Out with the old, in with the new as they say, and this ViViD level is no different. Ever progressive and ever mindful, CERES has decided in their war against the evil carbon footprint to give citizens both new and old a lesson in healthy living. To show this, they've created a level all about... recycling, or as close to recycling as a company like CERES can get. (Which isn't very close at all, honestly.)
This, of course, means that when you're dumped in to today's ViViD level, the first thing that will hit you is the stench. It's vile and rancid and the type of stench that makes a person want to give up smelling altogether, and when you finally open your eyes, you'll see why. There's trash everywhere. The buildings are decrepit and crumbling, the cars are broken down and rusted, and overall, it looks like the apocalypse rolled right on through. Which is weird because this is definitely not a post-apocalyptic game. Yet wandering around this pathetic excuse for a ViViD level will just reveal more of the same -- it's a total wasteland.
And if you look up, you will see a billboard.
RECYCLING AND YOU: HOW NOT TO BE A DIRTY WASTE OF SPACE
You'll only have a moment to be offended by the sign before, amongst the piles of trash and rubble, there's another, smaller pile of trash and rubble. The only difference is this one can talk.
 Welcome to The Dumpster Dive, my cool cats and sweet kittens. A brand new ViViD level, created and innovated to you by CERES's very creative and innovative technicians. We're all here to help you learn to Reuse, Reduce and Recycle, givin' you kids some tools to help you lessen your impact on the planet. After all, we're all here together on this great planet of Tellus. Wouldn't want to ruin it, right? Ha ha!
Happy Trash Day to Cerealians one and all!
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] So, you're here.
You're probably sitting in a pile of trash because, well, everywhere is a pile of trash. You're in a landscape of trashiness and there's no escape. Your only option is to give in to the sweet, sweet pull of the garbage. The buildings are crumbling, the sidewalks are a mess of bottles (but no bottle caps), rubble, and empty chip bags, and you're stuck in this... trash. This garbage. This hellhole.
Wasn't recycling supposed to be clean?
It probably takes a rat skittering over your foot to get you going but like any good game, the protagonist needs to move. If you're going to find out anything in this trash heap, you'll need to explore a bit. See if you can find someone else! Or something else. Maybe someone more experienced with ViViD can help you figure out how to log out. Even if logging out doesn't seem to be working right now. You should be careful too because one wrong step might cause the pile of trash you're standing on give way and send you into the sewers below.
Which means there are rats, there are bugs, the ground is unsteady and... yep. It's starting to rain.
Good luck.
PHASE II [ 800 ] And then come the... trash drones.
They zero in on any living thing in this ViViD level -- if you’re moving, if you’re breathing, if you have some sort of a pulse, they’ll be there. And they’ll grab you and take you away. No matter how many you shoot down, more and more and more will come, never stopping until you're swarmed completely by them. They have to get you! You're garbage, you're garbage, you're garbage! You're garbage!
And so, you're snatched up.
Don’t worry, though. After a short flight (wave hello to your fellow drone-napped neighbor!), you'll arrive at three huge trash chutes with three equally huge signs above them. GARBAGE, RECYCLING, and COMPOST hang above the chutes and the drones pause just momentarily before announcing one of these options in a robotic voice. You've been sorted and without any preamble, the drone will dump you in whichever one it decides.
Hopefully you don’t end up in the compost. Gross.
Of course, once you down there, there's plenty to poke around in (or not much if you're still not into the whole trash thing). It's piles and piles and piles of trash as far as the eye can see! Again! If you're especially clever, you may be able to use the trash to build a way out of the chute. The very, very long chute. Maybe there's someone around that can help you? And better do so quick, who knows what CERES has deemed to be "recycling" this time.
PHASE III [ 1125 ] CERES's standards continue to shine on again, because after some time, those chutes will finally start working. So if you've been separated from a friend through any of this ordeal, don't worry about it. You're all gonna end up in the same place anyway.
Which is the incinerator, of course! (Wait, that’s not how recycling works.)
The ground beneath you shifts, enough to knock over whatever flimsy excuse for an escape plan you have, and suddenly all of the trash, compost or recycling will be dumped down into an underground furnace -- along with everyone stuck there, of course. Bit by bit, everything moves ever closer towards that red hot furnace and it’s clear that everything's going to be dumped straight into the fire and burned. Say your farewells. Make nice with your neighbor. Finalize your will because --
Oh. It stopped.
