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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no subject
[ Said with a pretty wry tone of voice. He'll kneel down so that at least Yosuke isn't staring up at him, as uncomfortable as doing so is in this .... thing he's wearing.
Yosuke will get to notice something now that he's actually looking at the two of them now, too, with Yu kneeling down and all. There's a scar on Yu's chest that circles his left shoulder. It's nasty looking, raised pinkish lines against his skin that circle almost as low as his navel. It looks disturbingly like teeth marks along his skin, like something bit right into his shoulder and tried to tear. ]
Things like this happen a lot. Well... not exactly like this, but strange things. You get used to it.
no subject
It's also a subtle way for her to get a better look at the scar on Yu's chest without directly staring. This is the first time she's really seen it, too, and Yu had told her he'd explain later but it didn't mean she wasn't wary and curious all the same. Questioning could come later. Yosuke was the focus right now.]
Look on the bright side! At least there aren't any sand worms in this game. [No little worms to cling to Yosuke's feet...but then again at least in the desert they had their own clothes.] But he's right. My first game was in a really disgusting swamp. You get used to it.
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Except for the ridiculous attire. That he is 100% justified in finding uncomfortable.
He manages to peel his hands away from his face to look up at his friends, being someone shaded from the sun by Yu's shoulders and Rise's...all the good shapes that make up Rise. At her recollection of their last meeting, he coughs, this time not from the sand. ]
Yeah, I'll be counting my good luck on that one...
[ She didn't even see the angry sand worm mom he had to fight along side that girl Nero. He wonders, did she end up here too? But his eyes fall on Yu and he has to do a double take. Whatever awkwardness he's still feeling about the embarrassing excuse for a swimsuit disappears almost instantly as his gaze settles on Yu's chest. ]
--Dude, what the hell happened?? [ He straightens immediately. Rise's acting like it's no big deal? What did he miss?? ] What's that? Are you okay? I mean you're obviously sort of okay since you're still standing, but that looks like it was nasty to get...
[ Does he need to use Diarama?? Which is silly because it's clearly a scar and he knows very well that magic doesn't work like that, but the urge is still there. ]
no subject
--when Yosuke shifts the tone of the conversation, bringing up his scar. Yu pauses, his smile vanishing and his expression shifting by other small degrees. He sighs out through his nose, his eyes hooding slightly, and he pushes to his feet. He'll offer Yosuke a hand up once he's standing. ]
I'm alright. This scar is months old. [ Three months old, to be almost exact. ] But I owe you both an explanation.
[ His gaze flickers to Rise, and he looks apologetic. He knows he owes her far more than he owes Yosuke. She's been here for some time now, and he's kept this from her despite well knowing she'd probably want to know. ]
It should wait until we're out of the level, if you're both alright with that.
no subject
But being the actor that she is, that expression sweeps away into something else, calm for Yu and apologetic for Yosuke. This level is weird even by her standards, especially given she has to adjust those innertubes now and then. She takes a step back so that Yu can grab Yosuke's hand and pull him up to join them, looking back at the ruins of the sand castle they'd burst out of.]
Getting out of the castle had to be the objective for this level right? [That seems to be her own way of saying "yes, it's okay." There's also the fact they still have to find Teddie.] I think I can point us in the right direction when you guys are ready.
no subject
Yosuke turns his attention back to Yu with a nod, accepting the hand as he's pulled to his feet. He gives Yu a nod as he let's go. ]
Yeah, sure thing.
[ He slaps his hands together, dusting off some stray grains of sand. Granted, there are other places he should clean off too, buuuuuut that can definitely wait at least until he's found a convenient bush. ]
Objective? [ Huh--oh! ] Oh! You mean like complete the quest, move to the next level? Really? You mean last time we had to fight giant sand worms and this time you just got to get away with what's left of your dignity?