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.
|
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. ] |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
is ... is she implying she can camoflage herself?
still squinting uncertainly at her, kakyoin jolts when she suddenly reels back the spear. ]
-- wait -- !
[ nope, too late. the spear's already sailing through the air. fortunately, it misses him, thunking solidly into the monster's skull. less fortunately, kakyoin's reflexive flinch means his footing was a little precarious, and he's promptly flung to the ground when the monster starts thrashing from the blow. ]
no subject
[ Which is about all she's going to say on the subject, since talking under pressure seems less her forte than acting under it.
Feeling rather like a mango heroine herself, fresh with resolve and determination, Rapunzel grits her teeth and starts waving her arms back and forth. ] HEY! [ Couldn't hurt to jump up and down a little, either. She probably smells more like "love" (quotes courtesy of Rapunzel herself) than blood now that it's mostly dried, so – ] PICK ON SOMEONE... Uh.
...MY SIZE! Pick on someone my size!
[ Yeah, all right, so not talking is going to be more of a challenge than outrunning the monster itself. Whatever! ]
no subject
the monster's started slowly lumbering towards rapunzel, already heavily compromised by the spear to the head, but there's a sudden burst of light as a barrage of gleaming emeralds explodes from the bush kakyoin's been throw into. they hammer into the monster's head just hard enough to send it stumbling sideways, then it collapses onto the ground. ]
What were you thinking, trying to draw its attention while unarmed?
[ kakyoin sighs as he emerges from the bushes. he still has a few twigs and leaves stuck in his hair, cheeks scratched from stray branches, but he jogs over to rapunzel and looks her over first. ]
You aren't hurt, are you?
no subject
God bless Cerealia. ]
I... Ah... Ye-Yeah, I'm – [ She shakes her head, pushing feathers and blonde hair streaked with blood out of her face and eyes, still half-stunned but at least with enough presence of mind to answer questions now. The fight ended so quickly! What did he even do...? ]
I'm... fine. Thanks. How, ah, how are you? That was a, uh. Heh. Hard landing!! I guess.
[ SLICK ]
no subject
in the end, he settles for giving rapunzel a thin smile. ]
All I did was finish it off. Your spear did most of the work. I owe you my thanks.
[ that totally answers all her questions, right? right. time to move on.
he scuffs a hand against the scratches at his jaw, squinting only briefly at the blood that comes away on his hand. ]
I'm fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises.
no subject
[ Frowning, Rapunzel steels her resolve and approaches the stranger. It isn't the casual violence of his actions that have stunned her, after all, and she isn't afraid. What's incredible is how strong he is.
Everyone in Cerealia seems strong. After all this time - weeks and weeks - it's still a shock. ]
Let... me thank you, as well, then. This would've gone on much longer if it had been just me. Where did you learn to fight like that?
no subject
Ah, speaking of which, I guess we should get your spear back. Wandering around this area without a weapon sounds like a bad idea.
[ kakyoin strides back to the monster's body, stepping around to where the spear's still sticking out of its skull. he can't help grimacing slightly at the gore as he gingerly grabs the spear's handle, but he still gives it a good tug. ]
I can't say I've ever formally learned to fight. But I've had to deal with some tough situations shortly before I, ah, ended up here. Experience may be the best teacher.
[ the spear's lodged in pretty good. another hard yank yields a gross squelching noise, but it only comes out halfway. ]
no subject
Rapunzel sighs, pleased. ]
I'm glad someone gets it.
[ As he's talking and giving the spear his best ("tough situations" is certainly a new euphemism), she wanders around the edge of the small clearing created from their fighting, checking to make sure there are no lingering monsters or enemies hiding at the perimeter.
Once satisfied, she returns to Kakyoin's side and crouches in front of the monster just in time to get more blood and viscera on her cheek. ]
I can't believe CERES keeps putting me in beautiful clothes and making me get them all bloody. Can I try? [ Already she's winding her hair around the smooth end. ] You're... gonna want way more leverage. Oh, yeah, and–
Do me a favour? I need you to pull on my hair on the count of three.
no subject
although that doesn't stop him from looking very confused when she ... winds her hair around the weapon. ]
Ah. [ a slight start when she turns to him, his gaze flickering uneasily from her, to the spear wrapped in hair, then back to her. ] I'm not sure if I'm allowed -- if I should do that.
[ even if her hair does look unusually long. isn't there a saying that a woman's hair is her life? not to mention, surely, it would hurt. ]
I think I can probably get it out, if you could just tell me what to do.
no subject
[ His uncertainty is understandable, but a novelty, and thus - it's endearing somehow! He's been so patient with her thus far and now she's repaying his consideration by confusing him with strange orders.
Besides, her boyfriend should be the only person allowed to pull her hair!Rapunzel glances over her shoulder, uses her grip to actually climb a little ways up the side of the monster so she can acrobatically brace herself against it, and smiles. ]
Trust me, it won't hurt a bit! Just - pull as hard as you can, all right? Way quicker that way.
no subject
Alright. Then, excuse me.
[ it's said rather stiffly, and kakyoin's movements falter; even when he reaches forward for her hair, he hesitates for a moment before making the grab. why does it still feel like he's doing something he shouldn't be doing ....... ]
Please let me know if it hurts at any point.
[ his expression's close to a grimace, but he grabs tight, bracing himself so he can pull on her signal. ]