[Open] Second Sending: On the Job

[testoffayth]

Who: testoffayth & You
When: IC: 7/31-Various Dates
Where: ViViD
What: Yuna is a Boss Tester for CERES, and while on the clock things go wrong and other people get glitched into her levels.
Rating/Warning: Maybe violence and language, possible blood, and definitely ink. Lots of ink.

---

Maybe you're just getting into ViViD, hanging out and getting ready to load up some game. The plan is to make some credits, have some fun playing a strange alien dating sim, or get a little exercise in the virtual space. Only something goes wrong and when you log in you realize that you've definitely glitched into something that's not what you asked for. And standing next to you is a very serious looking young woman holding a staff and wearing what looks like a kimono missing a few bits...and combat boots. She turns to you, gives you an apologetic look, and says.

“Sorry about all this. It looks like ViViD isn't working right today. Ah...maybe we can work together to get out?”

Nodding towards the level, she waits for you. It could be one of several options, including:

Prompt #1:

The two of you find yourself in a gigantic roller skating ring, complete with skates left out for you to put on. The ring isn't an ordinary ring though, it seems like it's covered in a slimy purple substance that definitely looks pretty darn sticky. It's also littered with metal boxes and ramps, like it's something made for speed. The good news is that beside the roller skates, there's a sort of tube-gun apparatus full of a yellow goop labeled 'Universal Solvent.' But what's more important, or perhaps more noticeable, is the bad news: there's gigantic carrot riding over the track on a kind of hovering stage covered in electronic music equipment blaring some sort of dubstep remix of a song you can't quite make out yet.

The girl starts forward and begins putting on the skates, giving you a nod. “This one's not so bad. I tried it last week. We should be out of it in no time.”


Prompt #2:

This level is a little bit more foreboding. A quiet medieval city complete with thatched roof cottages on the outskirts and dominated by a massive citadel. The whole place appears to be relatively abandoned, with all the lights out and barely a sound save your breathing to break the silence. The girl lowers her voice and looks back to you, frowning.

“I...think we should head towards the center. I haven't seen this game before but that's the only building that sticks out, don't you think?”


Prompt #3:

Or perhaps you two find yourselves seated on a train heading out of the station. It's not a big cabin, but you get the sense that the actual train itself is extremely long. The haunting echo of the engine whistle seems oddly distorted, warbling as if coming from through a layer of water, and from quite far away at that. Shivering, the girl thumps her staff on the metal floor and reaches for the handle.

“I don't like the sounds of this place. Do you?”


Prompt #4:

Another possible world is perhaps the strangest yet. This one has the pair of you standing on what looks like a floating island just outside a city made entirely of white marble towers. None of them are terribly wide but they are tall, and terraced together in tight clusters, each one resting on it's own individual cloud. There are wide gaps in between the clouds, and what looks like wire cages surrounding each tower.. Perfect for grabbing hold of to climb, undoubtedly, and at the center of it all is a large domed building, the only bit of familiar architecture in the whole place.

The girl blinks and steps forward, almost tripping over a bundle of equipment laid at her feet. She recovers and shakes her head, kneeling to examine it.

“It looks like there's enough stuff here for one person to be a walking arsenal.” She picks up something in particular and sort of gawks at it.

“And what is this even for...?”

Wildcard!

Every prompt here is inspired by a different video game boss. If you've an idea for a prompt, start it up and I'll reply! Feel free to set a prompt after an encounter too, If you prefer! If you want to plot something with me, hit me on plurk at AxiomaticGrue if you don't already have me.

Comments

1

[powertotearer]

As if Eiji wasn't apprehensive enough about trying ViViD after the weird desert mirages, the weird swimsuits and mermaids, and the weird murder mystery.

"Oh. Okay."

He picks up the skates and goop gun, looking at them curiously.

"Well, I guess, if it's not that bad..."

[testoffayth]

Yuna looks at the scruffy looking young man and gives him a wide, earnest smile. Lacing up her boots, she gives them a good kick to get them fitting more snugly and cocks the gun.

"Promise. It's actually sort of fun. I don't know why they want me to test it again, but I will certainly go for it."

She gestures towards the musical supervillain.

"Basically? We have to clean up the mess he's making with these...solvent...sprayers and then get him with them too. It's not too bad."

[powertotearer]

"Okay, sounds pretty straightforward."

He starts lacing up his own skates, testing his balance. So far, so good.

"My name's Eiji. Sorry if I seem a little shaky on this--I've only ended up in ViViD a couple of times, and it was kind of, well..."

Kind of explains itself, doesn't it?

[testoffayth]

"Strange?"

Yuna finishes the sentence with a laugh, getting up and starting to roll a bit.

