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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Phase IV
Tenten!! It is you! I am do happy!! ...Ah, what were you just saying?
[At least the cramped space and an awareness of what they are wearing holds him back from going for the hug.]
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But there are still some miracles left in this world- she's thankful he's keeping to his side of the bubble and that neither his hands or his eyes are making a shady move.
She can't really look away from the shell cup bra herself, though.]
What are you wearing?! Don't those hurt?
[Okay, maybe her original statement had been more along the lines of a scream as a flailing green wild beast materialized over her and made the already tossed around container bounce around some more.
But she's surprised. So... she's asking stupid questions, instead of revisiting the screaming or working out an escape plan.]
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It- it is an unusual suit that the game forced me into! To be honest, ah... They do chafe very much! But it is just another burden to bear...
[They can get trapped in a loop of stupid if they're not careful.]
Are you alright, Tenten?
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His honesty is something she almost wishes she hadn't asked for (and maybe she shouldn't have tossed that floaty thing, maybe they could have cut it up and made... well. nothing better) and she can't help the sigh that escapes her, hands briefly moving up to rub at her face.
Focus! ...Not on that.]
I'm fine. ...Mostly.
[Clearly being stuck in an equally as stupid bathing suit in a giant hamster ball in a choppy ocean was not really fine but she's been in worse and she's not injured so fine will just have to do.]
I don't have my weapons though. Think you can bust this thing and get us out of here?
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His own floatation devices were likely accidentally destroyed at some point in the day's earlier adventures. It's good to hear that Tenten is alright, although it's very unusual to hear about Tenten lacking any weapons. But... that makes sense for this world, he supposes. To take away their strengths so easily... but that just makes Lee more determined to do his part.
Lee's shoulders hunch as he listens to Tenten, and his determination shines in his eyes. Then he responds to her request with a quick nod.]
Ossu! I promise... I will do my very best!
[He then tries to stand as much as he can in the cramped bubble, and with a high-pitched grunt, he punches at the side of the bubble!
...But he did not think that through. Rather than break through the bubble, his attack propels it forward, and as it rolls he's knocked off balance and falls onto his back with a grunt.]
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She had lots of sharp cutting blades! That was her thing! Her thing that would have been perfect for dicing her way to freedom! If only her scrolls hadn't apparently been traded in for a string bikini. Sigh.
Lee's effort was impressive, at least, even if it didn't do them much good and really only amounted in her yelling again as she tried to stay upright and stuck to the side of the moving bubble, hands and feet both lighting up with chakra.
Moving forward! Maybe that was a good thing, the water couldn't go on forever. ...Right?]
What is this thing made of?!?!
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Lee tried to get himself up, but it was tough while the bubble was still moving. And his own efforts to move on all fours just seemed to be pushing the bubble even more.]
I do not know, Tenten!! In a 'game' like this, it can be made of anything! [He thinks quickly as he tries to figure out a bright side to this.]
At least, by moving... Maybe we will find someone who can help!
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[Aside from them, obviously.
Lamenting the lack of social visits wasn't helping any more than violence had and after a few moments she sinks down beside him, palms flat against the bottom of the invinci-bubble.]
These games have endings right? We just have to find it.
[It made sense, at least- there should be an objective, something to find, something to do.
She's never telling Neji about this.]
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[He grins, excited to be working alongside his teammate again. He slows down a little while Tenten moves into position, and then he starts scurrying even faster.]
Springtime of youth, full power!!
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[It's a warning that will probably fall on deaf ears (and if he tells her she needs more discipline she'll bust them out of this thing by putting him through it) but it's not like she has that hard of a time keeping up with him in most cases- and once she figures out how to "run" and keep her balance it's no worse than their usual training.
Kind of fun, even, but he'd be hard pressed to get her to admit it.]
We'll be the first ones out of here!
[SURELY no one else is smart enough to hamster run across the ocean.]
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That is the spirit, Tenten! Then we will be the truest winners of this game! Ah... I cannot wait to earn such an accomplishment!!
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...It's probably for the best that he's not going all out, still.]
Maybe we'll get more money!
[That was how these things worked, right? Jump into a game, earn some cash. She remembered the important details.
Despite her usual effort to squash his enthusiasm and prevent overexertion she can't help but to be kind of excited herself- mostly it's the promise that her stuff will be returned, that she'll get clothes back, that's keeping her eager to escape, but there's a bit of competitiveness too.
Hell yes she wanted to be one of the first to figure a way out. And Lee made her feel safe, confident, made her feel like she had to pick up the pace and work hard because he definitely would be.
Was it getting warmer? Harder to take in breaths? Maybe it was just her.]