You know what everyone needs after rampant robotic attacks and another iteration of clone wars? A vacation! That’s right everyone, you deserve this. CERES understands what you need. CERES is here for you all the time, so never doubt that this is a pleasure colony, and they are here to look after all of your needs. Kick your feet up, relax, and let CERES Recreation and Activity Necessity Keepers (Team RANK, that is) set you up with your ideal getaway.
It’s as if you can sense the incoming relaxation and luxury before you even completely finish loading. There’s the warmth encompassing your entire body as your code gets transferred into this particular ViViD Level. A cool, refreshing breeze hits you. The sounds of waves gently lapping against the coast fill you with relaxation. The sun, the sand, the surfs, it’s all there – welcome to the beach, baby!
An echoing greeting message from the ocean comes next, if you can translate it.
 OOOOOOOOOOOOHMAHH GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHD.
YOOOOOOOOOOOORRRALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOO KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT.
KYOOOOOOOOOOOT EEEENAAAAUUUUUUUF TOOOOOOOOOOOOO EEEEEEEEEEEEEEET.
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PHASE I [ 08 00 ] That said, isn’t that breeze a little… too strong? It feels like it’s brushing up against all of you, if you know what I mean. When you open your eyes and look down, it becomes rather clear why. It seems that you’ve found yourself in some pretty interesting attire. Everyone. No exceptions. You appear to have two options – be overcome and scream like the Victorian maiden your heart says you are, or strut like a model in this stuff. Turn some heads! Work that up do!
But don’t worry, we’re also conscious about safety here at CERES! Therefore everyone’s also been provided a pair of super high-tech safety-tested appendage protection floatation devices (STAPFD for short.)
At least everyone around you is caught in the same sort of attire – and everyone around you also appears to be stuck inside a giant sand castle. It’s entirely malleable to what you want it to be! Want to see a fancy sand bidet? Feel like adding a sand statue in your honor? Think that wall should now be a door? Well, with enough perseverance, you can make it happen!
Just uh, be careful about getting sand in your… everywhere.
PHASE II [ 1000 ] Someone broke it. Not pointing any fingers, even though you sure do seem like a prime suspect, but someone broke it.
It almost starts like an earthquake with how the castle starts to rumble, the sand shaking right beneath your feet. And then the walls right next to you start to cave in followed promptly by the ceiling right… above your head. Oh dear. The sand starts to run and fall, losing its structure and shape. The hallway behind you starts to cave in, ceiling first and then the walls follow suit. Now the sand really is getting everywhere – but not just uncomfortable places. It’s in your hair, your eyes, your nose…. this sure doesn’t seem like a pleasant way to go!
Best to start running – there’s a trusty drawbridge to get over the moat (because what’s a sandcastle without a moat?) but who knows how long until that, too, is going to give way? Best to cross over it before it starts to shake and disappear too. Or if you don’t make it, hopefully you can land some pretty impressive airtime to make it to the other side!
If not, well...there'll be the sensation of sand crushing down upon you, filling your mouth and eyes, and you won't be able to breathe at all – and then you're alive again on the beach (but possibly in yet another new, uncomfortable, skimpy swimsuit). Honestly, be more careful, would you?
PHASE III [ 1200 ] However, once you do make it to the other side, it’s all smooth sailing from there! Or is it? Hah, as they say, life sure can be a beach.
Which is what this is.
Welcome to your Beach Episode, folks. Now that you’ve made it out of the collapsing sand castle, you’ve made it to the luxurious, picturesque golden coastline. Sure, you’re coughing up fine, luxurious, sand dust right now and you’ve definitely gotten sand in all of your crevices thanks to your swimsuit, but that’s okay! Go take a soak in the ocean or something or cool off with a smoothie. There’s a smoothie shack off into the distance, complete with a long chalkboard with… well, probably a few familiar names? And some unfamiliar ingredients. Sounds appetizing right?
That said, once you do ingest some of the smoothie with the name of a newcomer, you might suddenly find yourself feeling a bit… different. You’ll be taking on some of their traits, one of the most intense parts of their personality – or you might need to take a second to sit down because you’re suddenly seeing one of their memories. Whoa. What do they actually put in this stuff?
