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
Okay, nevermind that fact. The entire idea of being defensive about it has left his mind anyway by the time Ludger continues on speaking. Because if there's anything Shinpachi can't turn down, especially when he feels this hungry to begin with, it's food.
Apparently he doesn't even have to think about it, since he speaks up almost instantly after the other is done talking. ]
Deal.
[ Decided that easily, huh.. ]
You sure it won't attract a horde of.. [ .. how to even describe the monsters wandering around here.. ] .. those things? [ An attempt was made. Slightly. ]
no subject
[ ludger blurts out the words before even thinking about them... he probably shouldn't have commented on that at all, but his surprise managed to get the best of him there. other faults aside, at least this guy seems to be quite easygoing.
not that ludger's much different, when it comes down to it. ]
It probably will. [ sigh. ] Cooked meat has a pretty strong scent. We'll just have to deal with that problem when we get to it.
no subject
Although he lets out a slight sigh at what the other says.. yeah, if these things seem attracted to blood, then they probably sure will be attracted to cooked meat. Maybe those things have been eating the people they killed all along. (Gross - he doesn't want to think about that too much when he's finally about to have a meal.)
Shrugging off the thought, he makes the grip on his sword a little tighter and straightens himself. ]
I'll deal with it. [ He's better at fighting than at cooking, anyway.. ] You just deal with the food, and I'll take care of anything that decides to poke its ugly head out here.
no subject
he glances at shinpachi's sword for a moment, before just nodding. at the very least, he seems sure of his own sword arm, even if his dietary decision making is... questionable. ]
Alright, I'll leave that to you. For now, I guess I should start a fire. [ which, thankfully, he has no real trouble doing. he's far from a novice at cooking random things while on the road, in truly magical tales fashion. ] If it looks like you might be getting in over your head, let me know.
no subject
[ He doesn't really seem offended though.. It'd be hard to put that term to his expression, anyway. There's a wide grin there as if he's almost more excited than anything else to be facing hideous and dangerous monsters - which isn't entirely a lie, anyway, he does like fighting. Not necessarily these monsters, but.. whatever, if that's what it takes to show off his Manly Side here, he'll take it. ]
What do I look like to you? You think I can't even hold off a few of those small guys?
[ Yeah... Small......... ]
no subject
[ yeah that seems accurate. ]
Maybe I don't have anything to worry about after all.
no subject
But at least Shinpachi has been in this place for long enough before that he actually understands the modern (or at least, modern to him) terms that are being used there. Which means he knows it's a compliment (kind of, but he's taking it as one) and he grins widely. ]
That's right! [ PROUD. So proud that he shows off by temporarily raising one arm to show off his muscles. Amazing, right. Totally not distracted by this for a moment.. it's a good thing no monster decides to jump them for a moment. ] These muscles just scream "reliable", don't they? It's amazing!
[ Will Shinpachi ever be done metaphorically patting himself on the back? Probably not. ]