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
...Nah, it still seems like it'd taste really gross and bland?! But hey, he's not here to tell Shinpachi how to live his life.]
It shouldn't be poisonous? People've been eating the animals here just fine without keeling over so far, anyway. [GOOD ENOUGH.]
"Boring" is probably the best taste you're gonna get out of it, but if you don't care, it should be fine.
no subject
He's pretty sure anything would taste good right about now anyway, it's been a long time since he's ever felt this hungry. ]
.. You sure? You saw someone eat this stuff? [ Just making sure, okay. Shinpachi's trusting, so if Kashuu said he saw it, he'd believe him.. but he at least wants to make sure he has an actual witness account here before he tries something stupid. (Even if "trying something stupid" is practically a daily activity when it comes to Shinpachi.)
And yes, he's asking it that way rather than directly asking if the other has had some. Which has less to do with the fact that Kashuu is actually a sword (does he know? who even knows, probably not, from how casually he's speaking) and more with the way the other worded it to begin with. ]
no subject
[Because there are plenty of benefits to being a sword without a real body! Like not needing to sleep or eat, and being able to taste-test for poisons without actually dying. What a handy skill...
Honestly, if he seems displeased about the prospect at all, it's only because he doesn't want to deal with boring meat. He didn't have to eat any of the food back in the Shieikan days since he was still just a spirit without even a fake body, and he never had to worry about starving during his days by the river, but he's been spoiled with Tasty Food ever since he was summoned into the army... He doesn't want to give that up, like the picky eater he is.]
no subject
.. well, that, or he's just particularly daring when it comes to potential poison or monster guts. Who knows. ]
Hey, don't you see me? I'm a man, y'know! [ He uses his free hand without the sword to pound against his
rock-hard pecschest a few times, a hint of a proud grin in his expression. ] What kinda man would let someone else take the fall when it comes to these things? I'd practically have to give up my rank if I let you taste test this![ #1 rule of the Shinsengumi, of course.. Don't let others taste test your food.. ]
no subject
I mean, I'm not gonna argue with that. [About whether or not Shinpachi is a MANLY MAN because clearly he is.]
But if it comes down to taste-testing dangerous things, you should definitely leave it to me! Humans are way less durable. Like, you'll totally end up barfing or something if something's wrong with it and it makes you sick. That'd just be gross!
[Gross and also kind of concerning, even in ViViD...]
no subject
But aside from the fact that barfing also doesn't sound very manly dignified (DESPITE.. HIM PROBABLY HAVING DONE THAT ENOUGH AFTER GETTING A LITTLE TOO DRUNK...), there's something else that stands out more about what Kashuu says. Maybe some puzzle pieces are slowly falling together in his head? Maybe?? Find out more on next week's episode. ]
Oh.. you're one of those non-human things. [ LOOK.. He can't narrow it down that easily, okay. He's met so many people who weren't human in some way that he can't just say what Kashuu is on sight. How long has Kashuu been seventeen?
It might not be the most sensitive way of putting things, no, but Shinpachi is just.. he tries, okay. ]
So eating bad stuff isn't dangerous for you?
[ Because that does change things. ]
no subject
"ONE OF THOSE NON-HUMAN THINGS", THOUGH. Wow! Wow, Shinpachi. Kashuu's nose immediately wrinkles like he's been presented with an offensive plate of spoilt food or something...]
I'm a tsukumogami! [HUFFS AND PUFFS.] A sword spirit! [...So "non-human thing" is actually entirely accurate here, but he'll still fuss over it like a right and proper brat.
But it's not enough to make him recant on his earlier suggestion, so he nods once more!]
Ex-act-ly! This body was made by Haruji, so it can't actually get sick or hurt or whatever. If something's wrong with the meat, I probably won't even barf, but I'll be able to tell something's weird.
no subject
Especially since they're swords. Swords! Swords are important as far as Shinpachi is considered, and so he has to blink for a double take before making sure that yes, that's really what the other just said. ]
A sword spirit.
[ REPEATING IT. YOU KNOW.. JUST FOR CLARITY.. SO THEY'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.. ]
So you're actually a sword? [ Nevermind food, food can wait now!!
.. at least for a few minutes. ]
no subject