Looks like it jammed.
It doesn't remain jammed for long because CERES is, if anything, highly efficient. So it starts up again. But then stops again. And then starts again. And then stops again. This may be a glitch in the level, actually.
So, you're still getting ever closer to fiery death, but... slowly. Very slowly. In fact, you could probably walk away from said fiery death faster than you're going towards it. It's like they can't even program a near death experience right!
PHASE IV [ 1125 ] Maybe you avoided the incinerator. Maybe you ended up in a different part of the level altogether. Maybe you just got lost. Either way, now you’re stuck with the age-old hobby of enthusiasts and the exceptionally desperate alike.
Dumpster diving.
And CERES wouldn't send you down there without an incentive, you know. If you look, it seems like there might be something valuable, something incredibly important and just for you. A shiny item that you’ve always wanted right from home and it’s right there in your grasp, something precious that you could never get in Cerealia. How it came to be there, nestled between an empty carton of eggs and a half-eaten cheeseburger, no one knows, but you'll be filled with the inescapable, all-consuming urge to go get it. Just jump right into that dumpster and get it.
The more you resist the urge, the more it'll hurt. (As in, physically hurt actually. The feeling will be comparable to your fingernails slowly being plucked out.)
This is ViViD though and the moment you hit the trash, the spell breaks. You'll see that your most precious thing, whatever it was, was never actually there. Instead, you seem to have actually grabbed something else and whatever it is, you can't let go of it. Be it an empty bottle of bacon soda or a bicycle tire with a giant hole in it, it's attached to your hand now and no matter what you do, you can't get it off.
Hopefully whatever you grabbed wasn't too big because it looks like you're not getting rid of it. Not till you beat the level.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] The odd thing about being stuck in a trash wasteland is that you can go for ages without seeing another person. Ages. Of course, CERES doesn't like that very much since ViViD games should be co-operative! Player with player! Player against player! Players who shouldn't be playing at all. That's the type of play CERES supports.
Which means the longer you go without seeing another person, the more you might feel an itch. It gets under your skin, making you feel dizzier and dizzier, and shorter and shorter of breath until -- you pass out. Vision going dark, breathing cutting out, and down you go into the trash and whatever this ViViD level has planned next.
It won't take long. You'll wake up feeling slightly confined and there will be a moving body next to you. It seems as if you've finally, finally found someone -- and they're really, really close. In fact, maybe a little too close? When you open your eyes, you'll see that the two of you may be bound together in a way that might be familiar to some.
But instead of a shirt, it's just a garbage bag. A really, really strong garbage bag that can't be broken out of no matter how strong you happen to be. No laser eyes, no super powers, nothing will separate you from this person other than, well, getting along.
There really is only one question you have to ask yourself now. Just one.
What the hell does this have to do with recycling?
[ 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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Kaoru Okita | Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken
Gross...! [This is... probably not the worst day of her life, honestly. She heaves a deep sigh and picks her way out of the trash pile, using her sheathed sword to push some of the trash about but-- This is getting nowhere.]
Argh! My word is law; come forth immediately and make it so! I'm counting on you, my summoned gods!
[Four tiny children burst forth from the pile and begin enthusiastically moving trash aside. When Kaoru's hand pops out of the pile, two of the kids (??) grab it and help pull her out.
The girl that emerges looks like she's definitely seen better days and... is that a Shinsengumi haori she's wearing?? ?? Weird.] Thanks, godlings! [She's just happy to be out of that hellhole and plants her hands on her hips, looking around.]
Now, where is this...? That powerpoint thingy wasn't true, was it? [She frowns, brow furrowing in concern as the little kid-gods fly around her, keeping a look-out.]
[Phase I: B]
[After successfully extracting herself from the garbage and maybe figuring out, somewhat, what's going on, Kaoru takes to the streets. She's dismissed the godlings now, and is striking out on her own!
She's got this. She just has to find the other two Shinsengumi members.
After a minute of trying to search on her own, she gives up the pretense of being stealthy and cups her hands over her mouth to shout as loud as she can:]
Kondou-san! Hijikata-san! Come on you guys, where are you!?
