get sick.
[Patamon's gonna make him all flustered at this rate?! What a twist.]
But if you know the way outta here, that'd be great, err...
[He focuses on the kid.]
What was it's name again?
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Well, I guess that's about right! Except that we only have one Digimon though. But I don't think I can complain, I like Patamon the way he is, I don't need another one!
[That and he really rather not have someone else take over Patamon's place. And you know, not having to die in front of him or anything. But that's besides the point!
As Patamon kept on giggling]
My name is Patamon, it's nice to meet you! And you know, you are going to with those clothes on! If it's wet, it's gonna make you sick!
But as much as would like to tell you the way out? I think we're gonna have to figure that out for ourselves because I don't know either!
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Don't have much of a choice right now.
[Because really; he wouldn't willingly wear this getup.]
Think you could fly up and uh...see what's ahead?
[It's weird, ordering other people's pets around, but those wings on his head -- those things are handy.]
We should avoid getting more lost. Even if it's not a way out, finding a cabin or something's better than being a sitting duck out here.
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[While Patamon was up looking for a place to stay, Takeru looked back at Shinjiro as he pondered to himself]
But even if we don't find a cabin nearby, we can always try to see if there's a cave around! Or that we can start a fire to make a camp!
Oniichan and Taichi-san said that if we can't find a place to stay, at least make a fire so everything's safe!
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We'll need dry firewood for a fire. Is your brother around here somewhere..?
[He'll assume the other dude's a friend. Addressing the issue of possibly-lost siblings who may also be young (and frightened, maybe) comes first.
When did he become the resident babysitter....]
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No, he isn't but that's okay. Even if he isn't, that just means I need to be twice as strong for him! He told me not to give up so I won't!
[Otherwise, he really doesn't know what other choice he has. When all of his other friends weren't here, he need to do twice the work now. But even then...]
But I think we should be able to find some firewood here! We just need to look for ones that aren't wet right?
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Just a quick assessment. Not to say he's the best at interpreting relationships.]
Yeah -- that's right. We won't be able to start anything if the firewood's wet.
[It's hard enough doing so with regular sticks and whatnot, factor in moss and mystery damp spots...
He steps to the side just a bit, may as well start gathering.]
Know how long you've been out here?
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[The boy asked before looking around for some dry wood around the area. So far, he managed to find some small sticks that looked dry. Although, he wasn't too sure. His older friends did do most of the work in the Digital World...]
Because if it's in Cerealia, then I've been here for about 3 months now. [Just like before, he did freeze up just a little from the topic. Knowing that he's been here for that long without any of his friends from home?
It did bring a small pout on his face]
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That's...
[A long-ass time to be without your family.][In a swift change of subject, as though he knows what Cerealia is. In the meantime, he's gathered a decent stack between his chest and forearm, and he's already moving to a reasonable spot to clear it of debris.
Never moving too far from the kid, though.]
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Which was why the boy just had to speak up]
Um...if you need any help, just let me know, Shinjiro-san! It seems like you got a lot of wood and it might make your arms tired!
[Because clearly he can’t do all the work here! Takeru had to do something to help out!!]
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Heh, don't worry about me, kid.
[Meant to be more amicable than condescending. He even chances a slight grin.]
It's all going right here. [As proof, he plops the wood down in disorderly fashion.] You wanna bring yours over too?
[They should also think about setting up some kinda rock circle around their combined bundles of fodder, but Shinjiro's more invested in trying to start a fire....]
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[He said before walking over toward the firewood and placing his own stack on top of one another. Although, once he did so, he just gave a small pout before looking back at the older boy]
Maybe we should start to make a fire? I heard from my brother that the best way to start one is to rub two sticks or rocks together. You want to try that?
[That and they were spoiled with having Agumon around. Ever need a campfire, totally need to worry about that! But now?
He got two firewood together and started rubbing them. Let's hope it works!]
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[But it can take an eternity and often result in blistered fingers, something like that. It's been a while since he had to start a fire from scratch. He won't stop the kid from trying, though.]
When you get tired, I'll give it a shot. In the meantime, I'm gonna make a barrier so we don't start a brushfire.
[Not that a ring of stones would keep the marsh safe from being engulfed by wildfire, but it's better than nothing. He's lingering nearby again, only stepping to the side to pick oval-shaped rocks from the swampy grass-moss.]
But don't overdo it. It's probably gonna take both of us a while before we see a spark.
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D-Don't worry, I won't! Just be careful though, there might be a lot of bad monsters out here!
[The more that he kept pushing himself, the more he could feel there might be blisters on his hand. Maybe he should have worn gloves his like his brother did.
But he didn't want to disappoint Shinjiro]
This...this is a lot harder than I thought…!
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Yeah, it's kinda a pain in the ass. [Probably shouldn't be cussing, but he's being honest.] You wanna switch jobs?
[He's only found a few stones, all of which he's ok with relinquishing.]
I'm sure you warmed 'em up enough. Whole thing's gonna take more than a few minutes.
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[But then again, he heard quite a few people cussing left and right here so he probably shouldn't have said something.
But then again, it was still a bad word! Once he gets go to the sticks, he winced before shaking his hands off from the pain]
You think so? It seems so much easier than it looks. I wonder how do campers do it all the time?
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Campers usually bring the right kinda crap with them if they don't have stuff like lighters or matches ahead of time. Besides that, it takes a lot of practice.
[He reaches over to rub those sticks together in TK's stead.]
So don't feel bad.
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Of course, there were a few red marks here and there but it wasn't anything he wasn't use to. But it still didn't mean that it didn't hurt!]
I guess not...but I wish I could do it though. [The joys of being a 7 year old kid]
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[If he had any ointment to offer, he'd do just that. The stinging sensation should fade eventually at least...]
At least you have an idea about how it works, huh. More than what most city kids know.
[The task is easily tiring though. His own hands are already starting to hurt, but he's not about to quit. They'll never make a spark at that rate.]
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[For better or for worse really. Although, he can't complain when he got to spend all those months with his brother and his friends too!
However, with Shinjiro attempting to make a fire, he had to wonder...]
But if we can't make a fire, that's okay too! The important thing is that we got a place to stay and I think right here is good enough!
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