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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no subject
[Uh, hello? Does he not realize I can taste his mana from all the way over here??]
Is this... supposed to be a joke? Or are you lying to me out of fear?
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I've never once shown that I have even the slightest affinity to any of the four elements.
Well, except fire, but that comes from me being a blacksmith.
Usually, those who can use magic showcase an affinity towards an element as a kid. If they show that affinity, their parents take them to get tested at one of the corresponding magic guilds. If the test results show that they're naturally attuned to that element, then they're generally accepted into that school of magic.
I've never even shown the slightest interest or affinity towards magic, let alone learning it.
makes this face forever and ever
Well. That sounds very...
... erm...
... ridiculous. Your whole world sounds ridiculous. Are your people even aware of non-elemental artes...?
RUDE
So call my world and its people as ridiculous as you want, the fact remains that I don't have a speck of magic to give you. Besides, I'm more of a 'hands-on' kind of guy so magic never really suited me to begin with.
oh good she's ic
As a spirit, that mana is vital to my existence. I can detect it, sort of the same way you humans can smell a good pot of curry. And I can guarantee that you, sir, have plenty that could be offered up to the spirits for a meal.
In return, we'd be able to cast our artes for you. The trick is that your kind has to learn how to communicate your request through that mana.
no subject
[He caught basically none of that except for the part about 'being offered up for a meal.']
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I just think you should give channeling a try.
I think you'd be very, very good at it.
[
licks her lips]no subject
What exactly am I 'channeling?'
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You channel your mana to the spirits. We consume it, and we can also receive the request you gave in that channeling -- and we send back our spirit energy in the form of artes.
no subject
I'm praying? Is that...?
[He rubs his head in frustration.]
See? This is what I mean! None of this makes the slightest sense! I can't channel something I don't have and I can't focus on something I don't understand!
no subject
But I'm not sure if I want to, to be quite frank. You've made a poor first impression.
no subject
Like a mosquito?
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So, does this tethering thing hurt? What's involved in it?
no subject
All the human has to do is agree to directly tether with the spirit. The spirit creates a tether link, and the human's mana will flood directly into them. An incredible load of it, far more than the human could send out by channeling...
[There's something uncomfortable about the way she's talking about this.]
In return, the spirit submits all their power to the human. The human has total command over their artes.
[... really, REALLY uncomfortable.]
no subject
And you...need this right? To not disappear...?
I ah...I mean....I guess it's alright if you need to...
[THIS IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE.]
no subject
[Is the mana here different from the mana back home? I wonder what kinds of exotic mana I could get!]
So, you don't mind? Say it nice and clear, now!
no subject
Just...don't. You know...
Act weird when you do it.
...You're sure it doesn't hurt, right.
no subject
And yes, I'm certain. Now hold still a moment, and try not to flinch.
no subject
[Okay, he may have flinched. He may have flinched hard. Why? Because the second Muzét tethers, there is an insane surge of power. Insane enough that Darin actually feels the kickback once the connection is made. Now Muzét? She's about to feel an incredible rush. See, Darin's been subconsciously suppressing his powers and his other self his entire life, and the 'other self' that has been trying to get out and stretch its metaphysical legs is looking for any excuse to make its presence known. Whatever it is? It's not human, it's very evil, and its power is absurd. How Darin's managed to keep it suppressed for so long is anyone's guess, but Muzét is probably getting a thrill the likes of which she's never known.]
[Darin might be drooling.]
no subject
[She's all smiles at first, but... truth be told, if Muzét could be associated with any element, it would first and foremost be darkness. And so she recognizes this power to some degree, as it's not entirely unlike her own.]
... how curious, though. Are you sure you're not a spirit? I've never encountered a human with such rich mana~... ♥
no subject
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WHAT'S GOING ON?! WHY DOES EVERYTHING FEEL WEIRD?! THIS IS WEIRD!!!
NO MORE!! STOP!! UNDO!! AHHHHHHH!!!!
[He's running again.]
no subject
[She's flying after him. Which is even easier now that her space warping is linked to his power.]
I-it really is overwhelming, though! Where in the world did you get all this power? Your mana lobe must be huge!
no subject
[Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!! What the hell were you thinking?! Ghosts are bad news and now she's got her stupid hooks in your stupid head and now she knows! She knows! How the hell do you answer that?! 'What power?? Oh that power?? I'm a harbinger of the apocalypse and was born with HALF OF AN ARCHFIEND LORD CRAMMED INSIDE OF ME LIKE A ROAST TURKEY!']
I'M JUST A NORMAL GUY WITH A NORMAL...LOBE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE MY LOBE IS THAT'S COMPLETELY NOT ABNORMAL IT IS!! MY DOCTOR WAS EVEN LIKE 'WOW CHECK OUT THAT TOTALLY NORMAL LOBE, HIS MANA IS COMPLETELY NON-DESCRIPT.'
no subject
[She warps in close, drifting right up next to his shoulders, and points to his head.]
For the record, your mana lobe is up here, in your brain.
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