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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phase i
[ those dating profiles might be a bunch of baloney, but Souji had appreciated them all the same. He had found Sano and Shinpachi's profiles after all, and that had given him enough time to get over his surprise. He wouldn't put it past ViViD to have orchestrated this entire thing, for the Sano and Shinpachi on the profiles to turn out to be some kind of weird ballroom robots, but the sight of them standing around and looking awkward seemed real enough to Souji. And then hunger games v2 started, and the way Shinpachi easily grabs a weapon and handles that NPC is just more proof. ]
[ Shinpachi would shove people into other people.... ]
[ Fortunately, Souji has no time to be grumpy at having an NPC attempting to domino into him, instead he kicks the poor guy away, sword already unsheathed. ]
Leaving already, Shinpachi-san? [ a smile blooming onto his face despite the situation at hand. a tuxedo-clad man wielding a hatchet makes for Souji's right and then goes down just as fast, with Souji's sword still in his belly. casually, as if they're just hanging around and not killing ball guests.... ] That's not like you — running out of a party so early.
[ nice 2 c u 2 ]
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No time to think about that anyway. Not with NPCs with a whole arsenal of weapons that keep jumping at them. Shinpachi might seem like a moron sometimes, but he does have priorities. ]
This isn't the kinda party I was expecting, y'know.
[ Like.. maybe at least a few more drinks first? Some pretty girls that aren't trying to kill him? Not that he minds a slightly less murderous fight, but geez, talk about false advertising. ]
Or are you telling me you're the one that organized this? [ Nothing serious about that statement, more just the usual Shinsengumi banter.. especially since it happens right as Shinpachi also gets rid of one of the NPCs jumping at them with a dagger.
It's not like he likes this situation, but.. well, it's a lot less bad with one of his comrades around, that's for sure. It's why he can't help but grin a little at the sight of the other all the same. ]
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[ Seeing Sano and Shinpachi again means he should be relieved they aren’t actually dead, (and he is relieved about that, honest) but his relief has a particularly selfish ring to it too. They’re Shinsengumi too. Surely, Souji can use that fact to make himself useful again. (he’s a good friend) ]
That's rude. [ souji says, cheerfully… ] I wouldn't throw a party this boring.
[ "boring" ]
Especially with opponents as weak as these. We'd have to break a sweat to make this a proper fight.
[ though what the NPCS lack in skill they’re making up for with bloodlust... Souji easily cuts down every NPC that attacks, a little too caught up in the moment to consider things like "leaving before every NPC in the room murderdogpiles them" or the idea that "hey these are NPCS so they’ll probably respawn which means this might be never-ending wow" ]
[ who will be the brains of this duo ]
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But it's not like Shinpachi is stupid. Or at least not as caught up in cutting the NPCs down as quickly as possible to let the fact slide by him that there seem to be an impossible amount of them, more than there even were in the room to begin with.. which means that standing around here and fighting them isn't going to change a thing. It isn't even about reinforcements or anything (where would those even come from in a place like this?), he's pretty sure he's seen some of the same few come at him a few times now.
It feels even more impossible than fighting a horde of rasetsu (although the NPCs are even less skilled than those, even if driven by a similar bloodlust), and even though Shinpachi likes battles, he likes normal ones. Man to man, that sort of thing - not pointlessly cutting down fake people. ]
Then let's go and find a better party, yeah?
[ Not.. that he thinks any part of this ViViD thing will be any better, speaking from experience.. but maybe they can at least find a way out and get an actual party going. A reunion is a good excuse for drinks, right?
(Anything is a good excuse for drinks with this guy.) ]
These guys aren't gonna stop, no matter what we do.
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True, they'll just keep on coming back.
[ He can't tell whether Shinpachi figured that out because he remembered being here before, or if he just picked it up by observing. Souji might tease Shinpachi for his ignorance about some things, but he knows that Shinpachi's pretty clever... at times... Souji starts to veer towards the direction of the exit, slashing down NPCs in the meantime. ]
Maybe they'll even follow us outside. Should we just keep on running if that happens?
