//EVENT027.EXE

[reparator]

Who: Bachelors/Bachelorettes #1-60 and you!
When: IC: 6/7 ; OOC: 3/15
Where: CERES' new Dating Experience
What: There's no way to get to know each other quite like going on a date.
Rating/Warning: PG-13 for Questionable Situations and a healthy dose of violence. Please let the mods know if the rating needs to go up, or the log needs to be locked!

---

//event027.EXE

Love is in the air in Cerealia -- or, well, it is in ViViD anyway. And nobody cares about your lives outside of ViViD, so that's all that matters. It's an artificial love construct, but for you sad, lonely, little people, it's probably good enough, right? CERES is on a mission to find you your other half, your soulmate, your one and only, and this is how they've decided to do it -- through technology and abuse of your private information! Welcome to your new love life, courtesy of ViViD. For your convenience, CERES has automatically generated dating profiles to help match up the new arrivals swiftly and speed up the "get to know each other" process. Nothing like some not-entirely-agreed-to speed dating to break the ice and improve new relations! You're going to be here for awhile, so you may as well get to know each other. For the older residents, well... you may very well find your soulmate here! You don't want to miss out on that. That would just be an unfixable tragedy. So here, use the handy-dandy profiles and find your new honey. After all, the information on these profiles is 100% accurate, certified and verified by Mosley himself. Why would you ever doubt that? I've never actually been on a date before. Not that there haven't been offers but I'm just too busy a guy! I think to myself, "Mosley, me, guy who's talking to himself, why won't you go on a date with that nice lady who just asked you out?" And I reply, "Oh, you gorgeous bastard, I'm satisfied with my life as it is already! I don't need love." After all, what is love? Baby, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more.

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I [ 600 ] Gooooood morning, new ViViD compatriots and gamers! You’re not going to get a lot of time to adjust and recover from your sudden retrieval from destroyed and sad code, really, because as soon as you arrive, fresh and new to Cerealia, you’ll be faced with a profile. Oh, look, it’s your face! And… a quote attributed to you? And your favorite object? Hopefully those details are correct, because there’s no going back now. You’ve become an otome love interest. For those who aren’t brand new to ViViD, you’ll be presented the exact same profiles -- but you’ll have to pick one. You know how this works, pick the love interest you want to romance and sweep them off their feet. Better pick the right route too because, haha! You wouldn't want to end up naked and alone in a basement again! That would be crazy. Just pick some rando hottie instead, it's no big. Or, well, that’s what they say. But then you’re dumped into a ballroom, dressed up to the nines in finery, and surrounded by other milling NPCs. You're given a moment to process the whole situation before a genteel-looking older man who seems to be running this party steps up to the microphone. Gently, he clears his throat, and welcomes everyone to the party ("Haven't been to a party this fine since I had all my teeth!"), and then he gestures to a pile of weapons in the middle of the room and finishes cheerfully, “Anyway, whoever survives can leave this room -- enjoy!” It looks like the NPCs aren’t messing around; they’re immediately diving for the weapons, so you might want to get a move on. Welcome to the Cerealia Dating Hunger Games. PHASE II [ 1000 ] When you burst out of the ball room, possibly covered in the blood of your enemies (your poor dress/suit!), you’ll find yourself in what looks to be a sprawling jungle. In reality, it’s a circular arena, and if you travel far enough, you can reach the walls, though they’re electrified with no way out. If you try to get past them, you’re going to fry yourself before you accomplish anything else! Where's the fun in that? The bigger problem is this: there are some unfortunate monsters on the prowl (don't they... look a little familiar?) in the jungle, and they are ready and willing to eat up anyone who crosses their paths. They’re drawn to the scent of blood -- and, even more so, the scent of people in love. So hey, if you're in love right now, it might be a good time to run. Otherwise, you're the top target and about to be hunted. Have fun out there, lovebirds! Meanwhile, the NPCs (or even your fellow player characters?!) are out for blood themselves, so nowhere is truly safe. Was that... was that a scream for help, or someone coming to get you? PHASE III [ 1145 ] At some point, you’re going to need supplies. It starts to feel like you’ve been in here for days without any food or water (but that’s weird, wasn’t this ViViD session supposed to be just a few hours -- ) and you’re starting to feel the effects. So, time to get in touch with your inner man vs wild. There are animals to hunt (deer, rabbit, etc.) and if you can fashion a spear or use a weapon you scooped up in the chaos, you can kill them for food. Alternatively, you can just try stealing some supplies from your fellow players. That's probably a saner option. Which leaves you sneaking up onto their camp, full of sneakiness, and more sneakiness, and a little bit of stealth, you reach out and... Suddenly, there are lights on you! Cameras! Cheering, adoring crowds! There's a narrator narrating every step you're taking (loudly) and there are fans hanging on your every move -- Oh, did that wake up the other player and/or bring monsters roaring down upon you? Whoops. The perils of spectator sports like the Cerealia Hunger Games, really. PHASE IV [ 1400 ] You did it. Someone came at you, and you killed them. Their blood is on your hands, but it’s fine -- it’s just a program in a game. Right? Except when you look again, it’s someone you know. The corpse of a person who’s very important to you in so many ways is lying there on the ground, blood still warm but clearly dead. They’re solid to the touch. They’re there, and they look just like that person you care about so very much. Your heart hurts. And you’re the one who killed them. Then, without warning, it starts to rain because ViViD is nothing if not good at sensing the mood. PENALTY [ why o'clock ] So. You died. This isn't really that surprising, considering it's the Cerealia Dating Hunger Games. People die a lot in games like these. It's the price of love. Don't worry, though! It's just ViViD, so it's not like you really died. You'll get reconstructed, good as new, and they'll toss you right back onto the battlefield. Except, well... it seems like something's a little different. For one thing, you've got claws instead of hands. You can't seem to speak, either; all you can manage is garbled growls and sharp noises. And, worst of all... you're really, very intensely hungry, and you can smell blood (or people in love, that's an even better scent). So yeah, you're one of the monsters now. Don't worry, it only happens the first time you die in this game; if someone valiantly slays you again, you'll come back good as new, a normal person in the Games. What a weird glitch. There's no way that's on purpose or anything, right? No way! [ 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. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to Cerealia's March 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. Thank you!