Hey--! [Uh-oh, you've been spotted! Kaoru hurries over, plastering a friendly smile on.] Have you seen Kondou-san or Hijikata-san? Oh, um-- They're wearing haori like mine! And Kondou-san's... probably got a broken sword, and Hijikata-san usually has a gun?
...Actually, if Kondou-san's sword broke again I might not find her for a while if she's hiding... [Kaoru trails off, then perks up again] Uh! Anyway! Does any of that sound familiar?
[Phase III]
My papers! [Forget this fire nonsense, Kaoru's too busy patting herself down frantically.] My godlings! Where did they-- Hey! Don't move!
[She immediately turns her attention on whoever else is in the room, practically pouncing on them.] Look around! Do you see any shikigami summoning papers!? They must have fallen out-- I need them!
[She's about 5 seconds away from shaking the daylights out of you if you don't start looking stat.]
phase II
[ what.... what??? Look, he only turned around because he heard the words Kondou-san and Hijikata-san! He wouldn't have been too surprised if he had seen some totally unfamiliar dude in a Shinsengumi haori running around calling those names, but this one's just a... girl... Wearing. The haori. Which is something Souji knows his Hijikata would never allow, even Chizuru hadn't worn one. This is too confusing. And when things are confusing, it makes Souji incredibly hostile. ]
Who the hell are you? [ He's not wearing his Shinsengumi haori (he doesn't wear it outside in public anymore), but his swords are at his waist as always. He probably just looks like some angry samurai. ]
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I'm really not looking to fight a human today, okay? Our reputation is bad enough... [She laughs a little, but it sounds forced. Still she bows politely.]
I'm Okita of the Shinsengumi! Keeping Kyoto's streets safe from demons and stuff, you know? Sound familiar...?
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Seriously? What a joke. [ There are way too many worlds out there, apparently. The more he's reminded of that fact, the less he's sure he likes it. ]
I haven't seen the people you're looking for. Hijikata-san's around, but he's probably the wrong one.
[ he doesn't mention Kondou. He doesn't want to. There doesn't seem to be much of a point, anyway. ]
i dont have a shocked enough expression for this gdi
[She doesn't stomp her foot, but she looks like she was about to; she's the youngest, she knows that, but that doesn't mean she gets to act it. Especially not now! This was serious!!
But her expression falls to confusion at his next comment. "He's probably the wrong one"? He?]
I'm... Wait, who's the Hijikata-san you're talking about? I didn't think Hiji-- Eh, [That might get confusing, time to switch gears a little] Toshie-san had any siblings? Unless...
[Wait. Wait a second. A male hijikata? Kaoru's eyes go huge.] Her dad is here?! Toshizou Hijikata-san!?
1/2 THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR
2/3
3/3
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1/2
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kalyn why do you do this to me
i'm full of regret tbh. i regret.
GOOD
u say broke swords im on my way... i-b!
So the rest of that - all of that - all of that - registers somewhat slowly and then immediately clicks into the "this is shit I don't want to deal with today" category. Broken swords? Kondou-san? Hijikata-san? Hijikata with a gun? Since when was he Mutsu?? Since when was he a girl?! WHO EVEN IS THIS PERSON.]
Nope. [His answer comes out flat, but his expression says everything for him... It's essentially the expression of a kid who knows they've been caught doing something they shouldn't but they're going to try their damndest to wheedle their way out of any consequences, anyway.]
Sooo, I dunno, good luck finding someone who finds that kinda stuff familiar, okay? Okay! Maybe find a megaphone to help you out.
kashuu no... look away...
Hey, wait! Are you sure!? [She reaches to grab for his arm, mouth turned down in a desperate frown. She's got two possibly familiar swords at her side as well...
(I actually don't remember if canon ever said if she has Okita's swords or not but for the sake of this we'll say she does bc why not)]They're really hard to miss! Kondou-san is super loud and Hijikata-san is quiet and serious! You really can't miss them, and I really need to find them!
NO....
Anyway, his life can't be easy, so of course she manages to grab his arm! And of course he sees the swords at her side when he turns around to tell her "yes, I'm sure"! Of course he'd run into the Okita (though admittedly, it's more surprising to see one of those swords than the other). He can feel himself aging like an extra 1000 years okay, this is awful... But it also makes up his mind for him; there's probably not a point in trying to skirt away from this. Especially since he's still wearing his own vessel at his hip and all.]
