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}
no subject
She squeaks in a mix of alarm and confusion] Sleeping...? Surely you do not mean-- [Her pale face turns rosy and she makes another quiet noise as he reveals he's just joking.
This guy definitely isn't good for her heart-- in a lot of ways.] I will do my best to fulfill any request you have, my lord--provided it is appropriate and not against my previously mentioned restrictions. [That seems like a safe enough answer]
no subject
perhaps, akin to himself to a degree. or maybe, he just found himself connecting with oddities and anomalies far too well. still, this does spark a separate idea. the reverse of a long-standing pain to himself. ) ... of course, I just meant taking a nap side-by-side. I've been told it feels surprisingly good. Don't tell me you envisioned something else? ( he's kidding again, obviously.
or is it not that obvious? still. ) And I'm sure you will. ( seeing as how she was still wet, he takes a cloth from his pocket. he gently wrings moisture out of it, before he carefully pats it against her cheek. )
no subject
[She has met many tricky humans and mystics and demons over the many many years of her life. In a way, this man reminds her of many of the flirts that were in her army, with a deviousness that would make Da Ji tremble. She can hardly tell what he might be saying seriously, and which were jokes or which were situations of teasing but would be taken seriously if she tried to respond, teasingly, in kind.
When he takes the cloth out she lowers her hand and peers up at him, curious and thrown off guard again at the gentle gesture.
Humans had always kept her on her toes, were always throwing surprises at her; typically one could learn to read humans though, and get an idea of what they might say or do next. Taigong Wang had often based his strategies on these very ideas, able to predict enemy movements with a terrifying accuracy. Kaguya was no tactician, but even, usually, could see what might happen. But this... This was by far the most baffling example of unpredictability she'd come across yet, and she wasn't sre if it was because she just didn't know him yet, or if it was just something in his very nature.
She gazes at him quietly for a long moment, allowing him to pat the cloth to her face as she examines him with open wonder and innocent curiosity. At length she speaks, her voice soft:] Thank you.
[And then, because she realizes this shortly after, she adds after another moment's pause:] I do not know your name, my lord.
no subject
( he then leans in, a bit too close for anyone's range of comfort. it's not a sudden movement, but there's enough obscurity to it to cause alarm. though, contrary to that, there's no imminent sense of hostility to it. he whispers softly: ) You will give me your contact information, won't you?
( it's probably another one of his ideas of a joke tbh?? but, well.
he keeps his hand in place for a few moments longer, before finally reaching to place the cloth against her palm. also, pulling away, at least by a fair, acceptable distance. ) Kyrie, Consigliere to the Oz Family. ( he dips his chin politely. ) I apologise that was rather rude of me not to divulge in the presence of a lady.
Yourself, miss?
no subject
Her fingers curl against the cloth, clutching it tightly as she watches him. The title is unfamiliar to her and she tilts her head curiously.] A... 'consigliere'? [She stumbles through the pronunciation and looks a tad embarrassed, but she hurries to get herself standing upright and bows low when the question turns to her.]
I am Kaguya, a simple Mystic of the Mystic Realm. I suppose there are other titles humans call me, but they do not suit me. I am pleased to meet you, Lord Kyrie. [AKA 'I am a goddess, but it's cool.']
no subject
Though, it simply means I am the most important member of the Oz Family. ( and arguably, the world. naturally, this entirely skips over the convention of having a don or boss (i.e. caramia), but hey. as kyrie would put it: caramia was merely a lion-shaped marionette who danced to his whimsical fancies.
whether it's accurate or not is inconsequential. especially, by the next proverbial hiccup in their conversation. ) Mystic of the Mystic Realm. ( "humans." ah. so she isn't human. somehow, judging by her bearings alone... it isn't entirely surprising. he suspected that level of innocence and purity couldn't be obtained otherwise. even fuka...
he shakes his head. ) My, excuse me. It seems I've been quite forward with you, Miss Mystic. But, the pleasure is all mine. ( he gives another bow. one that was almost too formal for the situation. ) You say "simple," but I have my doubts about that.