"My name's Yuna. And I...guess I'm in ViViD a lot. CERES pays me to test these...bosses? I don't really know why, but it's never dull."

2

[meowbel]

At this point, Mabel was starting to wonder if she should question whatever Cerealia threw at her. No matter what was going on, it seemed like she was always thrown for a loop around here! But then again, Mabel was never the type to question such things. It was always better to just roll with whatever was going on!

Now that she and this new girl were in a strange new city, she couldn't help but ponder a little. After all, this city looked something straight out of a video game.

"I don't see why not! You seemed to know more about this place than me so lead the way!"

[testoffayth]

"I really don't" Yuna said to the little girl, already reaching up to call out power. "But I know that it's probably dangerous. This is probably a new level I'm supposed to test."

Thunder rumbled above them, the scent of ozone filled the air, and moments later Ixion appeared behind them.

Please don't be alarmed by the thunder unicorn approaching Yuha, Mabel.

[meowbel]

"New level...? Uh, this isn't suppose to be the part where I'm suppose to be scared am I?" Especially if it was something Yuna was testing out! Somehow, she got the feeling this wasn't going to turn out pretty in the end.

Before she could even finish her thoughts, that's when she saw rather strange looking horse. That was a unicorn wasn't it?

As said strange unicorn was walking toward Yuna, that's when Mabel panicked! "Whoa, what are you doing?! You gotta get out of the way right now!" She shouted before pulling her forward!

[testoffayth]

"No, I don't think you need to be..."

She breaks off her answer when Mabel freaks out and starts tugging on her hand. The young Summoner plants her feet, though, and reaches her other hand out to one side. Ixion, trots closer and nuzzles her palm with her snout, and gets a little scratch in return.

"And you don't need to be afraid of my friend. She's here to help us, little one."

4

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Darin decided to give this ViViD thing a try. He was still skeptical and not entirely sure how any of it worked. After all, this level of technology was basically so far beyond his world's grasp, he might as well be a caveman.

He had decided to try and load up a fishing simulator. He used to fish back home in Kenmore. In fact, it was one of his favorite ways to pass the time. Relaxing on the pier, watching the clouds waft lazily overhead. Those were the halcyon days before he had begun his journey.

So, imagine his surprise when he's actually standing overlooking a city amongst those very clouds he had missed?

He jolts, finding himself next to a young woman. Was she part of this...ViViD game? Like a guide or something? He's about to speak up when she nearly stumbles over the bundle of equipment.

"A-Ah, hey...! Be careful...! I don't think you want to take a tumble from this high up...!"

Darin runs his hand through his blue hair, obviously confused.

"I was trying to do some fishi--"

That's when he catches a glimpse of that odd contraption the young woman is holding out. Whatever it was, it was mechanical and it looked amazing. He reaches for it excitedly.

"Whoa! Lemme see that!"

[testoffayth]

Yuna looked the stranger up and down before shrugging and holding out the gadget. She had no idea what it was for, but maybe he did? It wasn't like she really had a lot of options on that, since she couldn't exactly log out and look it up. It was just one of those weird little quirks of working in ViViD, that she'd occasionally wind up with something extremely strange and exceedingly mechanical.

"Sure. Do you know what it's used for? It looks like some sort of weapon but I've never seen anything like it before."

With it passed off, she steps away, looking first at the boy and then out at the floating collection of pillars, leaning on her staff.

"This whole place is new, honestly."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Darin begins to eagerly look the item over.

"Actually...I don't think it's a weapon. I mean, I'm sure it could be used as a weapon, but...I don't think that's its intended purpose..."

He turns the item over in his hands and tilts it towards the young woman to explain himself.

"See these prongs...? They're curled inward. They're not sharpened until you get to the point. If it was meant to be something like a cestus, why have these three prongs angled this way? And if you follow them down...see these hinges? That implies that they spread apart and close...hmm..."

He rubs his chin in thought.

"I've worked with weapons all my life but I've never seen something like this. The design doesn't strike me as something you'd attack with. It looks like you're supposed to use it to grab something..."

With that, he turns it over in his hands again.

"I think I'm supposed to..." He guides his hand in. "Aha, it fits...! I knew it!"

He holds the item, freshly mounted on his hand up and poses with his other hand on his chest, and a giant grin plastered on his face. Please excuse this nerd.

With that figured out, he takes a look around again.

"New? You mean, this isn't a normal ViViD...place?"

[testoffayth]

Yuna placidly lets him play with it, just sort of nodding and letting him ramble on. She sees what he's saying, and since he seems to be really into it, she's hardly going to interrupt him. That's just isn't her way, and it's oddly endearing, reminding her of Wakka after a fashion.