Comments

OTA!

[basesteal]

Phase I
[ Kuramochi's staring at the profile with disbelief. Sure, he doesn't look great when he gets photos taken, it's always of him frowning or making a glare. But this??? Where the hell did they even get this picture of him in the first place? ] What the fuck is this?!

[ And then he finds himself dressed up. Double the what the fuck, this isn't something he'd even choose to wear! He freezes for a moment when he hears the announce go, and stares at the NPCs run for the weapons. So is it some kind of battle royale shit?

He clicks his tongue in frustration as he goes to grab a weapon for himself too; he's not going to get himself killed without having a clue of what's going on! ]

Phase II
[ Kuramochi feels like crap. Not only he's still barely understanding the situation other than that this is supposed to be some virtual game. He doesn't care one bit that the outfit he's wearing is covered in blood and some cuts here and there. He can be fast with his feet, but he's no long distance runner; he can't run at his top speed for miles!

He's out of breath as he has his back against a tree, trying to keep himself quiet as he hears someone nearby. He's hoping they'll go by without noticing him, he doesn't want to kill anymore than he needs to. ]

...Shit...

Wildcard
[ Or anything else! ]

phase i.

[unswerved]

[ yata may not need a weapon to fight, but sometimes, short-ranged battle can be a weakness. he grabs a weapon too.

except what he manages to grab hold of is kuramochi's hand. and he pulls away immediately. ]

Screw off. This is mine.

[ it's just a toilet wrench, you guys... ]

[basesteal]

[ kuramochi pulls away just around the same time, narrowing his eyes at the other guy reaching out for the same weapon.

in another situation maybe it'd be some shoujo manga scene ]

I was the one who got it first, asshole. Go find your own.

[ stop being so stubborn and find a more useful weapon jfc ]

[unswerved]

[ he makes a gesture to show that there's a shitton of other weapons lying on the floor. ]

Why don't you get those, then?

extends leg for phase ii

[pickoffs]

[ This? This sucks. There are essentially no words for how much this sucks, in the opinion of one Kazuya Miyuki. He's still holding up the polearm he'd literally tripped over earlier as he creeps between trees, trying not to attract any more monster (or NPC) attention than he sadly already has.

Someone should tell him the blood stains on his vest are a little distressing.

