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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phase i;
but what he does get is the fact that ViViD is weird. and that CERES is weirder. so it's not like it comes as all that much of a surprise to hear someone say that. he scrunches his nose a bit at what marco says, but shrugs.]
I didn't really look, but... I believe you. I don't think those things are ever right around here... they're always really weird.
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[ his tone is a blend of pity and... relief? relief in that he has the opportunity to speak with someone that might know more about this place than him (a likely scenario, all things considered). he offers roxas an amiable smile. ]
Tell me, what would you say is the weirdest thing you've seen here?
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Well... one time we all got taken from what we were doing and landed in a jungle, and we were stuck there for a while. There was a time when the books in the library made people act... weird. Like, really weird.
Not that long ago too... we were stuck in an abandoned part of the city. There were huge machine monsters and some other stuff too. [stuff he'd rather not get into.] Things are like that a lot.
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[ the wording of "some other stuff too" piques his interest, but he understands that the vagueness might hint to it as being a subject preferably left untouched. so, he thinks this all sounds like some ridiculous, crazy survivalist shit, but he's trying to word that more politely in his head. ]
Ah. That's... something. [ sure is. ] In other words, this place is completely unpredictable beyond being downright unpleasant.
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Yeah, kinda... When it's not being weird, it's not so bad. But all that stuff happens a lot, it's hard to get a break.
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Thanks for the info, I think. [ even if tidbits, they're something. ] But I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name's Maruko Reiji, though I would prefer to be called "Marco".
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Got it. I'm Roxas. [he offers a friendly enough smile; at the very least, he's gotten used to doing this from how often people show up.] I don't know as much as some people here, but I can try to help if you want to know anything else.
[or at least point him in the direction of someone who may know.]
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[ ah, he can appreciate willingly helpful people, he can— ] That'd be welcome. I'm sure once we're out of... here [ freakin' vivid ], I'll have several.
[ he wants to offer him a cola and say 'cheers to this not getting any worse!' but this seems like it might be... as good as it's going to get, judging by what's been said. and lo and behold, that's when the older gentleman begins his ascension to the podium.
marco points a finger to him. ] You know who this guy is?
[ well. as soon as he starts speaking, his identity likely won't matter much. ]
no subject
besides, it helps him deal a little with not being so pissy about how ceres goes about things—he's got a ton of bones to pick with them for the never-ending terrible events and the way people get treated—but it's something else to latch on to. he can be a brat and he has a hell of lot of problems to contend with, but he's a good kid when push comes to shove.
so he'll help.
of course, when the first order of business is identifying an unfamiliar face, he's not going to get far.]
I've never seen him before... He might just be someone who's only in this game or something. [a glorified npc? he's not sure.]
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[ ... been to a party since i've had all my teeth... ]
[ he blinks at roxas' answer, crossing his legs and folding his arms over his chest. honestly, he already thinks that sort of thing doesn't bode well, but then he's never been the peppy altruistic sort. ]
[ ... survives can leave this room. enjoy! ]
[ well. things sure did get interesting all of a sudden. ]
He's not— [ and watching as, seemingly instantly, NPCs begin to swarm. ] He's not kidding, is he?
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I don't think he is. It's still a game, but—
[a game, meaning there's not much consequence to "dying," probably. most of the time it just gives them a game over and boots them back into the world proper, but sometimes? things get weird. and things always seem to be doubly weird when there are new people involved.
the npcs swarming around the weapon selection and going after others is unsettling to say the least, and while roxas isn't quite at the point of summoning his keyblades just yet, he's ready. his body tenses, and he looks to marco to ask a very important sort of question.]
...Do you know how to fight?
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Haa, a game. And surviving is winning?
[ that's almost... dull. a cliche of a horror video game, this is. not that marco's plaed too many of those; the fact that it's virtual makes it feel all to real. he looks to roxas, eyebrows raised, a grimace in tow. ah, it's unbelievably difficult to remain calm; he has to think long-term survival here, evidently.
he would rather win, after all. ]
About as well as your average football player. [ that's not terribly straightforward, is it. ] ... But against those with weapons, I'll hardly stand a chance.
no subject
Football? [he doesn't know what that it, but that's another one of those things that should probably be questioned later.
but if marco's saying that he won't stand a chance, he can imagine it's not anything helpful. not everyone can fight, after all. so maybe marco will get a bit of a show and learn a bit of what vivid is all about.
...and probably a bit about what a multiverse of abilities can do.] I can fight if they get near us... but we should probably just try to find a way out of here.
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You think so?
[ he's looking to the crowd surrounding the weapons— ah, already, there's bloodshed. some unfortunate npc gets skewered with a katana. marco's stood from his seat, nearly knocking it over in the process, taking a step away. ]
... Without a weapon? [ not that he's suggesting they go near there... but looking roxas up and down, it's not something he immediately pinpoints. ] You have one?
no subject
it's not exactly the sort of thing he wants to see, though it's not as if he has much choice aside from averting his gaze just enough that he doesn't have to witness too much of the bloodshed head on, but still so that he can see and be aware of anything that comes their way.]
Yeah. [he realizes that just saying that may sound strange to someone who doesn't know how this all works. a lot of people don't just summon their weapons from wherever summonable weapons are stored, and for someone totally new to the colony, it may be even more surprising.
so the show's about to begin, with roxas holding both hands out at his sides. the flash of light in his left hand summons oathkeeper, while and tufts of darkness in right summon oblivion. of course, the fact that they're giant keys and not normal swords is another matter entire. but hey, whatever gets the job done, right?] We have to get to the other side if we wanna get out of here.
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