PHASE I [ ?? ?? ] This time, ViViD is a deathtrap.
There is random magma everywhere, monsters will spawn at random, and at some points, the game is entirely unplayable. It’s like the dev team totally disappeared mid-constructing the level.
Oh wait, that’s exactly what happened.
Monsters may spawn on top of you, you may suddenly be standing in a poisonous bog, you may suddenly lose your powers, or your senses, or so many different things --
It’s time to get out of here, ASAP.
Thankfully, the exit is obvious. Like. Blindingly obvious. It’s got a big sign over it that says EXIT
And just like that, you’ll be out of ViViD and --
PHASE II [ 0830 ] When you wake up (and it’s strange, because you were sure that you were logging out just a second ago), it’s in a pile of bodies.
They’re cold, but not in the same sense that a dead body would be cold. While they are lifeless and look incredibly real, they don’t feel real. They feel like dolls, mannequins, empty models and nothing more. Their code doesn’t seem to be functioning right.
And what some characters may realize upon looking at this pile of bodies is that they are all of the characters who were sacrifices before. Any character that was dropped who had a high magical or spiritual affinity is there in that pile of bodies, lifeless and eyes blank and vacant. Even you might be there, staring at your own dead body -- but it isn’t real It can be touched, but it’s really nothing more than a lifeless body.
You’ll have to crawl out of that pile of bodies to get anywhere, and then you’ll realize -- you’re in the Sanctuary, a building built by the characters as a safe place from CERES. And it’s looking pretty run-down at this point. The technology in it no longer functions, there is no security on it whatsoever…
Oh, and now there’s a pile of bodies. Great.
PHASE III [ 1000 ] There’s also a robot.
It’s wandering from place to place, though it’s impossible to follow. One second it’s there, the next it’s just gone.
Also, it’s wearing this. Weird.
But even with that on its face, the robot seems focused on one thing in particular. In fact, it has a sign, and it says:
Down with CERES. Up with Robots.
That’s a happy, cheerful message. If you try to go up to it to talk to it, it will look at you before...bonking you on the head with the sign and running off. That’s incredibly rude.
Alternatively, you may be safe and sound in your home, but then the doorbell rings, and there’s the robot again. The duck mask is gone, but now instead it has a pin on his fake lapel, and then he’s shoving a pamphlet at you.
He tips his hat, and then he’s gone. Weird.
(Also, if you hold onto the pamphlet, it will lead you directly to the person whose picture is on it, and you’ll feel like you’ve known them and have loved them for years.)
PHASE IV [ 1245 ] But not all is fun and games and shenanigans. There is something...well, strange happening, and the first real realization of that will be when it starts to rain. More than just the localized rain that a few unfortunates have dealt with -- no, it’s raining completely and totally, and that’s when it might hit you.
For the first time in Cerealia, there’s weather.
It’ll rain for a few hours, and then it’ll stop and become hot and sunny. It may get humid, considering it’s a jungle planet. At night, it’ll get rather cold.
Seems like whatever was keeping Cerealia’s atmosphere stable is now gone -- which also means that characters may start to occasionally experience headaches, nausea and dizziness if they go too close to the walls. It seems safer in the center of the city, and the Residential District is still okay, but… there’s no doubt that the planet’s atmosphere is starting to encroach on the city.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] But who cares about all of that? More importantly, you are here in this… totally not shoddy city to have fun, and it’s still being advertised as a pleasure colony. Or, well, it would be if, you know, CERES was still around.
But close enough.
And as a pleasure colony, it would figure that the first robots to really get fixed are...well, the Pleasure District robots. Unfortunately, the Pleasure District is still a nice big mess, so now they’re wandering the entire colony, looking for people they can hug, massage or...try to drag into more explicit activities.
Welcome to Cerealia!
[ 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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he blinked at the question posed to him and gave a little nod. it was only natural that he ask, he supposed. ]
Yeah, I've got an apartment... I'll be living alone, though.
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Asano-dono. If you don't mind, perhaps you could stay with us. I'm sure we have plenty of room for one more person and I don't think the others will mind. We're all used to living together in a large group. It’d be safer too as we’d be able to look out for one another.
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Ah, th-this reminds me... do you happen to know anyone named ah... Mutsunokami?
[ he must have. because mutsu had just so happened to offer up the same thing to keigo before... staying in a group residence... and mutsu had given keigo similar vibes to ichigo, as far as spiritual intuition went. there was no way it was a coincidence, right? ]
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[The sword spirits are everywhere, Keigo! You're surrounded by them!]
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Y-yeah. I met both of them the last time I was here. Mutsunokami-san wanted me to come stay with him and ... ah...
[ ...what was his name... it was a strange one, that was for sure... ]
...Haruji. Is what he called him.
[ that conversation... was still embarrassing and slightly unnerving as keigo recalled it. at the time, it sounded so... inappropriate. ]
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The last time you were here...? [That piqued his curiousity.
Ah, and that nickname some of the swords were fond of using. A portmanteau of their master's name ‘Haru’ and master ‘aruji’. Ichigo himself quite disliked it as he found it disrespectful. But their master did not object to it so it wasn't his place to stop the others from using it. But he did frown lightly in disapproval at it. To think that the others have been telling people that that was their master's name.]
His name is Haru and he is own master. He is the saniwa sage who has given us these human bodies we now possess. ‘Haruji’ is just a silly nickname some of the others have given him.
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I see... I thought it was an odd name...
[ and keigo offered a little laugh to go with that statement. but, anyway! ]
But, ah, yeah I... I've been here before. I don't know what happened, but I got returned home and now I'm back again. They must really want me to stick around, I guess...
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[Ichigo looked over at him sympathetically, with a hint of sadness. No wonder Keigo thought he was unlucky. He reached out to touch the top of his head for a moment.]
It'll be alright this time. I'll protect you.
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but what was even more difficult to get past was the way ichigo so confidently offered up his services of protection. keigo found himself flustered all over again. damnit! ]
...Y-you'll protect me? Are you sure?
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...W-well. Thank you.
[ ichigo needed to stop embarrassing him, gosh!! ]
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He smiles.] It's the least I can do for you. Now, are we near the apartments yet?
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It shouldn't be too far now... I'm trying to remember where everything is, but I'm pretty sure I'm on the right path!
[ all he had to do was follow reiatsu signatures, right? ]
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I see. That's good. I can't wait to get there. I could really use a nice long bath!
[He knows nothing about reiatsu signatures but he trusts Keigo knows what he's doing!]
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Ah, that sounds nice... After all that nonsense, I could use one, too...
[ he couldn't help but feel a little gross from all those... bodies... ]
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[And he says this most innocently! Sorry, he's too used to bathing with his brothers.]
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Are you uh, sure about that?
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Of course. I bathe with my brothers all the time back home.
[And he kind of sees Keigo as a younger brother!]
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[ well, naturally... that made sense. though keigo didn't have any brothers... ]
M-maybe. I can't actually remember the last time I bathed with anyone.
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Oh, it's not a common thing then where you're from?
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Well, yeah, I mean... public baths are a thing, but...
[ he trailed off a little, thinking on how to phrase it... ]
I don't have any brothers so it's not like bathing with siblings is a thing I've ever done. The last time it happened was probably when I was very little.
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Aah, don't worry about it. I don't think you're weird for it.
[ which was... actually fairly amazing, considering how judgmental keigo typically was. ]
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I'm glad you don't, Asano-dono...
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It just tells me how caring you are, Ichigo-san. You're the type to think of other people first, right?
[ ...okay, he was teasing a little, but most of that was genuine, evidenced by the bright smile he flashed. ]
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