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
[ he'll feel like a douche if that isn't one. IT WAS JUST SO MELODRAMATIC... marco stops just behind her, running a hand through his hair as she's perplexed. ]
[ ... and he looks back and forth. both ways look pretty similar and indistinguishable to him, especially for someone that hasn't been this way. IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING; these trust levels are rapidly deflating. ]
Well, it's one of the two. I'd choose wisely for both our sakes.
no subject
[She reduces her line to one word just so Marco will have to keep wondering if she's really being serious or not. Too many words and she'd risk a chance of blowing her cover. Her jokes continue when she lifts her foot and kicks a rock. It goes mostly straight, then lands a little to the left.
She looks down that path.]
The water's this way. I just remembered.
1/2
[ marco's potential douchebaggery is beginning to sink in. hook line and sinker, miu. ]
[ he watches the rock fly. and it turns out that he's held in an outburst for like three tags now, so it's time. ]
no subject
[ he needs a volume cap... and he's rounding on her again. ]
You don't know where water is at all!!
no subject
[She's still not answering.
Also, she's walking down the path the rock went already. She's pretty sure this is where the water is, so it works out for her. If she'd kicked the rock to the right, maybe she'd have said "let's not go that way." Or she'd let him go that way anyways.
Miu doesn't have a plan, this is all just a weird dream or video game or something. Or at least she wants to keep pretending that's what it is.]
Aren't you coming? When we get to the water, you're going to have to give me a cola, so you should probably stick close to me. It's definitely this way. I asked the rock, after all.
no subject
[ marco hesitates. a lot. his stomach tying into a familiar knot of anxiety. optimistically, water was there. pessimistically, she made the wrong choice and the water was in the other direction. an easy fix, perhaps, if they weren't to be met with monsters. ... and worse comes to worst, there was never any water to begin with.
alas, such would be life. ]
Hey.
[ she can probably hear his footsteps as he catches up behind her. ]
How long have you been wandering around alone like this, huh?
no subject
[She's still carrying tonfa, though.]
I guess I've pretty much been alone since this whole thing started, but I've had my warrior's spirit to keep me strong. It's a lot better than a bloody napkin, anyways.
[She's a rude little girl even while he might be trying to be nice .
But for the sake of showing him up, he'll start to hear running water any second now. It wasn't that far from where she'd sprung from the bushes, which is why she can find it without getting horribly lost.]
no subject
Haaa~ I see, I see! [ it confirms what he suspected— unless, of course, her companions had been murdered in front of her or something equally dismal. ] Well, I hope you won't mind too terribly when we part ways, then.
[ he'll draw a lovely, perfect and unopened bottle of cola from inside his coat. it's even clean, which is what makes it all the more amazing. marco's wary enough that he won't give fork it over until the river's in sight, but— ]
Sounds like you've made good on your promise.
no subject
[At least it was just inside his coat. She'll take it. She'll also save it, because the water is right here and it might be more fun to spray someone with soda than to drink it warm later. As they approach the river, things seem still. Everyone has already come and gotten water given how long they've both been in here.]
I told you it was this way. I'd never lie to you.
no subject
[ ... it's honesty. and the cola is all hers! the cap might be a bit difficult to get off, may have to knock it against a rock or anything. or else do it like a man and wrench it off with teeth alone.
seems still enough... after looking up and down its shore, ascertaining that there aren't any bodies floating down its current, marco kicks a pebble in. it doesn't acidly fizzle, appearing to instead plunk harmlessly to the bottom— nor does the kraken appear. so far, so good. ]
no subject
[How exciting!
Maybe she should shatter the bottle and turn it into a weapon, the possibilities are endless really. Even if she should take off the cap and try to fill it with water. This guy needs to start drinking from plastic, resealable bottles.]
no subject
[ or it's that awesome luck, but he won't repeat that. but yes, marco's apparently not an environmentalist. he fills his empty bottle with the water, takes a tentative sip— and doesn't die. ]
... I'll give myself six hours. [ that's when the poison of this will kick in.
next to be dunked is the gross handkerchief, followed by him shrugging off his coat. he glances back to her. ]
So, will you go, or...
[ he wants to eventually wash his shirt too miu :( while the monsters are still unaware of his lovesickness ]
no subject
[Don't mind her. She's just going to crawl over to this tree and lean against it, crossing her arms like she's cooler than Shade the Porcupine, the edgy version of Sonico the Porcupine.]
Six hours until you die, huh? I guess I have no choice but to stick around...make sure you're okay.
no subject
[ WHAT A LINE THAT IS... jeez, it's almost like tsunning, but he won't put that much stock into it. cue a heavy sigh as he dunks his gross jacket of his suit into the water. once, twice. ]
If you insist. I won't say you're better off alone, exactly, but... [ she could always outrun and / or trip him, after all! ] Well, if we're fortunate, we may run into some stronger people.
no subject
[What a good name that she came up with right on the spot.
But. Hmm.]
It's really okay, right? Or are you trying to get rid of me?
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[ straightening, sopping clothing in tow, he's slinging that soggy jacket over a low-hanging branch. please dry quickly... ]
I'm not going to try to get rid of you if you're lonely.
no subject
[Oh, well, she's just going to call him Freddy the next time they meet now.
She makes a shocked face and gasps.]
H-hey! I'm not lonely! I have lots of friends! I just...don't want to be friends alone with those monsters! It'd be better if we fought them off together!
no subject
[ it's $2,500 of pure pretentiousness ]
[ ah, miu... that reaction sure is something. cue a minute raise of the eyebrows. ] Ah, my apologies; I didn't mean to suggest you were friendless. ... Not that it isn't possible to be lonely with friends, but I'll believe you.
no subject
[That's it. That's the nickname she's using forever. He looks more like a Luigi (a compliment, really, Luigi and Yoshi are the best Mario Kart choices), but this'll do just fine.]
Great! Ah, it's such a relief. ...But what about you? Why are you all alone out here?
no subject
[ sure, "suit" was ambiguous, but a frog of all things!! he's preparing to be insulted. ]
I was separated, I'd say. Tends to happen if you and your rescuer mistakenly bolt in opposite directions... That, or there were more pressing matters to attend to.
no subject
[She knows this to be fact. She might be a PS2 girl at heart recently, but it's all about the classics.]
...Wait, someone had to rescue you? But you're all...Italian, right?
[She means "strong."]