Welcome to CERES' new dating experience -- ABOMIDate (Catchy, huh?). They've found that they're a little concerned with everyone's ability to... connect with denizens of different species, and in a place like Cerealia that is full of aliens, that's a Big Problem! After all, it's pretty clear by now that there are a lot of things about your friendly neighborhood aliens that you just know nothing about. What else do you not know? That the greeting of a Faswwg is face licking? That feathered species require mating dances to woo? That [REDACTED] needs [REDACTED] to [REDACTED]? So clearly, the way to fix this problem is...to practice dating other species!
Namely eldritch abominations! In CERES' experience, eldritch abominations really sum up the full interspecies dating way of life and provide you a variety of different species (and orifices) to enjoy.
So it's time to put on some proper music -- no, not that, that's not right. There, that's better. Anyway, time to put on some sexy background music, and woo the monster of your dreams!
 [ horrifying noises of nightmares and despair ]
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PHASE I [ 8 00 ] Welcome to the new and improved Abominable Dating, CERES’ brand new virtual dating experience! The first thing you will see will be a character select screen, because CERES wants you to get to the dating part right away. Don’t worry, there are a lot of beautiful and handsome candidates to choose from so feel free to jump right in! There’s this fellow, or this dashing lass and even a hidden character who is... not really all that hidden if they’re right there to be picked, but there you go!
You have to pick one. There’s no other option, I’m afraid.
And once you do, you’ll end up in a room with your date, dressed up in beautiful, date-like clothing. Unfortunately, everyone else who picked that date will also be in the room with you, also dressed up and prepared for dating.
This is awkward.
It gets even more awkward when your date decides that you look like a great main course. Watch out for those claws/teeth/limbs/etc! Maybe you can work together to take down your starving date, sad as that sounds.
PHASE II [ 1000 ] No dating game would be complete without stat boosting sessions. Regardless of how you feel about your current date, you’re locked into the game now (and hopefully not while covered in the blood of your date themselves, though they just come back even if you managed to kill them), and the game is picking a stat it thinks you need to work on. Either your intelligence is deplorable, your charisma is totally lacking, or your strength is at noodly-arm levels. That’s pretty bad. (It doesn’t matter what your actual intelligence, charisma or strength are, the game might be making things up at this point.)
Because of this, you’re going to be automatically tossed into a mini-game to increase those stats! This will be fun, absolutely. Nothing but Fun here in ViViD. So regardless of what the game thinks you’re lacking, it’s going to throw you into the same mini-game -- eldritch abomination make-over sessions.
You'll show up at a row of dressing rooms, each marked with a sign above the door reading NO INTELLIGENCE or NO STRENGTH or NO CHARISMA in bright red letters. Choosing the right one (embrace your shame) will reveal your initial date to you. They bat their eyelashes in greeting and growl out a very sultry, Will you help me, senpai?
Time to get to work!
You won’t be able to leave the mini-game until the monster is completely satisfied with its makeover, so it’s time to really tap in to your inner fashion sense. Of course, the fact that you’re all trying to apply makeup to the same monster might make this hard, but you can surely all get along, right?
Right?
PHASE III [ 1800 ] At first, you were on a date. Finally, you, your monster, candelight. Everything was going right until... well, you made a bad dialogue choice. They asked you what your favorite food was, you accidentally picked "Italian" (or maybe picked it on purpose which makes this even worse!) and then things went dark.
When you wake up, you'll find yourself in a cage. The room is dark and dank and there's no light other from the crack of a door somewhere up a flight of stairs. You're in a cage in a basement and there's a key glinting on the table right across the room there. Is it for your cage?
Welcome to the Yandere Route.
You might not actually be alone though. The cage isn't terribly big but there's enough room for someone else and if you shift around a little, you'll bump into them. Maybe you should share some woes of the eldritch horror dating experience. Maybe you should try and find a way out! Who knows? But there's one thing for sure:
You're both extremely naked.
Good luck!
PHASE IV [ 1830 ] You did it. You’ve gotten to the end of the game, or nearly. You’ve earned up enough affection points somehow. Maybe it was through the eldritch abomination following you around to trying to eat you or maybe it really, really, really liked your makeover. Maybe there was that thing and the cage and some weird pictures it took -- who knows! But now it’s time for the inevitable scene.
The confession scene.
Except... well, ViViD can’t do confession scenes very well. You'll find yourself there in the schoolyard, dressed in the appropriate school uniforms but...
For one thing, there’s a heavy shower of rose petals. A heavy shower. They’re everywhere. They might get in your mouth and face, they’re pooling around your knees, it's a rose petal flood and you're about to drown!