He turns a corner, looking around, and that - that's when he spots a really stupid, really familiar head of hair. Even in this lighting, he knows those spikes anywhere. ]

Kura-- [ Okay, no, he has to turn it down, running from monsters is not a good hey hello how are you. He lowers his voice, hurrying over. ] Kuramochi?

[ CERES had been pretty clear about the state of things, enough he'd found it a little hard to swallow. The idea he might not be by himself sits like a stone in his throat. ]

trips over ur leg

[basesteal]

[ Don't call his hair stupid, Stupid!

Kuramochi's nerves are still on high alert to try to protect himself. So despite the fact that someone actually called out his name, his first instinct is to try to move away from the possible attacker. But as soon as he takes a step back to swing the sword (not the toilet wrench that he was fighting over, thank god), he freezes in place, dumbfounded. ] ...Miyuki?

[ While he knew of the possibility that someone he knows might be in this place, he sure didn't think he'd run into someone so quick. And with so many shit going on already, relief is what he feels first before being annoyed that he just has to have the shittiest luck being stuck in this weird place with no one other than Seido's captain.

He relaxes his tensed body slightly, lowering his weapon. Can't be too relieved when there's monsters and others wandering around out for killing him. ]

What the fuck are you doing here?

real tag now... sits on you when you land

[pickoffs]

[ He doesn't miss the tension that almost has Kuramochi swinging at him, and fumbles the spear up in front of his face just in case. But it's aborted before he actually needs to worry about it, and his hands drop, spear still tight in his grip. His shoulders are still tense, and stay that way.

He rolls his eyes as he sidles close enough they can talk without alerting everyone in the area where they are. And maybe a little bit closer after that, because Kuramochi is here, and (at least for the moment) alive, and that's - that's great. ]

Same thing as you, I assume: trying not to get myself stabbed - which, thanks for not doing that, just now, by the way.

Phase II

[downburst]

[Never fear, Mochi. Raiden's wandering nearby, and while the monsters aren't being hostile toward him, sans any feelings of attachment (he's entirely too aggravated with this game), but their presence alone acts as a threat.

He's merely meandering along, considering various ways of bypassing the electric fence; Kuramochi's noted, if only because of the heat sensors he's got equipped in his brain.]

Hey.

[Standing just to the side of the kid's location.]

You doing alright?

[He's bloody, they both are, but it makes it difficult to gauge how badly injured the kid is.]

[basesteal]

[ Kuramochi tenses up for a moment--is this guy a robot? Android? Something? He's ready to try to protect himself even if it's close to no chance of surviving from the looks of the other guy, but when Raiden talks he blinks. ]

...Could be better. [ At least he's not fatally wounded... for now. ]

You know what's going on here?

[ Luckily, there doesn't seem to be any of the attackers around them at the moment. There's a yell heard in the distance, so it's not quite the time to have a conversation for an extended amount of time, though. ]

[downburst]

Not really, but I know we should keep moving.

[Which is an invitation. The distant scream is...telling, but it doesn't spur him to take off after it like some superhero.]

It's all part of some game, so even people who get hurt don't really get hurt. I used to do something similar to this for training.

[Not to tmi this perfect stranger, but hopefully there's some reassurance in that.]

It had nothing to do with dating, though. This is all psychological.

ii!

[hoasen]

[She's here, just taking a walk. This is what you get when you know this system of craziness is bullshit. Stay calm, and all will be well.

She hears a "shit" though and starts to creep around the tree. Whoever is there, is he hostile?]

[basesteal]

[ kuramochi will probably want to do that too, as soon as he gets used to this place.

meanwhile, everything is So Real for him that he's in a slight panic mode. so when he hears someone creeping around, he tightens his grip on his weapon, prepared to strike if whoever is getting closer is going to attack. ]

[hoasen]

[She will educate him on that! Well, if either of them comes out of this unscathed.

Vietnam is not sure how much more she should push him, since she still doesn't know if he's hostile or not. Likewise, he could be thinking the same. That, and she doesn't know what kind of arms he has one.

She'll risk it, knowing how ViViD works.]

You can come out, I am not going to attack. Victory in this game does not interest me.

ii

[yaayaa]

[Nakigitsune should be used to ViViD by now, and yet these crazy situations always manage to throw him off. Maybe it's his lack of experience? Yeah, maybe that's it.

