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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So instead she nods in acceptance and hesitates at the question.] I... I'm not sure. [Her brow furrows in concern and she shifts uncomfortably. It's still a little strange to talk about, since she'd been keeping it on the down-low for so long.]
I've been able to see impossible things for a long time now. I'm not sure why or how. Things that shouldn't exist, or the dead... Stuff like that. I guess he falls under that umbrella. [She tilts her head] Is it bad, that I can see him? It's not like I can go around telling people. I think most would just think I was crazy.
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At least to understand. Giorno crosses his arms across his chest and places a hand under his chin. She's quick to want to assure him that she wouldn't go blabbing. Interesting. ]
It isn't bad, but it does mean that you're special. [ Giorno relaxes and places a hand onto his hip. ] I call him Gold Experience.
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'Gold Experience' sounds like a mouthful, but she eyes the stand with open curiosity.] Does that mean something? Or is it just a name? [That is, does it have some connection with what he could potentially do or...??]
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While he's thankful for Gold Experience he can imagine the isolating feeling something like Stands might give to those who never understood. ]
It's a name I chose for it. [ And since she told him about what she was able to do, he'll share a bit. She could see him after all. ] He gives me the ability to give life to things.
[ To demonstrate, Giorno will pull off a button from his suit sleeve and moments later have it transform into a butterfly. A real-life moving butterfly that flaps it's wings twice before crawling further up his arm. After all, seeing was believing, wasn't it? ]
But I respect your desire to be normal even if I'm thankful for these abilities given to me.
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She watches, curious, and while he'd told her as much, it doesn't prepare her for actually seeing it in action. While normally fairly muted in her emotional reactions, even she can't help but gasp, eyes wide in a sort of surprised delight.] It changed! [Of course it did, he was there too he's the one that did it sheesh. The corner of her mouth lifts, a hint of a smile. Honestly it's too cool, what a neat power.]
Mm. I'm thankful for them as well now, though I wasn't in the beginning. [Really...really wasn't.] I can help people, and that's... all I really want to do.
[She leans in a little and curiously reaches out towards the butterfly.] Is it okay to touch? Is it real?
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Please be careful not to harm it.
[ He doesn't explain the reason to as why he felt the need to say that given the fact that she doesn't appear to be the kind of person who would. It was her word that she wanted to help people, after all.
However, if she proved him wrong and did, then the damage that the butterfly suffered would be reflected back onto her...and if it wasn't too severe he could always heal that too. Pretty much this was a test without being a direct test. ]
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[She brings her hand up to peer at it a little closer, a hint of a smile as she watches it clean its front legs.] And yet they'll still land on us of their own free will sometimes. [Where is she going with this?? Not even Yuri knows. Just an interesting thought.]
Oh-- Sorry, I didn't introduce myself, did I? [She bows politely.] Kozu-- Er, that is, Yuri Kozukata.
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A Japanese name. ]
It's a pleasure to meet you. [ He'll give her a little bow at the waist. ] I'm Giorno Giovanna—would you like me to address you by your family name?
[ Even though he was raised in Italy, his mother was still Japanese and it was inevitable that he picked up on some of the customs. ]