PHASE I [ 9 00 ] You open your eyes, and there is a chicken pecking at your face. It's not a very happy chicken, either, but if you can manage to fend it off, then it will be clear that you are in a village. It is... medieval-esque, in that video game sort of way; the details don’t seem too clear, but if you look to your left, there’s a cow! And to your right, a well! Ignore the clear evidence of modern technology in the buildings such as lights, gas, and 21st century plumbing; CERES is dedicated to authenticity.
Looks like the new ViViD level has finally been released, and everyone is invited to play, whether they want to or not.
The game (because this time, that's surely what it is) will start simple. Everyone begins in the same place and every NPC villager will say the same thing: to get out of here, you have to go through the caves. They’ll shove a stick at you (“take this, it’s dangerous to go alone”) and off you go, into the caves… !
Which are full of tiny rats and more chickens. They will try to fight you, but it’s really not very effective when they’re perfectly small and average (especially when everyone still has their typical powers and abilities -- CERES didn't mess with those at all this time). The caves are winding and circular and maze-like, and to make matters even worse, the only ones around are the other poor saps stuck in this situation.
But if you kill enough of the rats, you’ll get to hear the satisfying level up jingle. Congratulations! You are now level 2. It's probably satisfying just for a minute or so until you finally find your way out of those maze like caves and -- You're back in the village again. Great.
PHASE II [ 930 ] You’re carrying a bag. No matter what you do, you can’t take it off, either; it’s stuck with you through thick and thin. But it is awfully heavy. Maybe you should actually open it and see what’s inside?
The problem is, it’s going to take a while.
The bag has clearly tapped into its true hammerspace nature; there are items for days in there, and they’re all very, very strange. You might end up covered in hats of all sorts, buried in logs as you pull out one after another, or look like you have an odd fetish for pickaxes.
Maybe there’s 1/3rd of an evil turnip, half a piece of pie and an egg.
Geez, what in the world are you supposed to do with all of that?
PHASE III [ 1200 ] Eventually, you make it out of the caves the right way despite the harassment of the rats and chickens and the fact you'll keep perpetually getting lost. Hooray! You come out into a large, peaceful, scenic meadow, with a small river bubbling off to one side, and a house.
You'll immediately notice that there’s a bridge to cross the river, but there’s someone standing in the way of that bridge. When you approach to go past him, no matter what you try to do, you won't be able to. Asking him why he won't move will only get one thing in response -- “Bring me a fish. Cooked.”
Then he’ll shove a fishing rod at you and expect you to get to it. You can’t attack him, you can’t get past him -- looks like the only thing to do is to catch and cook that fish. Time to sit back, relax, and get to work. Or maybe you’ll team up with someone else and be the person in the house making sure that the fish gets cooked properly. For some reason, if you leave it too long it turns right into a pile of ashes.
Weirdly though, no matter how good you are at cooking or fishing usually, it’s as if you’re right back at the metaphorical level one. Any sort of seasoning or effort to cook it faster falls flat and in the end you'll only be able to place the fish in the pan and set it on the stove, whole. This may take awhile.
And if you try to cross the river itself, well... no, really, don’t try to cross the river.
At least if you get eaten, you’ll just respawn back in the village, but do have fun traveling through the caves again!
PHASE IV [ 1430 ] You made it through the caves. You made it across the river (with a slightly burnt fish). You’ve made it to the wide open world, and you can finally adventure to your heart’s content. You take a step forward on the road and --
A message pops up, bright red and in your face.
[ Restricted Area: Members Only ]
No matter what you do, you can’t go past that point. In fact, if you’re not careful and you’re going too fast, you might run face-first into it like it’s an invisible wall (which it is).
Then, just like that, you're back in the village. Again. Only this time, there's a nice, blinking message -- Pay a small subscription fee to access member's content. Oh well. No big deal, you can just start again.
Except then you see a cool sword and when you try to pick it up, you'll get that same message, and end up transported back to the village yet again. And again, with some shiny new armor. And again, with that attention-grabbing NPC over there. Looks like you're caught in an infinite loop here but no matter how much you inspect the pop up, there's no... actual way to pay the subscription fee (and why would you want to?). But at least you have company, because you can't be the only person who thought that sword was cool.
