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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Y-you are welcome... I will not let you down!
[There is that one NPC who lunges forward, heading straight for Namine while armed with a pair of brass knuckles. But he won't even get close to her; Lee springs forward and delivers a powerful kick to the side of the guy's face, sending the NPC tumbling into the nearest table.]
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[Goodness, that was some kick. Mouth slightly open, she looks between the now much less threatening NPC and the person who made him that way. He really wasn't kidding, was he? She doesn't look long, though - her smile is back, relieved, but she isn't inclined to hang around and see how well he can place in the battle royale with someone to defend.]
Good job. But I think-- now might be a good time to run.
[Kicking someone into a table is bound to attract attention, and probably not the positive sort. Even if it weren't, the less fighting the better, as far as she's concerned.]
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When she speaks, it becomes apparent to him that he's caused a scene, so he nods in response.]
Yes... I have made quite the mess, haven't I? [He admits that sheepishly, and then with determination:] Let us move! [He reaches one hand out to tug at her hand before he starts running towards the door.]
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It could be worse-- [Only now out of the corner of her eye she sees just how much attention that attracted and decides that now is, in fact, the best time to take her own advice. She's turning back to him when he tugs at her hand and she jumps, almost flinching, but is quick to recover and equally fast to fall into step after him.]
[She's... not exactly the best runner, unfortunately, and even less so in those shoes, but she's trying. It's readily obvious, though, that she won't have the faintest hope of keeping up unless he slows down for her.]
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[There's no need to worry about being left behind, either. He does slow down enough so that she can keep up. But the enemies still have their sights on the pair; if they can catch up, Lee will have to resort to different measures.]
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[He didn't mean any harm. She's quietly appreciative that he doesn't leave her behind, but it's not a course of action that can be sustained for long on its own, because if they do stay at such a pace, they'll definitely be caught up with. Even doing her best, she can't keep a sufficient speed to stay ahead of their pursuers for long, and something's got to give. Twisting, she glances back to see where they are - regrets it, and turns her eyes back to him, worry in them. It's clear she wants to say something, though what it is is anyone's guess, and she holds it back.]
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They can't outrun them properly - at least not like this. Lee does have one alternative in mind, but as he prepares to ask Namine, he notices that se seems to have something in mind as well.]
Ah... Namine-san, what is on your mind?
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[When he looks back at her, there's something oddly guilty in her expression. In actuality, the thing she wants to say is that he probably should leave her behind, for his own sake. She even has the words on her lips already, but-- it occurs to her then that he did give his word that he would protect her, and he doesn't seem like the type to go back on it so easily. So she hesitates, then shakes her head, offering a fragment of an apologetic smile. He's free to speak his mind instead.]
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