PHASE IV [ 1500 ] For the brave souls that venture out into the water, you have even more adventures waiting for you. Anyone who’s swimming around, wading in the water—hell, even looking at the water is getting scooped up and deposited in one of these giant orbs. But don’t take up too much room, because someone else is getting shoved right in there with you. Time to get cozy with your new friend, because it's only going to get worse as the waves begin to carry you out into this big, blue, virtual ocean. Hopefully the choppy waves don’t bounce you around too much or – well, you could always get really friendly with a stranger! Why not?
At least until it’s made very clear that fresh air does not make it back into these balls. That seems like a bit of a design flaw. Now what? Fight the other person who’s inhaling all your air? Suffer through it for swimsuit-clad fun? Or if you break it…. well, you sure are stranded out in the ocean. Or are you?
After enough flailing, you’ll be met by a giant, dumb-looking creature who will then eat you whole.
Everything goes dark. This is surely the end --
And then you're in Cerealia proper; it seems that was the exit to the level (but why there?) and you'll find yourself either in one of the fountains or the pond in the park. Either way, you'll be very, very well. And this time, that's not virtual. But hey, at least you'll have all of your stuff with you.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Do you hear that?
Anyone idle on the beach will hear a distant melody coming from further out into the ocean. It’s a beautiful, elegant song that automatically makes the listener stop what they’re doing and immediately wander toward the noise. It takes you a moment to recall – it takes a moment to think about anything now, really – but you remember hearing the smoothie shack owner say something about mermaids populating the beach. Could this be their song calling out to you? Whether you would normally abide by this kind of call or not, you find your feet walking further and further out into the water, the shallows lapping up to your ankles and up and up as you are drawn in by the song.
A rather classic song, though the usual instances of French are also replaced with the very enticing, enchanting nonsense promise of omelette du fromage........and then they try to drown you.
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Caster (Tamamo-no-Mae) | ota
[ Sure, anyone would be surprised to find themselves in strange attire, especially if it's a swimsuit, but Caster? Ahahaha, well...she's pretty much loving it right now. After all, she's worn a skimpy swimsuit before, in another timeline or something like that, so what's the harm in this? Though...the floatie is a bit strange. How did they get it on her with her ears in the way?
More pressing is the sand castle she's stuck in, as well as the fact that she's stuck in it with a bunch of other people. She appreciates a hot, sweaty body as much as the next gal,. ]
I saw we smash the walls down. [ Said with the biggest grin too. She certainly doesn't want to be in here, not when there's surely an oceanfront outside to enjoys instead! So she goes right ahead, tail all a-twitching, and makes a door outline in the wall...which she then kicks as if that will work. ]
[ PHASE III ]
[ The smoothie shack is just the thing to make an otherwise sandy day better! Caster certainly appreciates it, what with her coughing up sand and having to brush it out of her ears. Remember how characters in the old cartoons would smack their head and a waterfall of sand would come out? Yeah, pretty much the same thing for her right now.
One particular smoothie flavor catches her eye, and of course she has to order it. ]
Aww, it's called Tamamango! How cute. [ She's flattered someone had the decency to make something in her honor! And it tastes just as good as it should, she discovers after a little sip. She can't help turning to another person next to her and asking about their own. The color is interesting, but she's more interested in whatever pun they came up with for their special drink. ] What's yours called?
[ PHASE IV - A ]
[ She should've stayed away from the water, she realizes. Something grabbed her and put her in...a thing. The best way she can describe it, really, and now she's in some goofy bubble!? She wants to be swimming and basking in the lovely sun, preferably with a hot guy or girl slathering her back with oil. Not...whatever horror movie she's found herself in now!
She turns to her companion in the odd orb and shakes their shoulder rather insistently. ]
Ooooooh, this is just cruel! Isn't it?! [ She stops shaking them to hug their arm instead, which was probably a bad idea given the amount of boobage she has, but she's too busy being agitated and growling at the water outside them to notice. ] This is no way to spend a vacation! Help me get out of here!