(It was really, really cool.)
BONUS [ xxxx ] What’s that on the ground in front of you? It looks like… some bunny ears? Or maybe it’s a chicken head, or a pumpkin head. Either way, the moment you touch it, you have a strong need to put it on your head -- and once it’s on, it’s not coming off.
To make matters worse, each hat has an effect associated with it; the bunny ears will, in fact, randomly turn you into a cute fluffy bunny for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour before you pop right back to yourself, whereas the pumpkin hat will, in a complete reversal, turn you into Cinderella for a bit -- complete with beautiful ball gown and the ability to talk to all of those cute fluffy bunnies.
Also the rats will love you, so maybe you should go back to the caves again.
Meanwhile, the chicken hat won't transform you into any odd creature, but it will inspire in the people wearing them a very real, persistent desire to build a nest. This will involve picking up twigs, trash, shiny things and whatever else catches your eye to try to build a nest out of it. You'll also try to pick up whatever food you find on the ground to eat, have the weirdest desire to lay an egg, and basically have all sorts of odd chicken-like instincts inflicted upon you.
At least you look festive!
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It's weird being able to talk to other humans, but I kinda like the change. As for having a domain, I'm not the type of seraph to hold one and be what we call a Lord of the Land. Basically, that's a seraph who blesses a certain area and protects the land from corruption, and basically stay there as guardian unless they need to leave. I'm way too young of a seraph to consider settling down like that.
Not that it's all fun and games to begin with anyway. Sometimes, even we get corrupted. Other times, humans will twist what the seraphim want to trick innocents into doing terrible things that we'd never wish for.
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Wow, uh, mine aren't nearly that... Well. Well intentioned.
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Really? ...Well, that might be because of what we are. The seraphim race is naturally without corruption. It's when we give into feelings of anger, hatred, and other emotions of that kind that we become hellions. Just like humans can, at least in my world.
[Ah, better explain that a bit more. He doesn't want to give Percy the wrong impression.]
They can be saved through purification. However, that's an ability reserved to one seraph and the person who would be her vessel, the Shepherd. She's a recurring figure that humans have called the Lady of the Lake for centuries. Although...for a seraph, if we remain in this state of corruption for too long, there's a chance we'll become a dragon. In that case, the only salvation anyone has been able to find for them is death.
[Mikleo shakes his head. He seems a touch embarrassed.]
Sorry, I didn't mean for the conversation to take a heavy turn like that.
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Hestia throwing Mrs. O'Leary sized dog biscuits at 13 cranky dragons on top of Olympus.
As much as it was really cathartic to think of someone telling Zeusasaurus to roll over and fetch...]
No, it's okay. Trust me, I am REALLY okay with explanations.
So, without that Lady of the Lake here... it's just really important to keep your cool...
[Note to self, do NOT introduce to Mario Kart.]
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Being angry is one thing. It's letting that anger rule me that will cause problems for me. We have the same thoughts and feelings that humans do. Like...insulting a good friend of mine will have the same general result as what you'd get if someone insulted your friend.
But I won't have to worry too much. My pact with Lailah, our current Lady of the Lake, allows me to share her vessel. And her vessel, the Shepherd, happens to be my best friend. Because he's pure of heart, I gain protection from corruption. The moment he's corrupted, though, is when any seraph under Lailah's pact will become corrupted.
[He doesn't sound so worried about it, though. If anything, Mikleo sounds confident that'll never happen to his best friend.]
It's true for any seraph's vessel, too. Theirs just isn't a person. It's usually an object or building that's pure and won't be easily corrupted.
SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAYS
Very earnestly, he answers,] I'm glad you've got someone like that.
So. What's he like?
NAH, MAN, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT <3
Sorey? He walks the fine line between 'pure' and 'hopelessly naive' at all hours of the day.
[Mikleo really doesn't hold back in saying that.]
