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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It's not her place to dig into such secrets when she doesn't need them. At least not yet.]
Let's. There probably would be more to do with said time once we get out of here. [She'll let it go, for now.] Ah...though, what do you like to do with your time?
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In either case, Sam raises a brow when she asks him about his hobbies. ]
Careful, miss. You might actually get to know me, at this rate. [ A laugh, because what happened to temporary, huh!! ] But, let's see... I roam, I fight. I'm a working man— busy, busy.
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She laughs.] I could say I make it my duty to know who I am going on a date with. [what dates she doesn't even go on dates? Alright seriously now--] I see, work more than play. I understand, it was the same case for myself back home. I hope you do get some time off.
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Ah, I know what we're going to have to do with you, in due time.
[ that isn't even a response to anything she just said, Sam r u ok
But no, he just thinks her earnest reply is So Funny. ]
Do you make it a habit of being so gullible? That's dangerous, you know.
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Even while talking to him.]
What do you mean? [To his first remark. What is his plan...?]
Do you think I am gullible? Perhaps so, but that depends on whether you want to continue lying to me, or allow me to trust you. [Which probably means she keeps doing this because there will be consequences if you cross her!!!!]
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[ Using her words against her as an answer, how rude. The rest of it garners another soft chuckle, one that might be strangely dismissive given that trust isn't something extended so freely nowadays, don't you know. ]
Ah, but you sound like trouble.
[ He leaves it at that before addressing Wolf, who flicks his head to the east and states, simply: ]
There is a logout point nearby. We should proceed.
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And shhh, she knows. But she would like to believe in humanity. On occasion.]
I try not to be. [Try.] I believe I may be talking to someone who is trouble, however.
[Wolfy...what a cute...he's so polite...]
Sam told me you are Wolfy. It is nice to meet you.
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[ Dial it down, Rodrigues. He turns his charm up, but lets Blade Wolf distract from his antics by letting his companion play the part of the blunter of the duo. ]
'Wolfy' is what Samuel chooses to refer to me as. It is not my official denotation.
However, I understand that it is simply easier to call me as such.
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[But do you know who is more charming? WOLFY. It's surprising he left her continue to call him that?
Samuel, though.]
I see. My name is Vietnam. But if we all here are going to use more than one name, then you can call me by my human name, Sen. Now we are even.
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Wolf similarly looks like he doesn't know What The Fuck, but then again, he doesn't have features. So it's more like a neutral headtilt. ]
...Affirmative. Sam, Sen. Follow me.
[ Wolf basically says 'fuck it' to understanding this for now, and turns to the general direction of the logout point. Sam also just shakes his head and heaves an exaggerated sigh. ]
Whatever you are [ cyborg, human, eldritch monster ], we can talk once we get out of here.
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She casually follows Wolf as urged, before looking up at Sam, who is clearly confused.]
You can also use it too. [Was that it?! Oh wait she didn't she was a country yet.] Agreed. I have some questions for you too. [And if he follows her eyes, her gaze moves from his form, to Wolf, and then back at him. I mean his face.]
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[ Because he's expert-levels at saying things without saying anything at all, and he's fairly confident that he can deflect her questions, no problem.
But here he goes, following after Wolf because he's already had enough of this ViViD session, it's a headache and he's supposed to be dead, give a guy a break. ]
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[No one stays dead here, Sam, so you can't kill them! He should know, he's already dead (wow). But yes, she follows too, it would be nice to catch a break. For a bit.]
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[ Cyborgs, cybernetics, they're so commonplace by now that people know not to ask when they see one— but apparently not Vietnam.
He has to wonder how different everyone's worlds really are, but that's something for another day. One at a time. ]
I'd say you and I both have our own secrets to keep, eh?
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Well, she's really proud of TOPIO.]
But yes, I suppose we do. But I actually do not have many to keep.
[Refer to Wikipedia: Vietnam.]
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But re: her not having secrets, Sam sincerely doubts that. No one is bereft of baggage, no matter how much they think they can look away from them. Maybe it's a bit of his bitterness that's speaking there, but it doesn't show beyond a faint shrug as Wolf leads them to their checkpoint. ]
'Not many' isn't 'none'. Either way, I won't pry.
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Sam, you'll find out once they're out of here, why she has so few "secrets". It's only her personal life that she might have a few, but even then she lives one similar to that of a celebrity.]
I think...it will make more sense when I explain it. But I thank you for your consideration.
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[ Listen, when a robot AI with 'massive intellect' says that they have a hard time reading Sam, good luck trying to get a read on him with those standards.
That said, said robot AI is leading them to something that does, in fact, look like a logout point for this game. Sam waves at the glowing dialog box that prompts: 'RETURN TO CEREALIA?' ]
Ladies first.
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[Even after he beat up everything! And wow, isn't he mysterious (or is it just because he's human. Ohhhhh.)
Ah, here they are.]
Thank you. [She prepares to log out--] I will see you on the other side!
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But no, staying here is a shitty deal and he hates VR training, so he will, in fact, log out after Vietnam does. Why couldn't he just have stayed dead, things would have been so uncomplicated that way. ]
(( we can take this to a log if you want, just to let people enjoy captcha-less status a bit longer!! or we can handwave it, whatever works best. ♥ ))
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BUT NO GOOD JOB LOSER, time to go get tea and bones for wolfy.]
[[Either one works for me!!! WE'RE HELPING THEM EITHER WAY!]]
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