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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no subject
This one would be an information grab, something that would help him see what was going on in such a place and -
Where did that come from?
What had just been one person is now a man and his beast. Or was it mechanical? Hux isn't sure, lips thinning as his expression shifts to a thoroughly unimpressed one. The look on that thing's face is baleful at best and the ginger makes sure to keep his gun pointed at Steven, not so much as a tremor or a shake of the hand. When he talks it's with an authoritative tone, not a hint of confusion seeping through into it.]
You should elaborate on that. I should believe you because..?
no subject
he's about to open his mouth for his reasoning, but an approaching npc with a machete in hand breaks his train of thought. they're going for the other man, and with a quick signal of the eye to metagross, it stops them in place with its telekinesis, bends the steel of the machete in half, and sends them flying into the ballroom wall. it's not enough force to kill, but to incapacitate. ]
That's my first reason. [ his lips quirk into the smallest of smiles. ] The second is that this is a simulation, and killing people would only mean making unnecessary enemies in reality. The third...
[ in all honesty, he really doesn't have a third reason. he knows that hux, despite seeming to know how do attack and defend, is new to this place. he's here to help, but he knows that not all people want that. ]
... well, you'll just have to trust me. Though if you decide not to believe us, that's your decision. Just know that we will defend ourselves properly.
[ "we", meaning that he's also talking about the creature by his side, still focusing on hux and the gun in his hand. ]
no subject
There's a brief, small hope that not everyone has a thing that can do that. Dealing with Ren's own tantrums that following a similar form was bad enough. An entire place full? It truly didn't bode well and the look Hux turns back on Steven is still somewhat distrustful. He'll be keeping the gun at his side though, ready to move at a moment's notice. Hux is just aware that if he makes the wrong move he'll be joining the guy with the machete in short order.]
How many of these have you been through?
no subject
ViViD sessions? A fair few, but they're never predictable. Call it... an "initiation" of sorts.
[ his own had been nothing like this setting, but equally as daunting. the least he can do is provide a little guidance. ]
Your best option right now would be to move on and stay uninvolved. Unless someone is at risk, I personally don't care much for playing into CERES' games.
no subject
If they were predictable then there would be little point to holding them, presumably.
[ Strangely enough the setting for this ViVid is both familiar territory and new to Hux. He's used to planning through battlefields and tactics, he's also used to ordering others around through them too, but setting foot on a battlefield? Never. It at least helps to know it's merely a simulation and when the incapacitated man makes an angry noise and draws the general's attention, Hux simply retaliates by shooting him before going back to the conversation like it had never happened.]
I'm not certain I'll be staying uninvolved in this charade. If there are people watching this - and there will be - then I won't be known as someone who merely stayed back and did nothing.
no subject
steven has a similar look about him, but does flinch slightly when he sees hux shoot the bystander. he's no stranger to fighting and knows this is a simulation, but... well, it's not something he wants to become numb to. it's only for a moment though, and his expression is back to unreadability in the blink of an eye. ]
You're not wrong about people watching, in any case. [ his smile is small - polite, but nothing else. ] Suit yourself.
A word of advice, though - you may want to be careful about who you point that at. You won't want to be making enemies in a place like this, especially when we're outside of a simulation.
[ there's a nod to the gun in his hand. it's not a threat or a warning... at least, not one that seems serious. ]
no subject
People watching them is the main concern. Hux wants to know who and why. Simulations weren't often just thrown out there without any kind of reasoning (though that particular opinion would change over time in this place) and he gives a small nod in return. For now the hubbub around them is starting to die down, both figuratively and literally.]
You mean to say people don't believe that all bets are off when they're in the simulations. Good to know that some will carry a grudge over should they lose. [ A pause and then - ] What is that?
[ Really, Hux needs to know or he may actually wonder on the metagross species forever.]
no subject
[ with CERES and the flamines running around, everyone brought here should at least try to work together. everyone wants their worlds back - at the very least, they have that as common ground.
his expression softens a bit at hux's second question. while he's still on guard for this man's actions, it's natural for him to relax when someone is curious about his pokémon. metagross continues its calculated gaze, but does turn its eyes to steven for a moment in expectation of his words. ]
A creature from my world, and my close partner.
no subject
He gives a nod to show that he understands before the subject moves across to the creature. A close partner huh. The creature didn't seem overly intelligent on first look, but then Hux had just watched it throw a man across the room without barely a movement.]
They weren't there when you first arrived here though. I would have noticed something that size.
no subject