But...he's kind. Maybe a little too kind. Whenever Sorey sees someone in trouble, he wants to see if there's anything he can do to help. Cheerful, friendly, adventurous, optimistic...he tries to find the good in other people, but he's wise enough to know when to admit defeat on some. Sorey has a tendency to take on more responsibility than he should and keep that burden on his shoulders rather than 'bother' the people who care about him to share it.
[That last part seems to be a sore point.]
Can I ask more about what your gods are like? Or is it only Poseidon? [He seems a little embarrassed that he's been talking a lot about himself, but hasn't really asked about Percy.]
Work has been eating me. But SOON WEEKEND. PS. Mikleo is adorable, man
It's definitely not just Poseidon. There's hundreds of gods... Though there's thirteen major ones. They rule over different domains... Luke the sky, the ground, the sea, cheeseburgers, communication... All the important stuff that makes up the world and humanity...
They uh, are not all that great at harmony. Or getting along. Or leaving humans out of it, really.
Thank God for weekends! And jfkdsla thank you! ;o; He'll never admit his cuteness.
Cheeseburgers? ...Actually, I don't want to know about that. But, I would guess that Poseidon is one of those thirteen major gods? The sea as his domain would suggest that he's of importance.
[The water seraph looks thoughtful.]
And...they're active in human affairs? Or is it that they don't care if humans are involved in their squabbles?
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Yeah, he's one of the Big Three. The best of them, but we're getting back into accusations of bias.
... And yes... and yes. Solid yeses across the board.
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Then the other two would have dominion over sky and earth? And the other ten gods would have dominions that aren't quite as expansive, but still powerful in their own rights?
[Mikleo frowns at that answer.]
That sounds...messy. [He almost says 'wrong,' but refrains. It's not his place to say such a thing, especially since it's obviously a very different culture.] The only involvement with human affairs we have is when it's clear that they can't handle something without our aid. And to get them involved in their own arguments....
[It clearly doesn't sit well with Mikleo.]
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[Percy rubs the back of his neck.]
Yeahhh. I mean, to be fair, they tend to get their act together on the whole save the world thing.
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[Mikleo tilts his head to the side slightly.]
Well, that's one thing in their favor, at least. I'd guess that humans aren't typically aware of their involvement, either?
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[Makes sense that they'd want companionship with humans who are special.]
And you'd hardly be the only person with a god for a parent. [At least, he hopes Percy isn't the only one. That would be a sad life.] You'd naturally be able to perceive things that most normal humans can't, then. Do they stick around with the human they have a child with?
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Perhaps in a way I can understand their distance, but I wouldn't want to make an assumption until I've met them personally. The lives of humans are very short when you're comparing them to an immortal's lifespan. Some seraphim don't get close to individual humans for that very reason.
[Though he understands the viewpoint, that doesn't mean he agrees with it necessarily.]
It's no excuse to leave child and human parent on their own like that, though.
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He ends up handing the fishing pole to Mikleo and grabbing a second. The pensive look on his face clears like the sun breaking through clouds.]
So whatever's going on here, doesn't let us cheat to get the fish. Care to see who's luckier?
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Shame it won't let us, huh? But, sure, I'm game.
[Lords know that Mikleo and his group had to learn how to fish a few times during their journey. He casts his line out and sits down to wait.]
Last one to get a fish has to cook both.
[Heck yeah he'll up the stakes. He is a competitive seraph!]
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He casts out the line, and tugs the lure past the shadows in the water in enticing jumps... but like before the program ignores it. It IS all luck now.]
That scared of cooking?
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Please. I'm just not as good with heat as I am with cold. Guessing the correct temperature to keep the fire at is...a work in progress for me still.
[He can still bake and stuff, but his chances of failure are...a little higher than most other seraphim. Sometimes, it sucks being a water seraph with a love of sweets.]
AND DAMN. I MISSED THIS APP PERIOD DUE TO DUMB... BUT NEXT!!
[There's a tug on the line, but the hook pulls up clean. SO CLOSE.]
I'LL DEFINITELY TAG YOU NEXT TDM, TOO! This CR is too good! o:<
[It's playful, though. Mostly because he knows that Percy means nothing serious by it. It's so refreshing to have sass banter like this.]
Are your cooking skills any better, Percy?
Yes please! They are fantastic!