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.
[ 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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3!!
But there's something more important to address here.]
Kale-den? Why so...?
[Why does he look so excited?]
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[He sounds cheerful, maybe too excitable-- but wow, this place is strange and new and kind of silly! He likes it.]
See, my name is Kaden. Kale-den. I bet all these drinks are named after everyone here, right?
[His ears perk up, and if she found him distracting enough, that might not help.]
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Oh! It's nice to meet you, Kaden? My name is Vietnam. [She bows her head politely.] I think it is named after those who just arrived, as I can't find myself on the list. [Thank the gods too.
She turns over to look at the board again--] Now let's see, where is Kale-den... [When she spots the drink--] It's a healthy drink.
[Her expression falls.] I don't know how to pay with "my honour".
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[He doesn't know either. His ears droop at the thought, because he had hoped that this nice lady would've known the answer as to how to do such a thing as to pay with honor.]
Hm... what do you think the price of honor is?
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I'm not sure. I don't know what how they define honour either. It could be battle honour? [It could even be--...
Wait a minute.]
Wait here!
[And she marches right up to the vendor. He could probably hear her demanding to be given a Kale-den right now because she's already paid with her honour by wearing this dreadful bikini! After much verbal wrangling, she comes back with a Kale-den.]
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[Well, he doesn't get to elaborate on that, ears perking up slightly when she decides to go off on her own. Still, since she asked him to wait, he does just as told, balancing on the balls of his feet in an attempt to empty himself of restlessness. He would've wanted to follow her, but she seemed to have a plan, after all!
When she does come back with her honor probably not intact, his ears stand upright and he grins, eyes almost sparkling with glee.]
Oh! Is that what I think it is?
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Yes, I managed to acquire a Kale-den. [She holds it out to him.] It is yours now, it is a drink with your name.
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[Especially because she gave up her honor(?) for him. He'd feel bad... well, he can always pay her back.]
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[She holds it out more for him. Because she wasn't planning on getting anything in the first place, but he just looked really excited. Would this be worth her honour? Who knows.]
I got it for you.
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[He is definitely excited, and goes forth to try to drink it. Would it be sweet, would it be spicy? It looks all green and stuff, but he has no idea if that means it tastes like vegetables.
A minute later he's wrinkling his nose and squinting at the drink, licking his lips to get rid of any excess.]
Hmmm...
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[And then she watches carefully and patiently. Will a drink with his name taste delicious?]
What do you think?
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[In fact, he might try to offer it to her.]
Wanna try? It's mighty delicious on a hot day like this!
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[When she sees him offer his drink--]
A-ah, only if you do not mind?
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[And because she's really nice and this probably isn't quite the same as paying her back, so he remembers to keep tabs of it for future reasons. Like carrying her groceries!]
Don't be shy. Drink up!
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[She takes the drink--] Thank you. [And takes a sip before handing the drink back.
. . .]
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Does she like it? Hate it? Want more of it?]
Well, what do you think?
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It tastes nice but...[She holds her head.] I don't know, I suddenly feel a little dizzy.
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Whoa, really?
[Actually, that's worrying.]
Erm, do you need to sit down?
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I-I should be fine soon. [Maybe. She does look for a place to sit down, but she swears she's...well, she's not sure. Somehow, she doesn't really feel like herself and her head feels heavy.] Anyway, I heal up fast.
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[Is it the hipster? Darn those hipsters. Maybe they were bad for her. He feels bad, making her drink something like that, ears flattening as he worries his lower lip, looking around.]
I know I saw Felicia here somewhere...
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Let's just sit down and rest.
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[Maybe it's a drink meant for him only? He's not sure, but he's worried! Hopefully it's nothing like that. For one thing, she was nice. She wasn't trying to steal his fur or anything! He wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her.
Nonetheless, he sits down opposite her, ears already cautious flattened as he stares at her with worry.]
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[Other than her fast regeneration! Hopefully. Seeing how worried and upset he looks (...his ears...), she tries to sit up straighter so she wouldn't look as unwell as she feels, fists balling up so she can handle it.]
And s-see? I'm beginning to feel better.
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[He says, even if it's mostly a guess. She doesn't look better, and given who he is, deception is one of his stronger traits after all. Faking feeling better is easier to notice up close.]
Okay, I'll go ask them if there's a way to fix this! It's the least I can do for getting you sick.
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You don't have to--!
[She's not sure if they even would tell him anything.]
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