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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iii.
... though she doesn't have it raised at all, considering shinpachi's not making a move for her. and asking her a rather innocent question.
milla cocks her head. ]
It's that or starving to death.
[ dryly. a small pause, and she continues. ]
It's fine. I ate a rabbit around here earlier—I wouldn't test my luck with the uglier things, but the normal looking ones should be safe. Poisoning us wouldn't make a very interesting death.
[ ceres was usually so much more humorous and morbid than that. ]
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(He might get a hint of a blush on his cheeks at how short the other's dress has become, though, but Shinpachi tries to shake it off as quickly as possible by rapidly shaking his head a few times. He has to at least keep looking cool here!) ]
A-.. ah. That's the kinda answer I was looking for.
[ Clears throat. YES. HE IS OKAY. NOT FLUSTERED WHATSOEVER, WHAT DO YOU MEAN. He's just going to stare at the deer here rather than at Milla, that sounds like the right solution to him. ]
You can never be sure if these things aren't the same on the outside as those.. other things. [ "Uglier things", like Milla herself had put it. ] Even if it's not an interesting death, there's plenty of bastards out there that seemingly still find it hilarious.
[ He could know. He's so caught up in his thoughts that that "bastards" slipped out, whoops.. thankfully Sano isn't around to hit him for it, since Shinpachi himself doesn't realise his choice of words there even now. ]
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[ just a side note, since she's noticed his odd behaviour. how cute, he's flustered. except her "oh cute" is more like "why is every guy so shy about a woman in a dress now that they're being chased by crazy npcs". look, she cares so much about his comfort levels that she's even. coming closer.
obviously she has absolutely no regard for shinpachi's comfort levels, as she kneels down to inspect Super Dead Deer. ]
I suppose you're right there, though. If they're just looking to kill us, no matter how those... bastards do it, they'd find it entertaining. [ this is not the demure woman anyone was looking for. ] So, are you going to risk it?
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It's why he sputters out a "h-hey!" in protest, but then tries to simmer down and deal before he looks even more embarrassing.. he's just going to try and not look too much at her, even though she's right there with him, kneeling next to him. Totally subtle. What do you mean, it's super obvious he's looking the other way? No way. ]
What'd be worse, dying from food poisoning or dying from hunger?
[ Said a little dryly, even through the embarrassment.. because it's obvious from the way he says it that he doesn't really consider either an appealing outcome of this situation and would rather avoid both. You know, as most people would. ]
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[ hah. yep. absolutely no mercy here for any of shinpachi's suffering. at least she's not coming any closer; all of her attention is, instead, on their deceased four-legged friend.
she's not even bothering to spare a glance at him, so at least he can rest easy knowing that milla's not looking at him... not looking at... her? ]
If it was me, I'd take the risk—well, I already did. Like I said, I ate a rabbit. [ a shrug. ] It's up to you whether you want to take the guaranteed death or not. If you eat the thing, at least you have a chance.
[ because really... he was dying anyway if he just decided not to eat. ]
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[ Okay, one time? He can let that slide, especially with how weak he can be when it comes to fierce girls.. But the second time it gets harder for sure. There's only so much he can take when it comes to his pride getting trampled before he starts feeling a little too pathetic.
Even if it means looking at her again.. but at least he's worked up enough about this issue now that he doesn't seem to be as distracted by Milla's dress right about now. ]
If you don't watch out, I'm gonna die from having my pride stabbed to death! [ Not that it's possible, but he feels like it's possible right about now, okay. You can start digging a grave for the little dignity he still has left, because it's all dying on the spot here. ] How am I s'posed to help it when you go around just..
[ .. give him a second, he's trying to think of words. THIS IS DIFFICULT. ]
Just-- l.. looking like that! Am I supposed to keep a straight face?!
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