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.
|
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. ] |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
truly ...
There's a hole up ahead, keep heading that way and you should be able to get most of them out.
[ And what about him??? Apparently he's taking it upon himself to be the last one out, whether he makes it or not. ]
no subject
They'll find the way.
( With so many ahead, and outside, there would be others to take them outside, to lead them out. Someone needs to stay with a friend - help here )
We should find the cause of this. Make sure the danger isn't greater.
no subject
He understands what she means, but... ]
I think that's a bigger problem than either of us have the ability to handle right now.
[ Like why there's a giant castle made of sand to begin with. ]
no subject
( Look, some of it is explainable. In a way. She partially gets it, if you keep thinking it's like the Fade )
Where we are isn't real, but it isn't the Fade.
( Just to get that out of the way. They're also definitely asleep, and not possessed. She thinks. Can't be certain on that bit )
There is an end to it.
no subject
The priority right now should be ensuring no one suffers inside here. We can worry about how to leave this place after that's done.
no subject
( Another corridor, the one that she'd come through before finding Cullen )
Assuming it hasn't been blocked off it may help direct everyone out.
( Stop them from trying to just cram out of one exit, anyway )
no subject
[ He looks in that direction, and while it isn't too promising, there's no point in giving up hope either. Not yet. ]
We can try it. Lead the way.
no subject
There are others here. Varric, Hawke. They don't know everything.
( Hawke especially )
no subject
I saw Cole here. [ He rubs the back of his neck though as he follows her, keeping his eyes on their surroundings just in case anyone is trapped. ] I'm still not entirely sure what he was saying.
no subject
What did he say?
no subject
[ Honestly... Cole talks in so many riddles he can't follow all of them. Leliana would have more luck. ]
no subject
( He had been with them on the trek there - he'd been the warning call that came about Corypheus' attack before Haven had fallen. Perhaps they were now the ones in the past )
What is the last thing you remember?
no subject
[ He steps in sync with her, keeping at the same level. ]
We'd settled in, at least. The Inquisitor had been named and headcounts after Haven had been taken. We were currently trying to improve Skyhold's foundations.
[ When he wound up here. ]
no subject
( And Varric mentioning that he had a 'friend' that the Inquisitor should talk to )
Perhaps the Inquisitor had spoken to him before then - or after.
( Considering that they're in the future for Varric and Hawke they can't discount the other possibility )
no subject
It could be either. We already know that time can be distorted... I just hope it isn't with similar consequences as the others witnessed at home.
no subject
If it is, we'll do what we have to.
( She already knew what happened in that future of the Inquisitor and Dorian's. She'd do that again if it was necessary - she'd already done some similar things )
But I haven't seen signs of it yet.
no subject
Of course. [ Though preferably not in clothing like this?? Maker... please have mercy. ]
Me neither. I'm not sure if this place is partly the reason for that.
no subject
It's easier to think of this place as the Fade.
( At least for her. After how Merlin explained it- it sounded like the Fade. It's the easiest comparison for her - them )
They work similarly.
no subject
So I hear. It doesn't mean I want to stay here longer than I have to, however.