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
That's fair. No one wants to be around someone slow and incompetent.
[ She couldn't fault him for getting up and leaving anyways. ]
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[ rude, but Souji's tone lightens considerably. He wouldn't actually leave Cloche in the lurch to die a horrible death, but sometimes he just has to leave that sort of impression on the people around him. He's gotta tick off the boxes on his "be an asshole" list somehow... ]
[ but anyway, he'll pick a random direction and start walking, unless Cloche wants to cut in and take the lead. either way... they're off. ]
[ He should probably ask what her name is.... maybe after they survive ]
no subject
Did anyone teach you manners when you were young? You'd make more friends if you fixed your tone slightly.
[Don't just comment on his rude tone right away Cloche. Her priorities are a mess.]
no subject
Are you complaining? That's strange, even though I've been polite all this time. I haven't killed you yet, after all.
[ He sounds just as amused as before, so it's pretty difficult to tell if he's joking... ]
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I'm complaining if I haven't made myself clear!
[She made it obvious she doesn't know how to hold her tongue, even in the presence of a mere stranger. It's unfortunate that Souji has to deal with someone as direct as Cloche.]
You can hardly call this polite.
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[ He doesn't really believe that he's being polite at all, tbh but it's fun to argue the point anyway. ]
Anyway, accusing someone of being impolite while making rude comments about their past... is a little hypocritical, don't you think?
[ only one person taught souji manners when he was young ]
no subject
None of our opinions will matter if we end up being stuck here. How do we leave?
[It's not like her world had this kind of technology. Most of it was ancient or run down already.]
no subject
By logging out. Or by through an exit.
[ He moves his hand to bring up a floating holographic menu, but then waves it away just as quickly as soon as he doesn't see the words "log out". ]
There should be an exit somewhere around here. But it might not appear until we finish whatever the goal is in this ViViD.
[ whatever that is ]
no subject
[Cloche thinks there might be a hidden switch somewhere and she isn't sure how to make the exit appear. Souji's advice helps a lot though. It's useful and she does give him some credit for it. Not all hope is lost.]
It wouldn't do us any good to argue here. Let's look elsewhere.
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[ He doesn't have a problem with looking around. He'll take point as they tromp through the jungle, pushing thick branches and leaves and pausing whenever he hears the rustle of ball gown finery -- or ]
[ The skittering of what sounds like too many legs attached to one body. He comes to a stop, lifting the sword from his side. But instead of looking tense, he just looks thoughtful. ]
Maybe the goal is to kill as many monsters as possible. That man said it before, didn't he -- that whoever survives can leave.
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[Cloche throws her arms up to show that she's just fed up. This has been such a long day and surely their companions here must feel similarly. Regardless of what she thought of the man's words before it's something she'll have to take seriously. ]
I won't allow anyone to die here.
[It sounds like she's saying that to convince herself.]
no subject
You should worry about yourself instead.
[ and as if on cue, a monster careens through the vines looking for lovebirds and unfortunately finding Souji and Cloche instead. Souji digs his heels into the dirt, raising his sword as he shifts his position and waits for the monster to come within sword-range. ]
Stay out of my way if you can't fight.
[ It skitters closer at an unnatural speed with limbs aloft, intent on raking them across whatever flesh it can reach in time. ]
no subject