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.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] 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. ] |
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My suggestion is that you'll have to suffer being my date for the day. [ Breezily, without any shame or reservation. ] That would keep you from getting killed, and give me an excuse to get out of here. No?
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It does make sense, though.]
Alright, I suppose that is simple plan and proposition. But just for today!
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[ Promising that this stint is temporary, while also being embarrassing by offering an arm he's sure she won't take. Listen, he might as well go through this thing in good humor. ]
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[Who do you think she is!!! If she said she's going to go through with it, she will.
...she's taking the arm.]
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In that case. ]
Then you'll just have to pardon my 'uncouthness', senhorita.
[ He rolls the Brazilian Portuguese between his teeth, flashing a brief smile before
unwinding the cybernetic arm from her normal one and
picking her up and tucking her against his waist, like a sack of potatoes. ]
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And it seems like her date is uncouth?!]
E-excuse me?!
[What is this?! She's trying not to be too surprised, but no, she is. She is now a sack of potatoes and he's way too close. What was he doing?]
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[ He bounces her against his hip once, to emphasize his point, before barreling right into an enemy and taking his weapon from him. It's just a normal staff, but it'll have to do. ]
Now, it's going to get bumpy. Say the word, and I'll slow down.
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[She says this so casually while being dragged around. Clearly she doesn't fear any bumpy rides.]
You can go as fast as you like. Discomfort is not an issue when lives are at stake. I am not a very picky date.
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Don't bite your tongue, now.
[ She didn't complain when he offered her his arm, didn't complain when he picked her up, and now this... it's a little concerning, actually?? Is she really ok with all of this?
Note to self: try not to tease this girl too much.
A moment of consideration later, and he turns Vietnam over in his arm so that she's sitting on the crook of it (sorry if it's uncomfortable, the metal of his cybernetic limb), hefts her so he won't jostle her too much, before whirling on a group of his enemies. He takes one down with the flat of his staff, then turns on his heels and swipes at the legs of another: clearly he's skilled at this. ]
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Once her position is fixed, she does try to make herself look as small as possible, and hold on like her life depends on it?! Also wondering if he's another one of those cyborgs. Add another into the list that come here.]
This is rather impressive!
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But alright, once Sam fights his way across the room and heads out the door into the jungle, he finally feels comfortable enough to set Vietnam down. She's tiny, so that helped. ]
Just another Tuesday.
[ Not even humblebragging, at this point. ]
Where to now, date?
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Once back on her feet, she brushes her clothes down to straighten them.] So you fight quite often?
[She looks out.] I suppose we can explore to find a way to beat this level.
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[ 'VR' being 'Virtual Reality', of course. Thankfully, he doesn't seem too fazed, albeit somewhat subdued by the daunting realization of his own continuing existence. Pretty meta, huh.
He brushes that off, for now. No use thinking about it. ]
As for fighting... [ A laugh, and a knowing smile. ] Often enough.
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[Somehow she's not surprised that someone who managed to destroy a whole bunch of enemies considered it like this.]
I think your skills will come in handy then. Are you used to this kind of environment? [She gestures towards this lush(?!) looking jungle here.]
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[ Or human, or whatever— he knows what the endgoal for fighting is, and he's not about to take it lightly.
So, yeah!!! She should have confidence in him, at the very least. He's gotten out of tighter situations, usually with his limbs intact (ha ha).
Wolf is also catching up with them, being that he was left behind for a bit. ]
As for this jungle, well. I don't mind the warm. [ A little chuckle, and he swats a bit of dirt off of Vietnam's shoulder. ] Let's say you and I take a little stroll on our date, hm?
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[What the heck happened in his world? This she also wants to know, out of curiosity. But it's not the time.
She'll have confidence in him! JUST KEEP YOUR LIMBS. At least hers will grow?!
And hi wolfy!!!]
O-oh! Thank you. [As she looks at what he just did. Now she is dirt free.] If you do not mind the weather, then we will be fine. Let us continue, yes.
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I will scout ahead.
[ Bye Wolfy... Sam watches him go with what might be fondness. ]
Let's go, then. Keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, eh?
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[She had to check.]
And alright. [Vietnam is alert as she can be as they start to move. She doesn't even know where to start. Avoiding others who ran out might be one suggestion.]
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A shrug, and he offers: ] Friend.
[ Spoken out of earshot of said friend, of course. He keeps moving. ]
So. Am I going to get the name of my date, or would that make it too personal?
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How nice! No wonder you two are so close. [He came with him after arrival after all!]
Ah, I apologise for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Vietnam, it is nice to...date you? What should I call you?
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Don't tell Wolfy that. He'll have objections.
[ He waves that thought away, though, and quirks a brow at Vietnam telling him her 'name'. ]
'Vietnam', is it? I've never been. [ taking it in stride, though— ] You can call me whatever you like, but the name is 'Sam'.
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Wolfy doesn't want to admit, ah how proud.
[Sam these aren't code names! She needs to make it a habit to introduce her human name but oops.]
You have not been to Vietnam? It is a lot nicer than here. And it is nice to meet you, Sam. I will call you that.
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But he says none of that, of course— it just doesn't hurt to be careful, that's all— and continues to make his way through the jungle like it's no big deal. ]
I've done some traveling in my time, but Vietnam? No. [ And he never will, because.... lmfao.... ] Tell me about it.
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Instead, they're just walking along, like nothing is going to kill them. Also wow that's so sad, SAM, LIVE.]
Let me think...it's famous for hot weather, beaches and rivers, and green pastures, forests and mountain sides. The cities are dense, motorcycles everywhere, and it could be noisy. But move away from that and it's rather peaceful.
[Also deep caves but are we going there.]
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Motorcycles? Sounds like my kind of place.
[ Even if his motorcycle is tacky as hell and he should be ashamed of it, smfh. He's dead though, so it's not like he can go to Vietnam and enjoy being an embarrassment in public. ]
A pity I never got to go. —Branch. [ A breezy warning, as he maneuvers Vietnam to the side and flicks some leaves out of her hair. ]
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