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
But he also figures out soon enough that he can't keep this up forever. There's so many NPCs, almost as if there's no end to them, and he realises that standing near the weapon pile isn't exactly the best position to be in. It'd be better to go find.. well, the exit to all of this. Or at least a safer position.
So even as he's fending off someone, he speaks up. ]
Hey, Mary-chan.. You think you can manage running alongside me or you think you're gonna need some more help with that? [ Because Shinpachi sure isn't opposed to carrying anyone. Just saying. ]
no subject
Or he can just bundle her under his arm like a football, it wouldn't be the first time. ]
no subject
Don't worry 'bout it then. Just trust me, alright?
[ But carrying her under his arm would be not very dignified (look, Shinpachi might not be good with girls, but he can at least understand some basics.. sometimes..) so instead, a moment later, he picks her up with one arm to almost more make her sit on it, holding her there in front of him. He'd princess carry her, but he really doesn't want to risk letting go of his weapon in a situation like this, so this is how it's going to have to be. Thankfully Mary is not that heavy and Shinpachi is pretty strong, so he'll manage for a little bit. ]
.. oh, and make sure to hold on!
[ He even gives her a small smile (it'd be bigger, but he's kind of preoccupied here with dodging these NPCs..) to try and put her a little more at ease before quickly making a break for it towards the room's exit. ]
no subject
Go, go, noble steed!! ]
no subject
.. but then they end up outside, where he runs for a little bit so he's not immediately in front of the exit, ready to be stabbed.. but he does stop after a little bit to glance at their surroundings in confusion.
Seriously, what is this ViViD level?
Shinpachi doesn't just want to charge in blindly, so he glances at Mary (yes, while still holding her, she's reluctant to put her down until he's sure there's no danger around). ]
You ever seen this before, Mary-chan?
no subject
[ Which is something he probably doesn't want to hear, but Mary doesn't make a habit of playing this game very often, for reasons like this. She still remembers the time that getting hurt had actually hurt, and truthfully, she doesn't know why people throw themselves into this game at all. ]
I wish they had happier levels, though...
no subject
So he takes a deep breath, trying to force his surprise down for now. Just take things as they come.. as long as he can protect Mary while they're here and find some sort of way out, it'll turn out fine. There's nothing breathing down their neck to kill them (yet), anyway, so they can take a breather.
Which means Shinpachi ends up putting Mary down again, making sure she's standing on both of her own feet before he fully lets go and instead lightly pats her on the head. ]
It's alright. I know this stuff sucks, but let's do something fun after this to make up for it, 'kay?
[ Not that Shinpachi knows if the place outside of ViViD would even still look the same as it did before he left, but he'd still try to find some way to keep his word all the same. It's Shinpachi, after all. ]
no subject
[ She says... very sternly... that's right, you ought to feel very very bad, Shinpachi, she was worried. And the majority of her big brother figures have since vanished, it's pretty darn tragic. ]
no subject
Except it works all the same, because Shinpachi is a big sap who genuinely does just feel bad if he lets down someone he gives a shit about. So his smile turns a little more wry, his hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. ]
Sorry.. not like I planned on it. [ Which is why he usually wouldn't apologize for it, but he'll make a special exception for Mary. ] You weren't too worried, were you?
no subject
Everyone keeps disappearing and I'm always the one who gets left behind!
no subject
The guy kneels down to be on a more even level with her, looking at her. ]
.. I'm sorry.
[ A little more genuinely this time - or more like he's taking his time to say it a little more.. He really does feel shitty about it now, even though he couldn't help it. ]
I wish I could just promise at least I won't leave you anymore, but.. well, we've seen it ain't really up to me, huh. [ Unfortunately. Shinpachi would fight whatever decided to throw people out and in of this place if he could - he'd prefer it. ] And I don't wanna promise something I can't live up to for sure.
[ He puts a hand on her shoulder. ]
But as long as I'm here, I'll do my best-- that much I promise.