[ Souji asks, with a laugh in his voice like he thinks that would be funny and not ANNOYING AS HELL ]
I guess we could just stand and fight to the end if it turns out that way.
[ and die, but souji's not too worried about dying... ]
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[ But unlike with some other Shinsengumi members who'd say it in an annoyed kind of way, Shinpachi actually sounds a little amused too.. almost more like he's near-teasing the other. Mostly it's just that he's basking in the company - he's just glad to be seeing Souji again, especially with Souji in.. well, a relatively good mood by Souji standards. Probably. It's always a little harder to read this guy of all people, but Shinpachi thinks things feel relatively good right now, despite the people attacking them.
But they're doing pretty well with getting out of there and not getting one of their limbs cut off, so hey, not like there's a reason to get too serious about it. At least not in an overdramatic FIGHT UNTIL THE END kind of way. They've been in worse situations and battles.
At least they're getting pretty close to the exit by now, so the only thing to hope is that the NPCs won't follow them in huge masses.. As long as they're out of the thick of it, these people should be even less of a threat. ]
You should be glad you're with the kinda guy who's not gonna shoot it down. But don't worry-- I'm willing to wait to hear the "ah, Shinpachi-san, I'm so glad!! You're the best! My favourite!" until we're outta here.
[ DUMB GRIN.. He knows there's no way Souji would really say that (okay, well, not seriously), but he thinks it's a hilarious joke that's not lame at all in any way. ]
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[ It does feel good to cut down enemies together though. Once they finally reach the exit, Souji casts Shinpachi an amused Look ]
Oh? So you want me to lie to you after this, Shinpachi-san? I wonder how long it's been since you've heard praise, if that will make you happy.
[ WHAT A GOOD JOKE.... at least Souji thinks it's funny.... But he decides that standing around and mouthing off to Shinpachi can be resumed later. For now, they're out through the exit. ]
[ If the NPCS have the mind to follow, they don't do it immediately. Instead, the duo can get hit by a giant wave of jungle heat and humidity...... great ]
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[ His protest is interrupted though by the sudden heat.. It's almost like running headfirst into a wall the moment you step out of the ballroom. Shinpachi didn't really have much of an idea of what he'd find outside, but.. well, it wasn't this. Sure, he knows ViViD is weird as hell, but this is another level of it entirely.
It just makes him stare at their surroundings in confusion, although he sure as hell is making sure to hold onto his sword. He's been in a jungle before, okay, he knows the stuff that lurks out here. Snakes the size of a house, that's what. (No, Shinpachi, that was just a very specific jungle you've been in..)
But since said snakes aren't attacking them - nor is anything else, he figures they can at least talk a little more normally for a bit. Not like they're suddenly going to run into the exit anyway..
Raising his bandana a little to wipe away the sweat under it forming from this humidity, he speaks up after letting out a sigh. ]
So, you've probably been here for a while if it's all so normal to you. [ Or.. you know, it's just Souji adapting quickly. That also wouldn't surprise him too much. ]
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[ Souji casts a look back at the ballroom they just left, but no one comes out to try and kill them again, much to his disappointment. Oh, well. The jungle might be gross and humid, but it just might turn out to be more fun. Maybe. He really hopes it does, because he's already hating this heat. ]
A month, at least. [ Souji answers Shinpachi's not-question with a slight shrug, as if a month isn't really very long at all. Or maybe that's just him treating everything with too much levity again. He eyes Shinpachi, ridiculous formal wear and all, and raises a question of his own. ]
You don't seem all that surprised either. Does that mean you remember this place?
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Yeah.
[ Also, don't mind Shinpachi just.. you know, casually opening his clothes a little further as they're standing out here. With no direct enemies coming at them and this terrible heat, he's not going to keep walking in a terrible suit, okay. The jacket is quickly discarded and half of the buttons on the shirt under it have already just been opened. His muscles need to breathe, that clothing was like an attack on them. ]
I was here for a pretty long time before-- some of the other guys too. [ Of course meaning other Shinsengumi members, considering they're the only people both of them know. ] Can't say most people would be so calm otherwise with all this weird stuff going on.
