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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Watch where you're...
[She breaks off after getting a better look at Chie.]
...Satonaka-san?
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Yuki-- [ Ah, no, it takes a second but she's certain she's mistaken on that. ]
Huh? Wait, how do you know who I am?! [ Apparently only one of them was wrong, because this girl knows her! This pretty girl knows her name?! How is something like that even possible?! ]
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It's a long story. The short of it is you've been here before, and I'd recognize you anywhere. We were friends, back then.
[She lets that hang in the air, her eyes roaming elsewhere, specifically towards the piles of weapons. And those NPCs...]
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Man... I'm sorry... I don't know what happened but I'm sure I didn't mean to forget who you are! [ Wait that's not the most important thing here: ] I'm pretty sure I've never been here though! I was just at my house like what feels like a few hours ago!
[ Maybe a little more than that, but the idea is the same. ]
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[Rei's smile doesn't falter, but her attention is only half on Chie, unfortunately. Concern's beginning to grow in her, and she reaches a hand out to take the other girl's, gently tugging her forward while she steps back.
Her voice lowers several octaves, pitched so only Chie can hear.]
And keep your voice down, follow me towards the back. I don't like this setup, and I've got a bad feeling. Just move slow, don't shout, and trust me okay? We want to be further away from that crowd when it happens, so just talk normally, act like nothing's wrong.
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[ But like any normal girl her age, there's plenty that Chie must imagine are still her secrets. Things she hopes are still her secrets. Then again, Yosuke and Yu had seen some of her darkest,but perhaps not as bad as what she saw of everyone else after her. Still! There's stuff she wants to keep for herself not. Not things she's denying, but things that she's protecting.
She's not a stealth type though, and it takes a second for her to realize what the other girl wants of her. Sneaky! Okay! She can try! Nodding she goes to yell but quickly covers her mouth! She's got this! ]
You know... you never told me your name...
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[Rei keeps her voice low as they fade back towards the wall, her eyes warily watching the NPCs still. Chie does raise a point though. Her name, and normal conversation.]
My name is Rei Hino. From Asakusa-ku, I'm the miko at Hikawa Shrine.
[Once they're safely towards the back...]
Chie-san, I know this is all pretty overwhelming, but I'll help you understand as best I can. Thanks for giving me some trust. I'll keep you safe until we can get out of here.
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[ Not that she's super into Shinto stuff, but like anybody else she goes every new year, and has hung out at the shrine in town a few times during the year! Plus... well, she kinda has met a god and all. ]
A-Ah, I mean, I guess I did meet you before. [ She tries to rationalize it all in her head but it's not easy. More importantly: ]
Hey, don't worry about me! I can defend myself! If you're a Miko then you should let me keep you safe!
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You don't know the rules of this place. And I'm not an ordinary miko.
[The flame vanishes, her attention focused entirely on the NPCs clashing with the other new arrivals and...mostly other NPCs, and it seems like they're more or less holding the line.]
Our best bet is to stay out of the way and make a bolt for the door. Not draw attention to ourselves with your Persona and my sorcery. Start moving to the left, watch my back and I'll watch yours.
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Not that that idea actually makes it inside of Chie's head. She still thinks about protecting her, because that's what she does. ]
I-I guess not... [ She has to concede those points, even if it doesn't make her happy. Fighting is what she's good at, thinking has never been. It's her motto after all~. ]
Right! I'm right behind you Hino-san!
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You’re not going anywhere, kids
[Rei gives her a bored look, and looks back at Chie.]
You go left, I’ll go right?
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Then they they find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or maybe between the sword and the club. Either way, Chie's smirking at Rei's suggestion, giving her a thumb's up. ]
Yeah! Look out, cause I'm not holding back! [ Dashing from a crouched position, Chie takes two step in quick succession, bouncing up a railing from the staircase. She soars through the air just long enough to twist her body, bringing her foot across the woman's face before she can react. ]
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Interestingly, the woman yowls in pain but there's no blood. Just a spray of pixels as Rei drives that knife deeper into the knee joint, and coupled with the shock of being kicked in the face it's enough to topple her.]
The door, Chie!
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And once the ground seems to shake, and she moans in pain, Chie looks up, from Rei to the door. ]
Right! I'm right behind you!
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Go!
[And together they rip open the door and out of the ballroom from hell, into…a steaming jungle…?
((ooc: with Capcha, an event soon, and the festival let’s call it here?))
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