Anyway, he's wandering the forest, keeping an eye out for any dangerous NPCs that might be around, when he hears a mysterious mystery voice. From oveeerrr in that direction over there? The fox in his shoulder lifts its head, calling out (quietly) to the stranger.]

Hello? Is someone over there?

[basesteal]

[ Shit, was he found out? Kuramochi ducks down in attempt to hide, and tries his best to keep his breathing leveled. Really, if he wasn't immediately thrown into the game, he'd probably be able to handle it better...

He keeps quiet, trying to pick up any sound of the other. ]

ii

[coastal]

[They had a similar idea.

Lili's not exactly a fighter - far from it, really - and so she needed to take some time to catch her breath. She's small and it's easy enough for her to hide amongst everything here, so she's on the other side of the tree when there's suddenly someone else there? Instead of.... y'know, doing the smart thing of just quietly getting away, she's startled enough that she just calls out in return.]

Wh-Who goes there...?!

[basesteal]

[ Kuramochi freezes at the voice; that's not something he was expecting and that causes his mind to have a mini force-reboot. There's a girl out there, and she sounds scared. This game's ruthless!

Kuramochi doesn't move from his spot, but decides to reply back in a hissing voice: ]

Don't talk so loud! Whoever that wants to kill us'll hear!

[ Never mind that by talking back, he's putting himself in danger too. ]

phase ii!

[damfool]

[ of course, when you don't want things to happen in ViVid, it happens. ]

Ack. [ Saburo stops in mid-step when he sees a boy leaning against a tree. He lets his guard down quickly though, since Kuramochi looks so miserable. He takes few steps towards him and asks with wide eyes. ]

Dude, you look bushed. [ Tentatively. ] Need a hand?

[basesteal]

[ Kuramochi jumps in surprise when he hears someone else's voice. He actually had lowered his guard to get some rest from the previous stage's craze. ]

D-dude, I thought you were one of the enemies... [ Don't scare him like that! ...Not that he'll ever admit he got scared, no. ]

phase i, bc all delinquents need to meet at the weapon pile???

[refate]

[ Well. This is maybe a little better than being at risk of getting stuck in a permanent loop of falling out of the sky, dying, and respawning to repeat everything all over again.

Kon has some questions about why the hell he's being reintroduced to the system - and about the missing month he appears to have - but survival comes first.

As he goes to take a weapon, he feels someone else pull on the other end of it. But unlike yata instead of fighting over it, he lifts his hand up off it. ]

All yours - we have enough fights ahead of us.

yes good

[basesteal]

[ Kuramochi's ready to give the punk attitude for getting yet another his weapon gets taken by someone, but when he receives the complete opposite response, he can't help but give a dumbfounded look as he takes the weapon for himself. ]

...You sure? [ He asks, despite the fact that he's already claimed it for himself by holding onto it. ]

ii!

[hairysituations]

[ actually, as it were, someone nearby actually means someone that climbed the tree he's now leaning against a little while ago, and is perched on one of the higher branches. and he's looking down with an eyebrow raised -- oh yeah, he's got a weapon, a crossbow -- but he's not pointing it downwards. that's probably a good sign, right?

hey, he's not gonna shoot a kid in cold blood. especially not when the poor sucker looks like he might be on the cusp of a stroke. a stroke might be merciful at this point, even. ]

Rough day?

[ understatement? purposefully so. ]

[basesteal]

[ Okay so even with a good observant eye, Kuramochi sure couldn't read that there would be someone hiding on top of a tree of all places. Well maybe he should have if he were more used to this place, but that's too much to ask for from a normal teenage kid who's never been in a virtual reality before. ]

Dude, what the fuck!!

[ Don't strike up a conversation like it's normal to talk to people while perched on a tree! ]

phase ii

[stagewright]

Um...hello?

[ Trucy definitely heard that. For her part, she looks a little messed up but has mostly made it out of the bloodbath in one piece, thanks to her CR and excellent escape artist skills. She squints into the trees, hesitating.

Oh, it's a guy. Who...doesn't look too murderous? Maybe? ]

Doooo you need some help?

[basesteal]

[ Kuramochi pauses; dammit, he slipped up with trying to keep quiet again! But at least it's not one of the monsters out there trying to kill them. ]

...I'm good. Just a little beat from running so much.