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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[her tone is half teasing, half serious, and the expression she wears doesn't entirely clear up the matter of which she truly means. but the question is one that she intends to follow through on - these things were relentless, and she can't fault someone for being jumpy.]
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...Yes. I promise. [ Because she's either shallow or so deep she sees right through to what makes a person worth helping every single time, regardless of her attitude. ]
A - A hero always keeps her promises.
[ Or something like that. ]
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[and Grell chuckles behind her hand, not saying what she finds so amusing about the word, but straightening up all the same. her dress is dyed in blood, but surely that was all necessary. she's just grateful that magic quieted for now. when she leaps down from the tree, she lands lighter than should be possible.
not long to linger on that before she sweeps Rapunzel up in her arms like a princess properly deserves. Grell's hold is strong and secure, and she hops back up in two smaller leaps, higher than a human could and without any strain shown at all. when they're back at a safe height, Grell sets her back down very gently, the branches at their level more stable and trustworthy.
(she also may have set down a force spell just to make sure there would be no falling if someone misstepped.)]
My apologies for not asking permission before assisting you, my lady, but I thought you would appreciate speed with these creatures and their utter determination to root us out.
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...In any case, Rapunzel is beginning to regret her choice, because it seems to precede some sort of heroic reputation - one she most certainly does not have or deserve. What kind of hero lets people pick them up, carry them around, and set them down again? This is not the first time!!!
Flushed but grateful, she merely nods. ] I-I understand. You did what you had to do! [ Then, realising the whole point of this is to fight other people, reconsiders: ] ...I think. Who are you? How long have you been out here? You don't seem, uh, worried by any of this.
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[she very nearly added one of her titles onto her name, but when so many people already were just calling her Grell...]
And now I must ask, what can I call you?
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[ Oops. Maybe that was too hasty. Fair is fair and Grell did give her name first, but... She shakes her head, hoping that by doing so she'll also shake off the suspicion. ]
Yes. Rapunzel. My name is Rapunzel and it is - good to meet you, Grell Sutcliffe!! Very good. Ah– [ This is how you demonstrate manners, right!? ]
Heh.
What makes you think anything you've been told is a lie?
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[that's probably not the clearest way to talk about something, but with what that man had said about needing to keep certain things secret...it isn't like she can smear blood on the young woman's lips and expect her to handle it, even if it was part of silence.]
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[ Discretion has never kept her from seeking out knowledge. ]
Especially if it's a long story. [ She lifts and cocks her head, watching Grell carefully, appraisingly. ] The longer the better.
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[plus it gives her time to prepare and to condense the story she wants to tell. no need to take an entire day to explain her point, though she could undoubtedly expand it to two days if she wanted to be really dramatic and really detailed.]
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[ And this is the first time she's been on the receiving end of such an unusual offer. Rapunzel steps away from the solid safety of the tree trunk for a moment, peering over the edge. She smells no less like blood (or love) than before; if there are any monsters left after everyone's been fighting for so long, they'll certainly come after the duo eventually...
Back to Grell: ] And... you're confident we'll survive? That's good to hear.
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[like the boy in the tree had told her about. there's no monsters around them at present, the bloodied romantic maidens they are, which offers a moment of peace.]
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[so blase about this...]
But someone mentioned something about a checkpoint. And if you're inquiring about weapons, I managed to find a sword which has served me quite well.