—You're probably not gonna find 'em. Not those ones, anyway. Can you like, let go now?
[HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE THE ONE TO EXPLAIN, HE ALWAYS IS.]
i made the most ugly laughing noise at that video omfg
[WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN??? But she lets go of him, more out of confusion than actually complying with his wishes.
She stands there for a moment, wracking her brain for an explanation before remembering that handy-dandy powerpoint presentation she'd gotten handed upon her arrival. She smacks her fist into the palm of her other hand and brightens] Oh! That alternate dimension stuff, right?
[Kaoru laughs brightly.] I wasn't really paying attention, I didn't understand it all, but... I remember that part!
GOOD IM GLAD its one of my favs...
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i-b, who is this gem (also 1/3)
Without having to say it, today is not Mutsu's best day and he's going to scramble around, trying to find his way out so he can head straight to Vietnam's place to get hosed down. Again. He knows the drill and he's on a roll until he hears--
"--Kondou-san! Hijikata-san! Come on you guys...!"
Oh god not another one. He doesn't even have to see who's yelling because he already knows. They're all over the place. He'll never escape them at this rate. What is this? What did he do to deserve this? Ah, hasn't he been a good sword? A reliable spirit? Why is he being punished like this?
Mutsu doesn't want to deal so he's ready to keep on running when--
He's been spotted. )
2/3
Nope, no way, never heard of 'em. ( Kondou? Hijikata? Hah! Who are those people? ) Never seen anyone else like ya before--
( What. Why would Nagasone be broken? Why would Kondou break Nagasone? What?
Why does... why does Hijikata have a gun? What kind of messed up alternate universe is this lady from? Holy shit he's so confused?
This is new. This feeling. This feeling of being so out of the loop, so lost, so behind someone, so completely stunned he's floored. Absolutely floored he can't help but blurt out in response at her )
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( HE ALREADY REGRETS THIS )
the daughter of souji okita, who's in love with sakamoto's son...... yeah. yep....
I'm Okita, of the Shinsengumi! Keeping Kyoto's streets safe from unregistered demons-- and stuff like that! [She straightens and looks rather proud, smiling all the while.] Have you heard of us? I think we're pretty infamous around town... I mean, granted this isn't Kyoto anymore I guess, but, uh...
[Maybe their reputation proceeds them. Hopefully it doesn't because that'd be embarrassing considering the amount of property damage an debts they wrack up haha oops.]
she's a gem you're a gem national treasures all around
( Only kind of because why are you a girl why are there demons in Kyoto why does Hijikata have a gun what twilight universe are you from. )
Do ya... do ya fight demons a lot?
( Is that normal? Mutsu doesn't know aymore. )
how many okitas can one city hold....
looking around here you'd think, "god, they're everywhere"
an actual infestation of okitas call an exterminator stat
get rid of them all of them except this one she can stay for now (also 1/a few)
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END UGH I'M SORRY HE'S JUST ???
IM DYING DONT APOLOGIZE
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i cant believe this; phase i-b
but of course, he jolts up hearing the familiar names: Kondou-san and his own... ...? ]
What is it now-? [ he immediately responds to his name and turns around only to see a girl rushing up to him and suddenly talking about... ...
Oh, geez. why.
this is too much information to take, Hijikata needs a few moments to actually let all this sink in!? and that's weird: she's wearing a haori- when the hell did the Shinsengumi started allowing girls to wear their uniform? he looks at his own haori he's wearing, then back at her; a very perplexed look on his features. he sighs. ]
Okay, that's enough. Slow down, girl. [ Hijikata furrows his eyebrows. ] Of course, that sounds familiar can't you see?
[ mostly referring to the whole, hey... I have a haori too... I'm Shinsengumi. although, if this girl is looking for a different Hijikata she probably won't recognize him exactly. whatever. ] So tell me, who the hell are you and why are you wearing that.
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[Why would anyone try to dress up like the Shinsengumi they kind of suck?? Okay no she doesn't really think that but no one in their right minds would try to show association with them like that, not with the amount of property damage they manage to do. Not to mention the insanely high debts..........