[ His voice turns a bit into a grumpy mumble as he seems to have particular trouble with one of the next buttons (look, he's not used to this, though) and it ends up with him just.. ripping said button straight off the shirt. Well, whatever works.
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Other guys?
[ It's easy to guess who Shinpachi means of course, but after running into alternate Shinsengumi, Souji's all too aware of just how much he must have missed, returning without any memories. ]
You mean the Shinsengumi we know? Or some strange versions of us from different worlds? I know it's hard to concentrate in this heat, Shinpachi-san, but you could stand to be a little more helpful.
[ Souji says, rude as ever. ]
I know you and Sano-san were here before, and Hajime-kun said he was too, but that's all.
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.. except Shinpachi doesn't really mind. You can't live at the same place as Souji for this long and not be used to this, let's be real. Unless you're Hijikata and still blow up at everything all the time. He doesn't even really seem bothered by anything other than his temporary heat + terrible clothing combination here. ]
Of course I mean the ones we know first! [ Since it's not like he's met that many strange versions of them yet, so.. he's still in for a treat.. ]
Aside from us, there was also Hijikata-san and Heisuke too.. Although both of 'em already disappeared before I left this place. [ As far as anyone here "leaves", anyway. ] You were there too.
[ Except, you know, he's already figured it must have been a Souji with different memories, considering this one doesn't seem to mention it. ]
Hell, even Kazama-- it's like they just dumped at least half of the people we knew from back home here.
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[ Heisuke being here made sense for some odd reason. The reason being that Souji can't think of Shinpachi and Sano in one place without the other, and vice versa. (That whole bit with Heisuke leaving the Shinsengumi notwithstanding... And it made morbid sense too, for Heisuke to leave Cerealia first. ]
Hijikata-san left while you were still here? How irresponsible of him.
[ At least Souji looks a little more cheerful now that he's gotten to insult Hijikata at least once. ]
Did we at least get to kill Kazama before Hijikata-san ran off? [ He pauses. ] At least once?
[ Souji, asking the most important questions. ]
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Ah, well..
[ .. flashbacks to the time he first saw Kazama here and the demon just tipped him over straight into a play pen full of tiny fluffy robotic animals.
It's not the worst that could happen with Kazama around, sure, but does that mean he enjoyed it? Of course not, stuff like that is the equivalent of dropping his glass case of pride off a fifty story building. ]
.. not really, unfortunately. [ LET'S WITHHOLD THE STORY, AT LEAST. ] Just means we have more reason to do it if he shows his ugly mug around here again, huh?
[ There. Putting a positive spin on it - at least that's something Shinpachi is good at. Morale and all that. ]
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True.
[ That does sound pretty positive. Because at least this time, Souji will remember killing Kazama. That, or Kazama will never show up. Two great things in Souji's opinion. It would have been even funnier if he got to hear the story, but fate decides to intervene on Shinpachi's behalf. This time. ]
I guess even you can be right sometimes, Shinpachi-san.
[ Grinning, Souji lifts a hand to push some jungle foliage out of the way. Thankfully, instead of making another pointless comment, Souji decides that it's probably his turn to be semi-helpful and informative. ]
Oh, since we're already talking about it — Hijikata-san is here. [ pause ] But it's not the one we know. Just some weird alternate version.
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[ He blinks a little, but the reaction is.. well, pretty subdued. By Shinpachi standards especially. He can't help it though, this place has made him get oddly used to all the weirdass shenanigans it pulls. Maybe he'll be surprised when he sees the actual Hijikata, yeah, but for now he can at least accept the possibility of another one existing. Somehow. ]
.. How weird are we talking? [ Since that's always up in the air here.. With this place, it could be anything from "he constantly walks around shirtless for no reason" all the way to "he's actually a happily married woman."
At least he is making sure to keep an eye out as they walk.. you know, just in case. He doesn't want to be caught off guard just because he was occupied by a few weird alternate Hijikata stories. ]
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Just the fact that he's a different version is weird enough, don't you think?
[ Souji still thinks that's weird, okay?! Also when Souji thinks about it, nothing particular about the other Hijikata really stood out to him. No shirtlessness, no gender bender. This time. Only the similarities really stood out to him. ]
I guess you could say that it's weird in that he's similar to the Hijikata-san we know too.
