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!
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(brings out 13 guns)
[ a wakizashi and a strangely familiar... looking tachi. you know, for someone with mikazuki at his side, he hadn't said anything when tsuru had brought him up earlier, so naturally, the most logical conclusion is — ]
You're trying to hide something, aren't you?
[ LOOK... ALL HE WANTS TO DO is to make sure that enishi isn't a thief. but he's being awfully suspicious right now? what if he really is a thief!! what if he stole national treasure mikazuki munechika and is on his way to sell him right now!!! tsurumaru isn't going to stand for any of this trickery!! ]
dam u.. tsuru 13 guns
[ They as in samurais. Also, totally not implying Enishi does that... He actually hates it when he sees samurai trying to bully poor merchants or civilians. He's mostly just stating the sad truth he's seen around Hinomoto.
. . . !?
Busted!?
He obviously jumps a bit out of mere surprise, but he also looks really CONFUSED because what could he be trying to hide... Other than his entire life. Haha. boy. ]
Ahh... Hmm... What? What do you mean? I don't even have anything to hide, you know.
[ NERVOUS SMILE!? ]
ha i win >:)
but tsurumaru doesn't like this situation one bit. so he just... draws the sword at his own side, pointing it at enishi. koro, please get out of the way?! ]
Then, tell me this. Where did you get that sword — Mikazuki Munechika?
If you've stolen him, then I won't hesitate to kill you. If you falter in your words, I also won't hesitate to kill you. I don't tolerate sword thieves.
takes.. 14 guns out
Oh.
So this is about Munechika.
His surprise is still PRETTY DAMN BLATANT but Enishi raises his hands defensively and shakes them to deny everything. ]
Woah, woahwoahwoah. Calm down! Do you have to go that far? I didn't steal anything, I swear..!
[ DOES HE EVEN SOUND CONVINCING... OH WAIT-- ]
Ahh... I.. Let's see... I guess you don't know about the Tournament of Sword Retrieval, then..?
god damn it
People who steal swords deserve to die, no matter what. Isn't that obvious?
[ still, he says it in a way that's too natural! water is wet, the sky is blue, and sword thieves deserve to be rolled into a grave. anyway, onto this strange term... ]
Tournament of Sword Retrieval...? Tell me what that is, and what it has to do with my uncle.
fight me now
Well... Stealing is bad and all... But...
[ Lord Enishi does not want to get into a fight he doesn't have to get into!? Also, getting into a fight for the wrong reason.
Ugh, for some reason he feels... Awkward talking about all this, but he wants to stay alive, kind of ... So. ]
Oh, you know..! Where I'm from there's this Tournament that are held so Samurai can participate. And if you win... You get one of the Tenka Goken as a prize. It was mostly a way to keep swords and the samurai way... Valuable... Since people were close to throwing away their swords. It was also for peace in a sense too.
[ Yeah.. Yeah! He talking kind of fast, but he just feels the pit of his stomach twist nervously. The tournament brings up bad memories of his own Tournament because he technically didn't win Munechika fair and square.
It wasn't even his fault though but he can never talk about it. It really sucks when you spend your entire life training to be a samurai in the way of the sword of one specific tournament... Only to have someone fix it for you because they wanted you to win no matter what? Were his skills not even enough to even have a little bit of trust?! Ah, well.
But yeah, you know. Guns were a thing, but hey, that means swords would've been thrown away. That's why Iemitsu did all that stuff. BUT ANYWAY, Enishi just laughs it off. ]
Ahh, ah but you know. Political stuff, and all that!
*pulls out 13 more guns* surprise
where did all of that murderous intent go? ...what murderous intent? ]
What, that's it? If that was your answer, you should have just said so in the first place!
[ now he feels bad, having said all of those rude, threatening things! even if enishi seems kind of lame, he's not a thief if he won a tournament, right? but with that misunderstanding cleared up, he now puts a hand to his chest, gesturing towards himself. ]
Since you're not a thief, then... you can call me Tsurumaru. My smith was a disciple of Sanjou Munechika's, so naturally — Mikazuki is like a parent to me.
WHY???
Ahh... So you believe me?
[ BIG SIGH OF RELIEF! Especially since Enishi was telling the 100% truth! Even though... He doesn't like to talk about this kind of stuff that much. Why can't people just think he's some lousy samurai that DOESN'T have a super valuable sword and just go on living his life??? Not like a valuable sword makes you any greater anyway!
But hey, he won't die today so that's a good thing, right? ]
Hmm, hmm! It's nice to meet you then! I never thought I'd meet someone that's an actual sword, you know?
[ Kind of weird, but interesting! Hey, he's from a place where there's demons and youkais, so not completely weird. ]
I'm right - right? You're not a samurai and stuff, you're the actual sword? [ He sounds super excited, honestly. Maybe it's just the fact that ever since he was young all he did was train in the way of the sword..? ]
dual wield: gun gun
[ and yet, he says all of those mean things with a smile... but he's being honest! enishi didn't look like he was having a Fun Time while he was explaining all of that... if anything, he seemed a little embarrassed? and that's one indicator of the truth, tsurumaru thinks.
but then he blinks, making a surprised noise before bringing his hands together, clapping for enishi. good job, enishi! yay, enishi! ]
Wow, you're sharp. But you're right — I'm the actual sword. Tsukumogami, actually. As for your sword, Mikazuki... he should be somewhere around here, too.
[ though, out of curiosity... ] Are spirits normal where you come from? Why are you so quick to accept that I'm a sword?