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
[Perhaps now is not a good time to tell him that sometimes CERES makes light of it. Which is why they still have no idea if CERES is correct in their attempts to help this world.
After waving her hands--] I was from the same. Technology hasn't even progressed this far. Being dragged out of an another world and installed here, impossible.
[But more importantly.] How are you feeling? Are you injured?
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Maybe he can learn the ropes from her so he can adjust to this place as he's stuck here now.
When he hears the other's question, he takes a quick look at himself. With all the excitement going on and his blood rushing, he wouldn't have noticed any injuries if he were to have gotten any of them. Thankfully he's been lucky to just get by with some crashes from avoiding close calls. ]
I think I'm good. Thanks.
[ Now that he's calmed down a bit... ] You said something about not caring about winning? There's a way to get out of this without winning?
no subject
A sigh of relief when he answers as well. He's done well to keep up, despite being thrown randomly into a place that is reenacting a survival death match.]
I will explain this place first. It is a game in ViViD. It's like virtual reality, which means it's not real. At least not here. Winning means you will be allowed to reap the benefits, like points, and some people make a job out of it. Losing means you get ejected out of the game. Although you may suffer something for doing so. [She doesn't know what the death penalty is here yet, so she can't tell him what it is.] Regardless, whichever way you choose to leave this game, you will be fine.
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He listens to the explanation quietly. The game part, he kind of figured from the presentation he received, but before he could sit down to process the information, he was thrown back into this game.
Basically a super realistic game. ]
And what if you get killed here?
[ Mortality is an important issue, right? He can't seem to recall what those people said about death. ]
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If you get killed here...well, it depends on the game. Some would have penalties and punish you a bit. I'm not entirely sure if this game would have one. But should you die, you usually would get ejected out of the game.
[She looks around, so far still safe. But not knowing if a monster will come out for them, she's trying to make this to the point.] So it ends up being up to you if you want to try surviving long enough to learn more about this place, or leave, knowing there could be consequences.
Oh! What unfortunate fate you suffer here won't be carried over when you leave the game. And if there is a glitch or two, they are usually temporary.
no subject
...Alright, cool, I guess. Ain't that cool about bein' stuck here, but what can we do, right? [ He'll just stick through with it, now that he's here. ]
Thanks for taking the time to explain.
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It is not a problem. I was once in your position too. Suddenly sent to some new universe and needing some advice.
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So I'm guessing all the actual participants in this place are all from somewhere else?
[ Pretty much started off in a similar situation, or something? That's a a little reassuring for Kuramochi, even if it's not something to be happy about, since worlds being destroyed and all. ]
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Yes. We all got the same presentation before being placed into this world. Many of them will help you as much as they can.
[She wasn't sure if she should tell him about the Sanctuary right here, in a CERES created zone. But she will, once she gets the chance.]
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...That lame ass presentation? I couldn't get most of the shit in my head with how fast they were going.
[ Kuramochi may be in a sports team, but there's a bunch of members on the team who normally won't go cooperating outside of baseball. And Kuramochi is one of them. He's going to have to treat this ViViD stuff as baseball practice and matches if he wants to get far... ]
no subject
That's accurate. Your description of it. It made no sense, so I had to get all my information from others.
[Don't worry, Kuramochi, it kind of helps when being given some choices! And if they live normally enough outside of ViViD, all will be well.]
no subject
...Wonder if they'd think about redoing that presentation, then, if there's people being confused as hell from it.
[ And then that's when he realizes he has yet to know the other's name. It only takes him this long to realize only because he was so stressed out a little while ago. ] Sorry, haven't introduced myself yet. Name's Yoichi Kuramochi.
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[Then she straightens up, and bows her head politely.] It is nice to meet you, Yoichi Kuramochi. My name is Vietnam.
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Sounds like some sadistic bunch...
[ He feels a bit awkward when he's received the polite greeting, and scratches his cheek. ] ...Nice to meet ya. Just call me Kuramochi, that's what the guys back at home called me usually.
[ Other than the occasional "Yo-san" by the closer teammates, but that's gotten rare after graduating middle school. ]
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I wouldn't be surprised. One of them, Mosley, likes to talk in circles. [At least that's how she feels whenever he starts talking.]
Kuramochi. [She repeats again, just to make sure. If that's what everyone else calls him, then she'll just follow suit! Especially if it makes him comfortable.] The guys being your...classmates?
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More importantly... ]
Yeah. And teammates at school. I [ he hesitates for a moment before continuing, ] used to play baseball. Well still am, kinda? Being at practice is the last memory I have before I ended up here, so.
[ He gives another frown, feeling a little sour about it. Would his teammates be gone, as well? Maybe it's worth a try asking this person if she's ran into any others. ] ...You've seen anyone who plays baseball?
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Baseball? [That sounds familiar already, seeing as she met someone who enjoyed baseball as well.] I think you can still play baseball. There was one a small competition here, organised by someone who played baseball. He has long since gone home.
[But, he's not the person she met today.] I met someone who said he loves playing baseball, in this game as well. Miyuki.
no subject