[ It sure got Souji to think. Like are there just some things that will always be the same no matter what? Like the Shinsengumi? Like tuberculosis.... ]
His hair's longer, but he's just as much of a nag and just as tiresome to be around. Oh, and still a terrible poet. That must be a universal trait.
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After a while of being stuck in this kinda place, your views on that really start to shift. [ Sure, meeting another version of the guys he knows from the Shinsengumi is still weird, he won't deny that much.. But it won't fully fall into the weird-even-by-this-place's-standards until it's radically different.
But similarities.. well, they're a good thing. Kind of. At least it means things won't be too weird? That description sure sounds like it covers a good part of the Hijikata they know as well. ]
But you mean he also scolds you. [ Because when Souji calls Hijikata a nag, it's 99.9% sure to Shinpachi that Souji actually means that. It's kind of amusing to him, so he can't help but smile a little. Like his words are a friendly poke in the side or something. ]
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That's what tiresome people do, even when it's not deserved.
[ He totally didn't deserve any scolding!!! Not for trying to bait amnesiac Hijikata into fighting him in a proper duel or for making fun of his haiku. He's the very epitome of innocence. ]
You'll probably get to hear it for yourself, since Shinpachi-san getting scolded is inevitable.
[ That's right, he's going to throw stones in his glass house, take that ]
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But Shinpachi should probably have realised those stones would be thrown back at him sooner or later.. and yet he didn't at all, since he looks completely surprised by that reaction. You know, as if it isn't only natural for someone to tease him in return. ]
O-oi! What would I get scolded for?!
[ Because he is also the epitome of innocence, obviously. Not a guy who spews incredibly ridiculous dumb lines at least as often, if not more, as he says something reasonable. Also not a guy who would skip out on every chore if possible at all. That's not Shinpachi, nah. ]
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Which would you like -- the short or long answer?
[ Surely, Shinpachi is only pretending to be surprised. Maybe if he were the same caliber of Shithead Souji is.... ]
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[ Because even if Hijikata is a nagging
fathermother to most of them, Shinpachi doesn't think he does anything.. or, well, at least not a lot to get scolded for. What's wrong with a little overconfidence at times, huh? And his dumb acts are just to raise morale! Obviously. Totally. ]no subject
[ Though at the end of the day, Souji's well aware that he's the one who gets scolded the most. ]
But who knows? It's not like we answer to this Hijikata-san, so Shinpachi-san might be safe after all.
[ Who's going to scold Shinpachi for going to the pleasure district??? no one ]
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momvice-commander around, huh.Even though he doesn't think he'll get a fully serious answer, since it's Souji, he figures he might as well try to ask anyway-- ]
Wasn't it weird for you? Talking with that Hijikata-san. [ Sure, Shinpachi has met different Soujis before, but it's kind of different when it's a different version of your superior officer. Or in Souji's case, someone you have a.. unique (let's put it that way) bond with. But in Shinpachi's case it's more about the thought being a little weird that there's a Hijikata who can't nag at him and him actually having to give it some consideration. ]
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[ Souji doesn't like this question (surprise) but he catches himself considering it which would never have happened if it was anyone else who asked, so that ends up irritating him too. (nice) H seems fairly reluctant to answer (and probably about to not answer at all) when he shrugs ]
It was when I thought of him as Hijikata-san. [ their Hijikata-san. a beat further if only to clarify ] But he's not, so talking to him felt like talking to any stranger.
[ It sure is easy to live in Souji's world, where look-alikes and alternate selves can just be "okay but. strangers". ]
Whether it's a Hijikata-san or any other version, it doesn't really matter who they are, does it? It's not like meeting them will change our lives in any way.
[ so why worry!!! ]
[ Souji would not be saying any of this if it had been Kondou tbh ]
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im cracking up
ME TOO........ serious historical warriors here
UGH i need more threads with shinpachi... can i hit up his inbox
OF COURSE please hit up his inbox whenever, i love it
great im coming for u shinpachi
jaws theme..........
after the interlude ILL BE THERE