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!
|
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?
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Yukina Suzumori | Demons' Bond
[Yukina had put up an admirably fight when it came to being sorted. Her hawk companion Gin-o had managed to avoid capture himself in the end but Yukina hadn't had the same sort of luck. She struggled against it's grasp, attempting to pour all the strength she had into wrenching herself loose. It may have worked, even if it meant another metal creature would pick up where it's companion left off, if the thing hadn't seemed to be eager to be rid of her. It was pretty speedy in pronouncing her as "GARBAGE" though and sending her on her way.
The landing was once again in a mound of trash. That barely mattered though because moments later the ground rumbled and began to move once more. The scent of trash was becoming mingled with something... hotter.
Yukina went wide-eyed with the realization. She acted quickly, reaching for whomever was closest with the voice of firm, heavy insistence.]
We can't be pulled in.
[Her conviction was as firm as her grip wherever it may have landed. For a woman of her size she was surprisingly strong, it seemed. Thankfully she only got so far with pulling whoever she had reached for along with her because the ground below suddenly comes to an abrupt halt, leading to her abrupt halt as well.
And then it started again.
And then it stopped again.
And in the end Yukina looked back toward the fire, confused. Was it going to drag them in or...? Her shoulders sag a moment, expression bewildered.]
I... was expecting something else.
PHASE IV
Excuse me.
[Her voice is sheepish to say the least. Once someone does turn, she'll pull her left hand from under her cloak. Stuck to her palm like velcro is a brilliantly neon-colored squirt gun. Given how large it is, it's a deluxe sort of squirt gun at that.
Her cheeks color a little more.]
How does one... undo this?
[She's not quite sure what she means by 'this' other than, well, having something stuck fast to her. She hasn't a clue honestly what the object itself is. It clearly seems to be making her uncomfortable either way.]
WILDCARD
[Hit me up with anything I've missed.]
iv
[ He's never one turn down a plead for help, but it does surprise him to see a lady in such parts of... well, existence. Like two fishes out of water, the two of them, but now is hardly the time to muse about those kinds of things... ]
Interesting. I have never seen an object so securely fastened to one's skin. Perhaps it had been doused in some sort of adhesive... May I?
[ He extends his hand, not about to take hold of her without definitive permission. ]
no subject
She offers out her hand as she speaks, palm up and squirt gun balancing just as well as it had been turned on it's side.]
I thought so as well. Wouldn't adhesive still allow me to pull it off with enough force?
[Yes, she really had stood in that dumpster all sheepish and forlorn, trying to rip it off. What was a little skin when one healed quickly anyhow.]
no subject
That might be one way to go about it, but I doubt that would do your skin any favors. However, I may be able to do something in your favor.
[ his powers are unique in that aspect, after all. but first, some burning questions - ]
What were you doing with this, if I may ask?
no subject
I thought I saw something of importance within one of the large metal containers.
[One of Yasehime's hair ornaments, to be precise. It had been painful to see something so beautiful and dear to one she held in such high regard laying in so much filth.]
phase III yukina!!!
A quick, painful death, right? [ he says, carelessly. ] Thanks for the attempted rescue, but I don't need it. It's been like that for a while now.
[ They could probably walk out of there right now. ]
no subject
After a moment though she simply nods. If he says he doesn't need the help then she seems to have no intention of forcing said help, particularly when the danger seems pretty moot and finished.]
Forgive me for the intrusion.
[That much said she turns her attention forward. A tentative step, then another, all to confirm the thing isn't going to suddenly leap to life again and drag them away regardless. Then she starts moving forward.]
no subject
[ he says, because Yukina trying to save his life hardly qualifies as an offense and also because he's a shithead. Souji follows after because honestly, why not? There's only one direction to go to get to the exit. ]
Are you new here? [ He can't really tell. It's not like Souji's met everyone in Cerealia so far, but ]
no subject
I'm not. I woke up here earlier.
[Then she looks back at him, perhaps a little curiously surprised.]
You aren't?
[Don't tell her anyone lived in this... well, mess to put it nicely. Were people so destitute here?]
no subject
Unfortunately. [ and the simplest way would be ] This place we're in right now is called ViViD and it doesn't always look like this. The closest explanation I can think of is something like magic, I guess?
[ He shrugs. Magic doesn't actually exist back in his world, but... ] They call it technology here. Anyway, the important thing to know is that this place isn't actually real and that you can leave if you know the way out.
no subject
She weighs his words as she walks, then finally asks:]
It's like a dream then.
[That's the closest she can come to something not real. And the notion leaves a thoughtful look on her face.]
no subject
[ Souji has actually yet to die in ViViD, but everyone's told him that particular piece of information so he figures it's worth passing on anyway. ]
no subject
Then if this is like a dream, we should be able to 'wake up'.
