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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i!
He's got a sword of his own and he's not into dual-wielding, so he isn't the one trying to snatch the blade away, at least! He's also dodging elegantly so his kneecaps don't get taken out, and then-- not approaching, because being hands-on helpful is apparently not how he's gonna do this tonight.]
You should probably give that to someone who won't like, accidentally take themselves out with it before they can even use it.
[Please!!!]
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Gau stops swinging like a crazy person when the person trying to take his sword gives up and moves on to something, uh, slightly more worth it - which leaves him tilting with its momentum before the business end slides to a stop against the floor.
who dares speak to him]
I'm-- dealing with it! Thank you for the concern, but I don't need it!
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At a slight distance, in case this chucklehead decides to pick up the sword and swing it around again. Please take care of your weapons, Gau!!]
Nah, I'm pretty sure you do. Have you ever used a sword in your life? Like, I know there's all those sayings about trial by fire and stuff, but this is just gonna get you killed, probably.
[But you know, only probably.]
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I've held a sword before. [TECHNICALLY TRUE] It's-- I'm not trying to swear by it, or anything, just carry it around!
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That's no good! How're you gonna gut someone if they come after your head? Geez. [Shaking his own head in turn, like this is just ridiculous logic of a madman.]
Just stick with me instead, okay?
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With you? [what's the problem... ehhh, good enough, but] Are you more responsible than you look?
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[Granted, he doesn't look particularly keen on skewering anyone, but still. He's very responsible! He looks like a totally responsible, functional adult!!]
Anyway, I won't get you killed and that's the most important part!
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So you admit to being irresponsible! [gau] Fine, but don't expect me to stick around if you get us into trouble!
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If we got into trouble, you'd probably be too dead to stick around, anyway! [He says in such a chipper tone?!
BUT YES ONWARD to the exit!! Kashuu will pave a path for them! In the fallen bodies of NPCs...]
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So he'll follow, but not be happy about it.]
If I were dead on the ground, I wouldn't have any choice but to stick around...
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[Way lame! Don't be a square and hang out with the ground, Gau! Also watch out for those slick patches of blood, slipping would probably be unpleasant.]
—Ew! It's even worse out here!
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Were you expecting something different?
[There are BODIES, teeny peanut. Bodies!!]
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Something that's not this would've been nice! Like a park or - I dunno, a nice sunny hillside!
[But no, they get hunger games... And the NPCs behind them are as bloodthirsty as ever and probably starting to scatter from the cornucopia, so with a sigh, Kashuu sucks it up and beckons Gau forward into the gross greenery.]
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Keep up, nerd.]
Haven't you ever been camping? It's not hard.
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Yeah, but have you ever been camping in a jungle where people are probably gonna be trying to hunt you down? Ugh. It's a good thing these stupid sessions only last a few hours.
[NOW HE'S CURSED THEM ALL.]
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Yes? Er-- [fRICK] I've been camping! I didn't hear the rest of the question!!
[Literally no one cares about this except you, Gau. His secret stint as a camping fugitive is so embarrassing...]
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Ehhh... You're not very good at covering your tracks, huh?
[Hopefully just metaphorically because the last thing they need is one of those NPCs shrieking in the distance to come after them.]
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I don't usually work alone!
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