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
[ and that it was, given how many of those suckers he's had to dodge since coming into this area. and since she doesn't seem like she's ready to strangle his throat (he knows what that looks like by now) he lowers his weapon, not quite ready to sling it across his back, but that's less due to her than... well, literally everything else in this place.
he steps out of his bushes and scans the area to make sure the thing didn't have a girlfriend -- nothing worse than a woman scorned -- before he turns his attention back to her. ]
You hurt? [ isn't everyone by this point? it almost feels like a silly question, but there are some wounds that are worse than others, right? for all his scrapes and skin-deep cuts, he's mostly intact. the knife that thunked into a tree three inches above his head had been fun. thanks, genetics. ]
That looked like a nasty one. [ he nods his chin toward the monster, still keeping an eye on it, should it decide to pop up ]
no subject
I am fine. [She answers as he emerges, careful to look around in case there were any other creatures. There were only a few scratches on her; anything incredibly minor had already healed up.] What of yourself? [After all he was hiding in order to take out the monsters, but who knows how many he have fought before this. She makes her approach to see how well he is doing.]
CERES' aesthetics usually consist of ugly creatures that would love to feast on us. It is quite unfortunate.
no subject
[ he seems fine, more or less, for curious eyes, if not a little bloodied. thankfully most of it isn't his -- nothing like blood showers to really wake you up in the morning, right? ]
Guess it makes it easier to figure out where to shoot, if nothing else. [ many a good protagonist has perished due to hot, humanoid monsters.
Anyway. He cracks his neck, shrugs his shoulders, ] But me? I'm about as good as can be expected. Not too unused to stuff like this. [ that happens when you've Been Through Some Shit. ]
But you're no stranger to this brand of crazy. [ he offers her a grin, ] Got any tips?
no subject
And...actually--]
That is a fair point. [It's a big target, and all it wants to do is kill. There's no real plan in what it aims to do. Which makes it easier to take down.]
Ah, this is normal for you? [What kind of world did he come from? (Vietnam, hint: it's Hawke's.)] It wasn't for me until I got here. But yes, it's actually not real. You just have to beat it, or survive, until you can be ejected out of this place.
[...she sure did make it sound like the Fade.]
no subject
well, if she decides to stab him, that'll answer that question.
though that's looking unlikely considering she's freely telling him that it's all fake. he's not sure if he should feel relieved or annoyed that it's all some magic-y shit. ]
Normal enough. [ he shrugs his shoulders. just gotta deal with it, right? surviving is something he's been pretty good at so far. ] Not that that means I'm not going to need a stiff drink after all this. Or three. [ he makes a mental note about what she's said; what kind of world did she come from? ]
So... survive. Check. I was considering doing that anyway. [ he's never been so excited to be ejected from somewhere before... except maybe The Bone Pit ] How do you 'beat' it?
no subject
If he's reacting like this whole adventure is normal, including the part where you finish the game. Or find a way out.] I believe many will share your sentiments. [It's tiring enough. All could do with a bit or R&R.]
As long as you survive, when you reach the end and beat the boss, you win. Or, you can find a way to log out if don't feel like dying. Dying in this game does not kill you, but you may end up suffering a few problems before you come out. But your condition will at least be back to normal.
no subject
[ this 'logging out' business is still kind of confusing --... but if it's something like the Fade, that means that there's a way to not be here. drop out. kinda like that. but it might be easier just to beat up whatever he's supposed to beat up. that's how it works in the Fade, too, as far as he knows.]
Not sure if I wanna deal with the psychological effects though. [ because he's assuming that those are unavoidable. even a hardened warrior can struggle with PTSD. ]
And who are you, exactly? [ she knows quite a bit. enough that he's really curious. ]
no subject
[The connection he's making between Fade vs Video game is not at all wrong.
And it sure can be! At least usually it is with games that aren't recruitment for newcomers.] They...could be interesting. In a bad way. Dig up your deepest secrets. Others could potentially see it.
Myself? I am like you, someone who was brought here a few months ago. So I have some experience in dealing with these situations.
no subject
You've been dealing with a few months of this?
[ kudos to her. he shakes his head a little, but he's not incredibly surprised. ]
So how old has it gotten for you? [ must be tiring rather than terrifying after the 20th go, he can only imagine. ]
no subject
I have been. It's not always bad. This does not happen often, though something does happen regularly.
[She exhales, looking tired from just thinking about it.] I would say rather old. But one can always get stronger once they understand this will keep happening.
no subject
Say, why don't we get out of here? Probably monsters around. And I think I owe you a drink for all the questions, once we're out of here out of here.
[ she looks like she could use one... ]
Whenever you feel like it.
no subject
I can agree to that. All good suggestions. [To get away from monsters, and get out and get a drink. She's not a strong drinker, but she can ration and appreciate a good drink.]
I am ready whenever you are.