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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Crescent Beam!
[a beam of energy seems to emit from that finger, and it shoots one of the monsters. it doesn't take it down, only wounds it, which annoys the Soldier of Love. she'll have to hit it with everything she's got]
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Though she won't make Venus do everything alone, as she's already stepping up, dropping her hips into a fighting stance. ]
Let me get a shot in! I've got a lot of experience in this! [ Bursting forward, she sends a flurry of kicks straight at the nearest monster's face, knocking it back as it cries out in pain. ]
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Nice! [she says when Chie is back at her side again] I think we can take these guys out without any trouble. [Venus' hand moves to her waist where she finds her chain. she pulls it free with a whipping sound and a wink at her current partner]
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[ She's a connoisseur of weapons too, even if her true love is straight up martial arts. Also, never mind that that wink makes Chie suddenly turn red, turning her back to the other girl. Weird. What could have caused that?
Better not think about it. ]
I'm Chie by the way, it's nice to meet you!! [ She introduces herself politely, even as she's rushing forward, swinging her leg in an arc against the nearest monster, before pivoting and driving it straight out, knocking the thing back a few feet. ]
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She watches Venus' attack, seeing the opening at the perfect moment and rushing to take advantage of it. ]
I'm gonna go all out! [ With a battle cry she summons her Persona with a kick to a glowing card that appears in front of her. Above her Haraedo-no-Okami emerges from nothing, bringing it's double-ended blade in a spinning flurry across the bound monster, making it cry out in pain. ]
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Venus readies another attack, raining down beams of light and energy now that she's further away from Chie. the shower splinters the monster, and soon it is down for the count] Nice!
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That was some pretty cool teamwork there! You're pretty amazing! [ IGNORE THAT. Why did she say that?! ] I-I mean... ah...
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So are you! [she's perfectly happy with being called amazing, okay?] What was that thing? [she gestures to the area above Chie's head, curious, but also exhilarated from the fight]
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Ah, and now she's being complimented back?! Chei can't hide her awkward smile, raising an arm up behind her head. ]
Oh that... well, it's called a Persona. It's kinda like... a "manifestation" of your self-image, you know, that we can use to fight with! Sorry it's hard to explain and I'm really bad at it..
[ Really, Chie is the worst at explaining, and she's still riding high on being complimented! ]
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Y-Yeah, I guess so. I never thought I'd meet someone who can shoot lasers and stuff, but that's pretty cool. How did you... get your abilities?
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Let's see... I guess I was born with them. [she smiles, tilting her head] A long time ago, I was the Princess of Venus, and a guardian of the Moon Kingdom. So when I was reborn, I had all the same powers that I used to.
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P-Princess?! [ Wow, that's certainly surprising. And somehow the most surprising part of all of that to Chie. ] I-I mean, I totally could have guessed! [ Why, because she's so pretty? ] Ah, wait a second, s-should I call you Venus-sama? Or maybe Hime-sama?
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S-Sorry.. I've never really met royalty before! I mean, Mom always tried to teach me how to talk to people higher up than me, but I was never very good at it...
But that's still pretty cool! I'd love to hear what the moon's like sometime! Does it have a lot of rabbits?!
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But they really ought to get out of this stupid ViViD game and probably end this thread! ]
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