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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...Sorry. That was weird, right? I... We don't have mages where I'm from. [Abilities like her own don't really count, she thinks.] There are people with... abilities, but... It's different. Not magic. And usually people think they're crazy, and they get put in hospitals never to be heard from again. [WHO IS BITTER certainly not Yuri. Or they start business up in small communities that still believe in those things but, you know. Whatever.
She glances at him and then away again] So I'm sorry, again, if I say or ask weird things.
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No, please, you have my sincerest apologies. I forget myself -- I'm not exactly home, am I?
[ Dorian's not sure if he imagines the noise of rustling or not -- some distant creature, human or otherwise, moving through the foliage -- but he straightens, nevertheless. ]
We should leave. I believe the monsters roaming the place are attracted to the scent of blood.
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She's about to say as much, but Yuri can hear the rustling too and she frowns, standing up a little straighter herself.] Of course they are. [Resigned, she sighs. Why can't things ever be easy.]
I think there's a stream near-by, we should try to wash any blood off of ourselves as best we can too. [And stay away from corpses. She spares the body another glance, expression grim before she moves on, leading them away.]
I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Kozukata Yuri. [A brief pause] Yuri is my given name.
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Dorian of House Pavus. [ he'd offer a slight bow, but the gesture would be lost, considering they're on the move. ] A pleasure, Yuri. A shame we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.
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['House Pavus' sounds fancy though and she glances over her shoulder curiously] Are you a noble?
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[ As for her question, he nods. ] On occasion, a "Lord" precedes my name. I suppose that doesn't matter much currently, however, given we're traipsing through overgrowth with no shortage of dangers.
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[She's...sort of joking?? A little. But really her job gets kinda boring and while she doesn't usually enjoy interacting with people she's at least getting better at it. And it breaks up the monotony of the day.
Also she probably should just take the day off after these dumb welcome games but whatever. Work ethics.]
Well... You're right about that. Unfortunately I don't think anyone in the city or outside this game will care much either. There've been princesses and kings and the like here before... I suppose it's a bit of a shock to most. [A pause and she adds] You're handling it well though. A lord who's used to traveling through undergrowth?
[Or at least good at covering it all up with sarcastic quips and great facial hair.]
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Something like that. [ Actually, it's exactly like that. ] At least this place has some semblance of humidity -- too often I'm wandering through frigid locales, these days.
[ He pauses, casting her a sidelong glance. He keeps his voice light, careful, when he speaks again. ]
I see you're still rather new to swordplay?
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She looks to her sword with a guilty sort of look and sighs] I suppose it's obvious. [Therefore, there's no need to really hide it. Yuri shakes her head] I only started learning a few weeks ago. This is the first time I've... really had to use it.
My... [She hesitates, wondering how to put this. She glances to him, then his staff, and wonders if it matters. Still, she tries to be delicate. Just in case.] abilities don't really help in situations like these. So... if I want to protect people and not be a burden...
[Yuri trails off, because the rest can sort of go without saying. If she wants to help and not bother people, she kind of has to get used to it, right??] I'm not-- Death doesn't bother me. But this is...a bit different. ["A bit."]
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Yes, exactly. [And then, voice softer, she adds:] Thank you. [For...what?? Who knows. Either way they reach the river a few seconds later, as Yuri promised.]
Pavus-san, [pavus-...sama?? She's not sure, she assumes 'Hosue Pavus' means Pavus is his family name but ?? ?? Who knows anymore. Yuri's trying to be polite okay] if you want to get the blood off of you, this is probably the only source you'll have for clean water for a while. [She assumes it's clean, anyhow. Hopefully.] Hopefully it'll throw any monsters off our tracks for at least a little while.
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Just Dorian is fine, really.
[ All the same, he kneels beside the stream, and the water does seem clean enough. He rolls up his sleeves and rinses his hands of any dried blood. As he's doing that-- ]
You mentioned "abilities," didn't you? [ The phrase had stuck out -- too deliberately chosen. ]
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[Yuri spends a few moments keeping watch, before moving to the stream to wash her arms and the sword while she's thinking of it. His question gives her a minor pause an she looks to him carefully, as if trying to figure out an ulterior motive behind it.
--Well, not that it matters. She doesn't need to use said abilities to try and read the emotions from him, because in the end he's been open about his own abilities, more or less (he did call himself a mage, though she's yet to see what that means, exactly) so she doubts her own powers would seem like much compared to that.
She resumes cleaning shortly though, sighing lightly.] I'm not used to talking about them. Where I'm from, most would assume I was just insane-- it's pretty rare. A few believe, especially in smaller communities, but... [That's not explaining anything Yuri get on track here. She taps the flat side of the sword, flustered, and continues]
I can do a few things. If someone loses anything or anyone, so long as they have something connected to the person or thing, I can track it down, no matter what. So long as it exists on this planet, of course. And, ah... I have a... connection to the dead.
[Yuri glances to him out of the corner of her eyes and then away again. My this water is interesting] I can see and speak to the dead. I suppose that draws them to me. And if I touch a spirit, or a body, I can... relive their last moments, see their last memories. That sort of thing. [Do you know how many times she's "died"? It kind of sucks.]
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You can speak with the dead? [ Curiosity, rather than doubt. ] Truly? How does that work, exactly? Is it as if the deceased has left behind some lingering consciousness, perhaps? Like examining the grounds of some recent scuffle and extrapolating what happened there?