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 iii;
...but the sudden bright lights, narrator, and audience are a curse. Though, not for him, so much as for the poor idiot who'd attempted to-- Oh. An offer, huh? The least he can do is hear him out, but if those lights bring monsters down on them, he's going to be pissed. ]
...Well? [ Good luck, Neji! He's a tough sell. ]
no subject
he really did need that water. The hurt in his stomach and throat and mouth went beyond just wanting to stop it.
So maybe this was infuriatingly humiliating after all. Straight-backed, Neji considers. He can't offer his strength to this one-- those exams so many years back. Suddenly, he remembered those. Can't offer much for speed, not now, and what in heaven's sake could this one possibly want in turn--]
To put it simply, I'll leave you alone.
no subject
If he were to attack, even with the abilities he's acquired up til now, Neji's eyes would be able to shut him down. Even with something off about the guy, he's still hesitant to try it.
Cocking his head slightly, mismatched eyes watching every move the Hyuga makes, he waits to hear what this 'offer' is before deciding on a course of action. And dammit, the more that crowd snickers, the more he wishes there were a way to totally disappoint them. But then there it is... and there it is. It's perfect and would leave them devoid of any entertainment, but what's the catch? ]
In exchange for...?
no subject
Neji hated gambling and was aware enough to know his luck had never been the best-- or rather, that quitting while he was ahead was still a relatively new skill for him. Sometimes one he forgot to recall. It was gnawing at him now, though. May be the scrutiny and the knowledge he can't even keep an eye on the other the same way. Whatever-- it was time for another risk. If luck wouldn't be on his side, the least Neji could do was to not draw attention to the fact.
He quirks a brow at the Uchiha's question. Really? An international criminal couldn't put two and two together? He'd scoff-- but it'd be too much from him.] Whatever you have to drink in that bag of yours. [Keep it simple, keep his guesses true.]
no subject
And that wrong quickly makes itself known. ]
...oh, you have got to be kidding me...
[ It doesn't look like there's anything in there that's drinkable.
He's not about to be discouraged though. Most of what's in there is stuff he wouldn't care for anyway (Lots of Little CERES snack cakes and a few containers of natto -yuck!), so he's going to make an executive decision instead. ]
Here, take it. [ He'll just give him the entire bag! After all, he's got no problem with jumping someone else for theirs. ] Whatever's in there is yours.
no subject
Focusing more on the actions than on the man himself (but don't dare assume he'll lose sight of the Uchiha's posture), Neji then debates reacting at all to the mumbling.
Look surprised and confess he had no idea of the bag's contents, or feign disinterest and have the other wonder what an idiot he was for demanding something that wasn't there.
Some day he'll learn to quit the torment of over-thinking such ridiculously nuanced things. Not much time to school his expression into anything above the stone wall it's been anyway- Neji catches the bag with ease. Tilts his head to one side and
A monster growls, but isn't yet seen. The audience (they can't be hurt, what do they care?) starts cheering. Loudly.
Perfect.]
How charitable.
no subject
...and given the sound that follows his tossing the pack to the other man and the way the cheering grows to a feverish pitch, something tells him they're screwed. Or at least Neji is, because he can peace out at any time, teleporting himself to a safe distance and let the Hyuga become dinner. It's not a good idea to show his hand all at once, though, so he'll see how this plays out first. ]
Be glad I'm giving you anything at all.
[ And glad he hasn't up and walked off yet. ]