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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Pretty fast. A nice, healthy sprint? (At least he's not inhumanly fast. Just inhumanly athletic. He's not planning on running this girl into a marathon though so that's okay.
He looks around at the mess of bodies writhing about near them and gives a shrug.)
Do what you gotta do. It'd be a good idea for us to be both armed anyway. I'll be your backup if you promise to be mine.
(He even juts his hand out to shake on that deal with a grin because apparently any time is as good as any to be a total nerd.
Dangerous thoughts but not totally wrong thoughts...!!)
Do you know how to use any of that stuff? I mean, before you go and risk your life trying to get something.
1/3
Freedom sure is something. ]
I... Ye-Yes! Yeah, of course, I'd want to be your backup! Thank you for trusting me with your li–
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Without waiting for an answer, Rapunzel turns on her recently bare heel and walks with purpose and a curious absence of fear towards the fight with both fists clenched. ] Do you even know what any of it is? Why did I think you'd be the experienced one here? I've never even seen you in the colony before! Amateur...
[ And if she gets herself killed, it will definitely be on purpose and not at all like an amateur! ]
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Uhhhh. I was gonna say it's mostly because I go to a camp that trains us how to fight and - yup not even I know what some of this stuff is.
(He's just kinda gonna stare after her. What even. Why.)
Well, yeah. I'm more of a healer than a fighter so...........
(ALSO THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER....! But he doesn't think to point that out. At least Will somehow doesn't really seem offended just kinda bemused. Oh, Rapunzel, he is so going to hash on you later.)
Before you wander off I should probably let you know I can't bring people back from the dead. But uh. Good luck, there.
(He's rootin' for you, Rapunzel.)
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She's easy to upset, yes, but also easy to please!
This is probably more a Rapunzel thing than a "girl thing". ]
Me t– [ Annnnnnnd yup, she sure did almost tell this random kid her Big Secret. ] –thinks... that's incredible! H-HAHA. Me thinks that is just - just amazing, so–
[ Smiling now. ]
Wanna... um. Team up and do this together? Maybe? [ "Me thinks." NICE SAVE. ]
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She was going to be a bit to keep up with but he liked her spirit at least.
At her obvious blunder Will winds up quirking a brow relatively high and just kind of giving her a look.
Frankly, he just saw some people doing some pretty bizarre things. Typically he'd be more quiet about his abilities and the like. But really. This place seems like super-powers are more common than not.)
Riiiiiight, yeah sure thanks.
(He knows you are so full of shit, Rapunzel. But hey. He's not one to out anyone's powers so you're off the hook.
And at least she's not pissed anymore.)
Yeah, that'd be great.
(This time there's no undercurrent of sarcasm. It really would be awesome to team up.)
Okay, so you got a game plan or are we just gonna wing this thing?
(Because he's fully capable of both of those things.)
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How many people can you hit with that magic power of yours at once?
[ She's already coming up with team attack names, yes, it's true. But you can't keep a good bad girl down!! ]
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It's not really an amount thing it's more of a whoever is in the way thing. So, in theory- a lot of people.
(Hey man he can totally back that. As head counselor of the Apollo cabin, they had plenty of team attack names. That stuff was super useful. Especially in hectic battles- so all you had to do was go, "Let's Bruno Mars this!" and everyone understood. You know. Usual stuff.)
What're you thinking?
(Because he's ready for whatever she's cooking.)
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[ She shrugs, eyes flicking wildly between Will's face and the bloodshed behind him. ]
Buuuut if you're saying you can just hit them all at once so we can walk out of here like it's no big deal...
I'm open to that!