[ PHASE IV - B ]
[ Upon finding herself in a fountain, Caster feels one of two ways: relieved to not actually be eaten by some big, stupid-looking whale and to be in civilization again, and disappointed because damn, she's not at the beach anymore! She's so mad, her soaking wet ears are shaking as they pin down by her head. ]
This sucks! I was promised a glorious beach day! [ She wasn't, but when things were just starting to look up from the bizarre sand castle thing, she feels she has every right to be annoyed! But as it is, she'll just sniffle, pick herself up, get out of the fountain, and start wringing the water out of her clothes. Odd that she's suddenly wearing her typical kimono instead of that silly swimsuit, but today's just been a weird day in general. She makes for quite the pitiful sight, actually, with her ears drooping as she's squeezing water out of her tail. ]
Tamamo just wanted to enjoy the beach...
phase iv-b
Well, that's just how this place is. Ruins any type of "vacation spot" that you might think of.
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It's like that old saying...if it's too good to be true, it probably is because you'll be all geared up for a nice swim and then BAM! Swallowed by a whale.
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That's exactly it. Although being swallowed by a whale seems like you had a pretty bad time already.
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Phase IV-A
Ah. He was getting a great amount of boobage on him right now. Well, this was more than a little awkward.]
... L-Let's calm down, Foxy! We gotta think of a plan first!
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A plan like what? We can't just burst this bubble!
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[With a cocky smirk on his face, he lifts a finger knowingly.]
We won't burst the bubble... But instead, we'll move it to shore!
[And he's just waiting for her reaction, but there's more to it!]
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III
Tamamango? I don't even know what it means and it sounds adorable. Let's see what they have for me.
( A moment as she looks over the menu. She scowls and tilts her head in confusion. )
'Soleil-ollipop'?! My name isn't pronounced in a way that makes that work!
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Lollipops have lots of different flavors too, so you can't even tell how it tastes...
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( Caster is so animated and bubbly. How could Soleil not be entertained? )
But, uh...what is a 'mango'?
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iv-b!
Hey, there's a place near here that has towels and stuff. I work there, so I know it's all clean!
[Fortunately, the dojo that he runs always has (too many) towels because Kashuu is a stickler for cleanliness and he refuses to walk around covered in sweat longer than absolutely necessary.]
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Really? [ She claps her hands, her grin turning a touch cheekier. ] Then lead the way please, good sir?
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It's not super far! Like, you can see the roof already.
[AND LO, it's definitely not far at all. The building itself is close to the ground - only one story - but it looks new and well-maintained.]
If you wanna wait in the training hall, I can grab you some.
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III
Hmmmm, I don't see one... I guess it's just for the new people? I'll have to try yours instead!
[Well, she's guessing she meant Tamamango was hers, which meant she was new, right?]
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Well order yourself one, then!
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[And hey, it's one of the few with a reasonable price even]
It looks pretty good, what flavor is it?
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I
Ah...[Clears her throat.] Sorry, but I wouldn't do that! The entire structure would collapse on us!
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All the more reason to run when the hole in the wall gets bigger!
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There's a huge risk of us getting buried in all of this sand! With a structure this big and heavy, there's really no time to run!
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phase iii!
I don't have one. [Thankfully. What would a Touka flavored drink even taste like? Probably the tears of orphans and three cups of salt.] I guess only those who have just arrived get one.
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Ohhh, so you've been here a while? Then order a Tamamango and tell me about it!
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iv-a
Poor foxlady, who might be a bit clingy (girls are soft... duly noted) but hey, he sympathizes! By whining too. ]
Really cruel! The water looked so pretty... Why are these things too good to be true!
[ Pouting, he's pushing at the bubble, only for his hands and footing to slip. Bubbles should be easy to pop, why... ]
I'm trying! You're bigger than me, you should help too.
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[ He's right, though. They'll definitely need both their strength to get the ball rolling, so to speak. The waves themselves might not carry them to shore, but if they can move the ball just a little bit further toward shore, it might work! ]
Alright, tiny, keep pushing! [ Caster likewise pushes at the same part of the bubble as he did, as she can see the sliver of land in the distance through it. It's hard work, though, since even after nudging it along with all her strength, they don't appear to have moved much. ]
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phase iv - b
But although he doesn't really mind his wet clothes (his shirt always hangs open anyway, so it's not like there's much wet clothing sticking to his skin), he can hear some pitiful complaining from another unfortunate soul who ended up in the fountain nearby. At least she doesn't seem to be hurt, but.. well, it can't hurt to check up on her all the same, right? Shinpachi can't help but feel a sense of responsibility at these times, all being stuck in this shitty situation together.
Weird.. ears and tail or no weird ears and tail, it's still a girl, right? ]
Hey, you doing alright?
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