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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When I first got here I had nutritional information printed on my shirt. [ He points at his chest. ] Most of it was low, except for the fat content.
[ He isn't calling....... her....... fat................ ]
You know more than I do, but this is sort of like being in a video game. I don't think you really need to be good at it to get by though, as it's just ... moving yourself around.
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O-Oh, I see now... that must have been pretty weird. I mean, who would even eat--
[ Something clicks in her head. ]
Wait a second, is everything here trying to eat people or what?!
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Well, sometimes. [ He tips his head. ]
There's usually a boss fight before the end.
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You answered that really easily! [ Chie is not happy to become monster food, and isn't going down without a fight! ]
Yeah, there always is, isn't there? [ She says, having never played a video game before... ]
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Well did you want me to think it over for two minutes then tell you? The good thing is that this place isn't real. It can be traumatic, but this isn't your real body.
[ Chie pls... You don't need to lie to someone from the 600/700s AD... ]
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That's good I guess... even if it doesn't make too much sense. It doesn't really feel like we're in a game, does it?
[ Which is probably a dumb thing to ask someone who hasn't played games, but hey. She ends up touching a leaf between her fingers, as if just checking the sensation.
But eventually she looks back over her shoulder. ]
Either way, I'm sure I can handle any monsters, I'm a Master in the Satonaka Style of martial arts after all!
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It's very realistic. You'll wake up after this aching all over, probably. Don't be too alarmed. [ It's funny too because things feel alive, sort of. It's complicated. ]
Then I'll be counting on your aid, shall I? But... [ ?????? ] the what style?
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That doesn't sound like it's much of a game if that's true. At least none I've ever played.
[ Not that she's ever touched any! ]
The Satonaka Style!! Practiced and created by your's truly!
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Have you ever physically been in a game before?
[ Exactly, Chie?! ]
...Maybe you should step behind me.
[ Because that doesn't sound like a legitimate style if you ask him. ]
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[ She's not sure how she could ever explain that to someone, but it's true.
Wow though. Just. Wow. There is NO way Chie is going to let some guy she just met "protect" her though. She's not afraid of some monsters!! So in response he gets Chie cracking the knuckles on her hands, her face looking serious. ]
I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that, and save you the trouble of being proven wrong. But I've killed more monsters than I can count, there's no way I'm letting one of these stop me when I just got here.
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You have?
[ Though why does this attitude remind him of Someone Else he's met here. If anything, he knows not to fight her over it, but... jesus. ]
Then I'm sure you can handle it alone then, can't you?
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I don't have to fight alone! [ The sounds of the brush being pushed away, and heavy footfalls on the ground, makes Chie turn toward it. A monster emerges from the underbrush, something gross that makes Chie's stomach churn, but she doesn't take even the slightest step back. ]
Persona!! [ A blue light appears in front of her just as the thing charges her, only for the light to be smashed with a jab from Chie, making a sound of shattering glass.
And appearing above her is a female samurai, twice her own height, floating in the air. The Persona moves on her own, sweeping the twin-bladed weapon in an arc and nearly slicing the monster in two. ]
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You didn't have to anyway. [ He only says it when the creature is all slice and diced. ] If anything really happened I wasn't about to just watch you take the hits.
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I'm gonna be the first kung-fu police officer in the future, so protecting other people is what I'm training for!
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Well it's nice to see that you're motivated?
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I uh... ended up realizing that protecting other people is important. So that's what I'm gonna do when I graduate. I want to make sure nothing bad happens to anyone I know.
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Admirable, but you may need to consider yourself first. When we're out of here, you can start worrying about things like that.
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It's okay. I got you to back me up in case I get over my head, right? [ She's laughing a little though... ]
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Right, ab-so-lu-tely. [ He draws out the word, eyes shifting to the side. ] Though let's keep moving to avoid needing that just yet.
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So what kind of fighting style do you know? [ Why does she assume he does?! Who knows. But she's going to move some of the brush out of the way, leading through the jungle! ]
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Though he just gives her a look for that. ]
Oh, I'm no fighter.
[ He follows her, probably almost getting thwacked in the face the first time she lets go of the brush and it springs back. ]
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It's her way of giving him a look right back, given she's in front. ]
So what was all that about "protecting" me?
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OW?! What is wrong with you?
[ Seriously, Chie... ] Just because I don't fight in the same way doesn't mean I can't protect someone.
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Only to instead hear something moving in the distance. ]
Quiet! Did you hear that?! [ She whispers, looking around. ] There's something out there!
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What kind of noise was it? [ He was too busy ranting away, sorry... ]
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