Kaoru rests her hands on her hips, continuing to frown. Maybe something about those dimensions and such mentioned during the powerpoint presentation?? Hell if she knows.]
I'm Okita, of the Shinsengumi, of course! I was on patrol before I got sent here, so of course I was wearing it, it's mine! [Pause.] Well, technically it was my dad's, I guess, but it's mine now, so-- [SO YEAH.] Who are you supposed to be?
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Hijikata just gives Kaoru this look, he should really be offended at that kind of comment, huh! this girl, she's testing his patience. ]
This uniform is genuine, mind you. [ he crosses his arms. he's trying really hard to be patient because once he thinks about it this has to be... another world, another Shinsengumi kind of thing? ugh, this is too confusing.
and it just gets worse when she introduces herself as Okita!? the surprise is now evident on Hijikata's face and he just stares at Kaoru, wide eyed. Souji? no... no way? no, "my dad's?". when did Souji have a child?! ]
I... See. [ this is... weird. a sigh, well he has nothing to lose now does he. ] I'm Hijikata Toshizou, hopefully that name should ring a bell. Does it?
[ it BETTER. ]
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[. . .]
Wh-what!? You're who!? [Yeah talk about ringing a bell holy shit. Kaoru jumps back in alarm, eyes wide]
Hijikata-san's-- Eh, no, Toshie-san's father!? [She stares at him for a long moment and tilts her head this way and that, as if trying to decide on something.] Ah... she really does get her looks from you then. I guess her hair and eyes come from her mom...
Wait, you're supposed to be dead! Is this some weird trick? Are you a spirit?
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phase iii
AGEHA IS THAT YOUthis hysterical girl!Rinne holds up his hands to explain his part. ]
I haven't seen anything like that yet. I would've noticed them by now.
[ The good kind of papers can get kind of pricey, back in the afterlife! ]
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Hey, help me look, would ya? I can't lose those! [She can't even focus on how this guy kinda looks like a redhead version of Ryuunosuke
sup character design twin. When you're carrying around the summoning papers for the Four Beast Gods you kinda have to put things on a backburner.Also, those four papers? Totally chilling in her ponytail. She just can't see them.]
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Ah-- your hair. [ He points to the back of his own head. Maybe check that out? ]
swoops in... phase i-b!!
But with the arrival of the strange girl, it petty much confirms it. It's happening again. Only this time... ] Kondou-san with a broken sword?! [ What kind of Shinsengumi does this girl have? Nevermind the woman thing, the broken sword is much weirder for Kotori.
Shaking her head quickly as if to distract from her (no doubt odd) exclamation, she clasps her hands, brows furrowing.] N-no, sorry! The Hijikata-san and Kondou-san I know aren't like that at all, so I... Don't know what the ones from your world are like... [ Uh oh. If she's looking for them, then could it be... ] Are you that world's Okita-san? [ She's wearing the haori, after all. That's only for members of the Shinsengumi, so there's no way she could be a maid like Kotori. ]
oh noo she's cute. kotori leave before it's too late...
It takes a few moments for it to click-- right. Different worlds. Kaoru laughs a little, scratching at the back of her head.] Oh yeah... I guess that'd be a problem, huh? If I just go shouting around, no one'll know what the heck I'm talking about! [Nervous laughter increases...]
Um. Sort of? I'm Okita Kaoru-- Okita Souji is my father.
ugh no ur cute tho lets be cute together ????
Speaking of bridges... ] Eh?! Okita-san's daugh--? [ She immediately goes wide eyed. Okita?? THAT Okita? Well actually no, not that Okita, but she can't stop the connection in her mind regardless. ] ... This may sound strange, but to me... That's kind of amazing... [ Imagining her Okita as a father... Is actually a pretty scary thought. ] What's your father like... O-Okita-san?
i-b ; i tried resisting. i failed. back to midgetgumi hell for me.
Huh?
[ Wait. Did she just say--? Okay, now he knows something's off. ]
Hijikata-san doesn't have a gu-- [ HEY WHOA WHAT?! ] Ehhh?! Ko-Kondou-san's not a girl! He's not a girl at all!
[ And if he is, he's the ugliest woman Heisuke's ever seen. Yuck! ]