[It's more muttered to herself than him. That seems to make a decisive decision for her though. In order to 'wake up' they likely need to get out of their current trash pit. And while she's wary of humans in general, cooperation seems the better idea.
So with that settled in her mind she turns and gives a very proper bow. After making sure she's not standing on the bit of weirdly moving land, of course.]
I am Yukina. I hope we may work well together in this current situation.
no subject
Is that your way of asking for my help? [ well, he thinks. He may not trust her, but he can see that she's entertaining. That's almost good enough. ] Well, I don't dislike polite kids.
[ why not ] Okita Souji. Nice to meet you, Yukina-san.
no subject
[Blunt and straight to the point.]
(no subject)
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iii!
Well... I guess this is better than what we were both expecting...?
[ Perhaps an understatement. Gently shaking the arm that he's being held by, Atsushi indicates that neither of them probably have to be too worried at the moment. ]
But we should probably still get away from here while we can, huh. What a day...
no subject
She offers the faintest of smiles in the next moment.]
It would seem so.
[While they're still being spared though, they both need to find a way out like he mentions. She turns away from what would have been their doom and considers their options.]
Do you believe we could climb out the way we came in?
no subject
That's probably the best option. Ah, be careful—
[ The ground underneath them, while slow-moving, is still inching towards the fiery pit slowly; some trash slides under their feet, and Atsushi offers a hand if Yukina needs it for balance while she makes her way up. ]
Its hard to tell if this place is actually threatening or not, but... it's never bad to be careful.
no subject
[Not that she's the paragon of reacting accordingly, of course. Yasehime's condition is still a bitter pill but she resists the urge to chide herself. It's more important that the pair climb out and to that end she takes Atsushi's hand with little hesitance.
She's actually pretty decent at climbing, it seems. The way back up isn't as slick as it once was thankfully, remnants of the trash they came down with making the tunnel more habitable to the climb. Not that the additional stickiness present makes the climb palatable though.
There seems to be a commotion the further up they go. Distantly they may hear subtle scratching sounds and the screeching much like that of a bird. Yukina herself seems to perk up.]
The exit much be close.
no subject
He also lifts his head when they start hearing the first signs of... something, but instead of relaxing, Atsushi braces his shoulders. He's not sure if he should be thrilled about hearing something aside from them up there, let's be real. ]
It...sounds like it, but I'm not sure if that's the sound of something friendly...?
[ WHAT IF THERE ARE MONSTERS... what if. ]
Much, must. Bleh, my brain.
The creatures that threw us in here weren't able to capture my companion. That should be him.
[Should. It sounds like him at least but now that she considers it, the possibility that it may be something else altogether rises as well. It's enough to have her momentarily apprehensive as they reach the top of the chute. The incline is thankfully fairly easy.
... How did this open exactly? Did one simply push on it?]
HAHA, dw about it...!
[ Huh, if it's something that screeches, then it must be... ] ...Did you come here with your bird? [ He can roll with that, to be honest. It's a welcome thought, seeing something more organic and natural in lieu of all this trash.
If that's the case, he's going to try to help Yukina reunite with her friend...! A momentary frown at the closed chute later, he gives her an apologetic half-smile before turning his hands into what look like paws, changing the shape of his fingers so they resemble the claws of a much stronger animal. ]
I'll see if I can pry this open, so... you can call for your friend?
no subject
He's come all this way with her though, hand in hand for a good deal of it. He had been gentle in that time and she can't really feel the urge to be frightened or guarded against him now.
She nods a bit, then moves to the other side of the chute. If he's going to put in his best effort then Yukina is loathe not to do the same.]
I'm sure we can if we both try.
[She's not as strong as a male demon might be but compared to a human, she had quite a bit of strength and grip to her at least. The chute isn't clogged shut even if it really isn't meant to open from the inside like this.]
no subject
On the count of three, then. One, two...
[ Claws dig a little deeper into the space between the chute door, and he pulls one way while he trusts Yukina to pull the other. ]
...Three!
[ The machine is stubborn, but not immovable. Atsushi can feel it moving after a few initial seconds of testing the waters, and he manages to pry his side open without too much trouble.
Hopefully Yukina isn't having a hard time, herself?! ]
no subject
Since it's now more open than not, a white hawk can be seen perching itself on the outer rim of the chute. The creatures from earlier don't appear to be outside either.]
Gin-o!
[The bird makes a curious sound. Yukina breathes out a sigh as she continues to hold the chute open as much as she can.]
Can you bring something to prop this door open with? If we can prop it open, I'm sure the two of us can climb out.
[Gin-o leaves in the next moment, returning after a brief search nearby with what appears to be a heavy stick. It's not exactly a thick block of wood but a few of them ought to be enough to prop open the corners of the chute long enough for the pair to crawl out.]