Once he does actually get his hand in though, she scratches her chin and looks at it with a newly appraising glance. That certainly seems like a useful tool. One that could...

"Maybe it's to hook onto that mesh around each of the pillars? Does it look like it maybe has a spring in it? Or a winch?"

Simple machines she did understand, thankfully, even if she wasn't well versed in their use.

"And ah...no. I mean, it probably is? But I haven't been here before. CERES has me test their 'bosses' for money. Which seem to be large Fiends, but I've never heard them called that before. I just get sent to levels at random sometimes, and this one is definitely one. I'm sorry though, it seems like it pulled you along for the ride."

2

[whiteris]

Cloche nods at Yuna's words. There is something peculiar about that building she mentioned earlier.

"Let's check it out. I'll come with you."

It's a good place to start. This level is unfamiliar to Cloche too, sure. The medieval city reminds her of Grand Bell Hall. It's a large and majestic place that looks just like this.

[testoffayth]

"Alright."

Yuna doesn't summon quite yet, but she does start walking, staff in hand, knuckles white. Maybe it's nothing? Maybe this place really is abandoned.

"Let's go. It's not that far. And hopefully it won't have any fiends or anything inside."

Dream on, Yuna.

The girl pauses a few steps away and regards Cloche warmly, head canted to one side.

"I'm Yuna, by the way. Sorry you got dragged into all this."

[whiteris]

"Don't worry about it, It's alright. My name is Cloche."

She speaks in a formal yet polite tone. It doesn't matter where Cloche is she needs to use manners whenever she interacts with others. What kind of noble would she be otherwise?

"Do you know which path we should take first? I'm afraid to say that I'm unfamiliar with this place."

[testoffayth]

"I assume we go straight," Yuna answers, starting to spin her staff in several wide circles, glowing light forming around the top.

"And I'll speed us along. Just...don't panic, okay?"

1

[makigumo]

She has absolutely no idea how to skate but that's not going to stop her, nothing would stop her from having fun! So Shihoudou surveys the arena while she fails at tying the laces because shoelaces are not a thing that comes with the geta she usually wears. "Y'think so? What're we supposed to do? Ride on the little veggie?"

[testoffayth]

Yuna looks over at the stranger and reaches out, starting to help get those shoes laced up. No time to waste after all!

"We have to ride these...shoes...and clean up the stuff that the flying thing sprays out. And when we catch him, we spray him too, and then we get to leave."

[makigumo]

Oh! Thank you very much, kind sir! :P

"So we spray it with its spray! Then I know that it's easy-peasy! We just turn him upside-down and he sprays himself!"

3

[maidhem]

[Felicia, who had no idea how she had even gotten here-- she had only decided to try ViViD on Raven's suggestion that winning scenarios can bring in some money-- just held onto her knives tightly and cast Yuna a worried look.]

No, I don't. I don't even know what this thing is.

[She had only ever read about trains since arriving in this city, but she hadn't actually tried one. Walking was her preference. It was easier, and there were no repercussions if she got lost.]

[testoffayth]

[Yuna didn't really know either, at least, not at first. Now though, she recognized it as a train car like the kind she rode around Cerealia non-stop the first day because she got lost...]

It's just a train. It takes you from one place to another, and stops to pick up people and drop them off.

[She slides open the door.]

Let's go? Maybe we can find a stop and get off.

[maidhem]

[Felicia just shrugged, and peered at the train in bemusement and curiosity.]

Well, it's not like we have much of a choice...and it doesn't look like it's gonna eat us.

...Trains don't usually eat people, do they?

4

[encourageous]

Yuna's companions for this round are a spiky-haired child and a small talking dinosaur. Both of them sort through the equipment curiously at the same time as Yuna.

"How can someone even move carrying all of this stuff..." Taichi grumbles before he looks up towards the item in her hands. "Maybe for grabbing stuff?" It reminds him of MetalGreymon's claw, after all.

So it should be no surprise that Agumon seems to recognize it even more, and he chimes in excitedly, "Try shooting it!"

[testoffayth]

Well at least the kid and the dinosaur seem to have a clue, because Yuna definitely doesn't. She turns the item over and over and doesn't exactly see anything to push. Shaking her head, she offers it to Agumon, or the boy if he doesn't seem interested in it.

"Maybe you try it? I don't really know how machina work. I'm not supposed to use them, anyway."

[encourageous]

Taichi takes the machine in hand and starts to look over. "I'll figure it out!" He gives a confident smile, intent on giving a good impression.

Agumon's the one who chooses to ask her a the question. "Why not?" What is it that keeps humans from using some things again... "Oh! Do you need a license?" he asks with childlike innocence.