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
It's a good thing that rather than just plain being offended by it and possibly getting angry, Shinpachi is more the type who's caught off guard by this sort of stuff - especially if it comes from girls. Especially in this sort of situation. It's just about the last reaction he expected, which means he just ends up staring in surprise at Lili for a moment, his jaw almost hanging on the floor. ]
H-.. hey!
[ He sounds more awkward than anything else, despite the fact he's raising his voice here.. An awkward big muscled man with a sword. ]
I'm just tryin' to help you..!
no subject
Then be more purposeful about it instead of spewing your dumb curses and just grabbing hold without even a warning! What kind of brute are you...?!
[Lili, this may be neither the time nor place.]
no subject
But he does snap back to reality soon after. Okay, sure, she has a problem with him, but that doesn't mean they can just stand around here like this and argue, that sounds incredibly counterproductive. The moment he thinks that there's in fact one of the NPCs already jumping at them, only stopped by a timely swing from Shinpachi's sword. At least it means that he has to let go of her hand, since he can't put proper force into it with one hand only..
The guy quickly turns to look at Lili once he's sure no one is going to jump them immediately after. ]
Listen.. Can we.. [ It feels so weird to do this in the middle of battle. Look, he's already bad enough at talking to girls (or at least, not really all that smooth), can we stop rubbing it in while their lives are being threatened? ] Can we just talk 'bout this later? You can yell at me all you want, just not right now!
no subject
There's a distrustful look, but even as she can hear the sounds of struggle begin to fill the room as others begin their battles, she can recognize the sense in his words.]
... Don't touch me without warning again.
[Which is her own warning that she'll probably be even angrier if he tries it again. Regardless-]
But you're not a complete imbecile. Move for the exit then!
no subject
But Shinpachi is so incredibly weak when it comes to girls that he can't help but listen to her all the same. It really is better to get out of here, and despite her reactions, he can't help but want to make sure she's alright. Shinpachi isn't the kind of type who can just watch someone looking weaker than him getting hurt in front of him.
(Even if there's a momentary slightly flustered blush reaction to that comment. Why is he so whipped. Why.) ]
Follow this not a complete imbecile then, I'll cut a path through! [ YES HE'S JUST A LITTLE BITTER OKAY.
But at least she seems feisty enough that he can probably count on her sticking close to him instead of standing there frozen. It's why he gives her a last glance before he starts to move - WITHOUT.. dragging her along.. he's learned his lesson, despite that being what he would have done with anyone else - to make a path through the fighting masses. ]
no subject
Still though, the salty comment in response just manages to earn a quirked eyebrow in response from Lili. She's still getting used to people talking back to her.... but she's not taking her comment back yet! Maybe she'll apologize when they're outside but she's still not content with the fact that she was dragged along for right now....]
I'm trusting you!
[But... she's really 60% dere 40% tsun, so. Letting Shinpachi know that she's relying on him, even as she's running after him. Definitely not interested in sticking around here any longer or letting herself get caught unawares so that he has to save her. That just sounds troublesome.]
no subject
But someone trusting him, relying on him.. that's important. It means he can't fuck it up, because Shinpachi would be damned if he'd ever let someone get hurt while he's there to be able to stop that from happening. His grip on his sword tightens just a little because of it, and despite the complete chaos of the masses, he's able to cut a way through for the both of them.
Even though the outside is.. well, still confusing. Shinpachi is no idea what he has to expect from this jungle (other than "more danger", knowing this place) but after they're out of the way of the NPCs, he finally turns to her. The way he looks her up and down should tell her enough that he's making sure she made it out okay. Even if she insulted him, Shinpachi cares - it's just how he fuctions. ]
You hangin' in there?
no subject
bye felicia.]