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
This way-- [ He shoves the crossbow into his hand instead, pulling the hefty sword to try and drag it along with them instead. It's like the parting of the river, too, when Merlin just glances towards the path he wants to take, stunning anyone who might be in their way of the exit.
Hopefully Gau actually listens to him. ]
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He throws the crowd one last withering look before he looks ahead, almost stumbling from the effort to keep up. What else could he possibly do? And these people--]
--Are you doing that?
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Best to ask something like that later, we're a little-- [ He lets out a breath as something gets too close to them and he just about manages to slash it back. There... might be a bit of blood splatter, but Gau should at least be tucked enough to his side to avoid that. ] --busy right now.
Can you see the exit?
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The-- no?! [That's fairly frantic, but he composes himself in record time to look around and point wildly with the crossbow somewhere ahead and toward the right.] Door!
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tributespeople back with more non-verbal stunning spells. When he manages to get to the door he indicates for Gau to open it up.He looks back, hand reaching out as he lets go of the other to cast a different spell. ]
Bærne [ A line of fire forms along the ground between them and everyone else. Merlin uses that as their chance to get out the door and out. He immediately reaches for the other, hand held out. ] Come on, let's get moving.
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But he has nowhere else to go anyway, so with renewed determination he grabs the other's hand and moves, trusting him to take care of any NPCs insane enough to dive through fire to get to them.
He shouldn't, but he looks over his shoulder at the line of fire and people beyond it, then frowns.] This is-- one of the most reckless things anyone has ever done for me-!
[congratulations]
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You really are new here-- [ It's all he says at first, pulling him towards the cover of some trees further along. The quicker they get hidden, the better. ] You just looked like you needed help.
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I don't know how to use a sword, [he confesses (really), like that's the biggest problem he's had so far. It's easier to focus on than the murder gauntlet they just ran through.] Thank you for rescuing me.
[3... 2...] Not- not that I was in desperate need, or anything-!
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I'll show you how to trigger it, though I'd really like to not have an arrow in the back, so keep it unloaded until something happens.
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Please have a little more faith in me than that! Lacking upper body strength is hardly the same as total incompetence.
[huff. ... okay, he's not going to whine about it further.]
... Gau. My name is Gau.
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Have you even had to aim at anything before?
[ He does, at least, hold out his hand though. ]
Merlin.
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A pleasure.
[Now, as for this aiming-at-things problem,] Not one of these.
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Right, then you need to remember to keep both eyes open. As for loading it... [ He indicates for Gau to hand it over and step closer. ]
It's still quite simple.
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So. Cooperating, swinging his hands at his sides a bit before locking his fingers together and fidgeting with them while he watches. He's ready to Learn. But not because he wants to do this.]
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He glances up at him as he takes one of the arrows from the quiver, placing it into the contraption with the point sliding in first. ]
Just like this... [ He murmurs it, then clicks it down. Slowly, he places it into Gau's hands, getting him to face one of the trees nearby. ] ...then aim. Look straight down the middle.
[ It's easier than a bow and arrow, anyway. ]
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And. Aha. Crossbow in hand, raised-] ... You want me to shoot the tree?
[Can he get a confirmation on this before he makes a fool out of himself shooting the local plant life.]
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I want you to shoot the tree. [ He repeats it back with a faint smile. ] Take your time.
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This seems like a less than ideal time to practice... [He sighs, but lifts the crossbow anyway, taking aim like he was told. It's good that crossbows have far less recoil than guns, but not good that Gau isn't expecting it to when he shoots, so he makes an undignified noise of surprise and the bolt misses the tree by at least a few feet.
... okay.....]
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Well if you don't want to die... [ Though... what kind of flimsy aim was that? He glances at him from the side. ] Now can you see why I didn't want you to test this first?
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Give me another arrow!
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Here. [ He holds one out to him. ] Can you remember how to set it up?
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Of course! [And he can, actually, if nothing else he can remember a practical skill like loading and handling a weapon, if not being effective with it. He takes the arrow and slides it into place without a problem, holding it up to look smug about it before he takes aim at the tree again.
... aha......]
Can't I aim at a bigger tree?
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You're good at the technical side of things, then? [ He's impressed that he remembers how to do it with ease but...
really, Gau? ]
As long as you hit it anywhere, it will be good enough for now. That's more like the width of... the things attacking us. [ Creatures or humans, that is. ]