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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no subject
[ Roman's profile could be worse, but it could be better. It's the picture that he's most upset about, since how the fuck did they get that and what are people going to think of it? Especially paired with the quote. They're probably going to think that he rips people's throats out, which he sort of does sometimes but is trying so very very hard not to do. Great. Perfect. Fuck everything.
...no, really, fuck everything since when he chooses a profile he's dropped into the ballroom where everyone is rushing for weapons and then attacking each other. At least he's used to formalwear.
There's blood everywhere. His stomach growls. His head spins. He rushes for the pile to grab a weapon just to defend himself and comes out with an axe not unlike the one he's failed to use before -- good enough. He'll be trying to knock people out and away more than actually hurting them. He just needs to get out of here. ]
phase II;
[ This isn't any better. In fact, this is worse. Splattered with blood and smelling of love, he's a delicious target for monsters that he doesn't know if he'll be able to fight. So again, with the running.
He vastly preferred being naked in a cage to this, if he's being honest with himself.
It's difficult to run through a jungle, though, and he finds his axe getting caught on vines and his feet getting tangled in tree roots and eventually he's going to take a tumble. When he does fall his weapon goes flying and lands just out of reach, of course. He scrambles for it and spins around to face the monster that's caught up to him, screaming as he takes a swing from the ground. It hits and sinks in fairly deep but the monster seems mostly unaffected except to get angrier.
Roman's in trouble now. ]
wildcard;
[ Choose your own adventure; feel free to reply with your character in phases III or IV too! ]
ii
That should get its attention.]
Good job, Inugami!
[Naoki ducks out of some trees nearby, balks only a second at seeing this blood-splattered guy, before he hurries close.] Come on, get up, over here.
no subject
You don't have to tell him twice. Roman climbs the rest of the way to his feet and spares a look at the boy's strange markings before meeting his eyes. ]
Thanks.... I don't know if that'll stop it, we have to get out of here.
[ The monster does have a freaking battle axe buried in it to no avail, after all. ]
no subject
[Naoki's already turning-- while he's fairly confident he could take it out no problem, he doesn't want to risk making a ton of noise and drawing others, especially with company nearby. Especially with company soaked in blood where he's not certain if it's theirs or someone else's.] Inugami!
[The demon flicks through the air toward them, apparently knowing the otherwise wordless command well, opening its jaws again-- and you'd think it'd be about to spray some more fire but no, that's fog that it breathes out. Naoki tilts his head toward the fog-free jungle ahead of them as a let's go and starts moving.]
no subject
He has an easier time running without the weight of the axe on one side, and pitches himself full speed after his new acquaintance. The monster roars angrily behind them, knowing they're getting away, but Roman doesn't look back. He's just focused on getting as far as possible from the thing.
They come to a clearing with a river, where they'll have to turn and run along the water or cross it... Roman slows to a stop and considers washing off the blood -- the smell is making him sick with hunger and they seem to have escaped for now. ]
Hold up.
[ Maybe they won't be able to track him either, if he washes up. The bloody jacket is coming off and getting abandoned by the waterside, and Roman leans down to try and rinse his hands and face. ]
no subject
Naoki stops as Roman does, watching him, his demon looping about his shoulders before watching Roman as well with bright red eyes.]
You injured at all?
[Since they're taking a moment here.]
II
[At the sound of the screams, someone that appears to be a small child swings to hang upside down from a nearby tree.]
Can I have your food if you do?