For another, the eldritch abomination you chose to romance is getting closer and... closer. And closer. And that sure is a lot of teeth, huh? Is it coming in for a kiss or to eat off your face? It’s... really hard to tell with all the rose petals, isn’t it?
To make matters even worse, you can’t move -- you’re locked into the scene until it comes to its proper conclusion. The game is stuck and you're here, suffering through it all. Well, you're suffering unless someone comes and rescues you, but who in the world would interrupt a touching scene like this to do that?!
BONUS [ why o'clock ] You know you have to get dressed up nicely for your date. It's an important one! Third date means third base, after all. So, you’re shoved into a closet, and surrounded by tons and tons of choices to pick from. You're spoiled for choice!
But, well... no matter what you put on, or even if you just elect to stay in your regular clothing, it changes as soon as you step out of the closet to meet your date.
Don’t worry, you look adorable.
It can’t be taken off, of course. So you’d better get comfy, because you’re going to be a pink dinosaur for your third date and... your fourth date. And your fifth. Hell, you might still be a pink dinosaur when it comes time to confess! How... cute.
[ 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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[ Caught you red-handed.
But at least the coast is still clear. He keeps etching out runes, pausing once or twice to go back over his work. Once he's satisfied, he finishes off the last mark and the runes abruptly vanish.
Charlie gives a wave of his hand and all of the desks and tables and chairs slide away, pressing themselves up against the edges of the room, leaving the center clear. He draws out one final mark on the floor. ]
Okay, so, we just have to get her to cross this space. Once she steps here, all of the desks and things will pile up to make a cage of sorts. It probably won't hold her for long, but it'll keep her off us.
[ Another mark sends a bookshelf on the far side of the room toppling over unto its side. ] Think that'll work for cover?
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[ He clears his throat, keeps his eyes on the window this time. ]
It's just... pretty to watch, it's a lot different to what I'm used to. [ Which comes out softer than he intends it to, more honest than what he'd said before, too. ] Cross that space. Does it activate itself or do you need to do it?
[ He glances at the bookshelf, gives a bit of a shrug. ] Won't know until we try.
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Shall we go hunt ourselves a monster?
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[ Though if Merlin gets behind her... ] Though I suppose if we run behind the door I could stun her onto it?
[ His hand is already reaching for the door when he glances up and... that sure is the monster coming down the corridor now. ]
Though you might have to think of that rather quickly, she's coming now.
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I really hope you're ready for this. [ It's with a long, deep breath in and out that he opens the door widely. Charlie should, at least, be closer to the bookcase they'll use for cover which is probably best as his spell is already set up. Merlin has... work to do though still, which is rather unfortunate.
Not that it's obvious when the creature finally notices them there and Merlin is grinning like an idiot and yelling out: ] Oh, hello! Didn't see you there!
[ Well... if they wanted her attention, they've certainly got it. He scrambles back as soon as she starts to charge, focusing on the circle Charlie drew as he jumps up onto a table to run around it, taking the long back route towards the bookcase.
Now they just have to hope she takes the bait and ends up in the middle of the circle. ]
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Charlie plants a hand on the bookcase and vaults over it just as the monster crosses into the circle. There's a flash of blue light and, just as charlie said, every desk, table and chair- eve the teacher's podium, launch themselves at the center of the room. The furniture haphazardly piles itself into a sort of dome around the monster, who immediately loses her damn mind about it and starts swinging wildly at the makeshift cage. ]
That's not gonna hold, so you better do what you're gonna do!
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Ástríce! [ His eyes flash gold and there's a loud whirring noise as wind rattles at the cage Charlie's magic built. When the creature finally hits the ground her body is hit with a powerful stunning spell mixed with different types of magic to the point that she explodes. Just as promised.
Merlin just about manages to squeeze his eyes shut as blood and gore splatters everywhere.
Well at least one of them is clean. ]
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He pokes his head up, frowning ]
You could have ducked back here, you know.
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[ He tries to shake his hands off at least, before he looks over at the other. ]
I thought I'd be far away enough, or maybe that it wouldn't be this bad.
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C'mon. There's got to be a restroom around here somewhere. We can probably clean you up a little.
[ He just... very carefully... makes his way to the door. Virtual or not, he is not stepping in this stuff. ]
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He looks like hell. ]
I'm really glad this won't stick when I wake up. [ He can't even care anymore, he's covered in it all, after all. Once in the hallway he squints down the hall, trying to work out which way would be best to go. He could technically see if they can log out yet, but at the same time...
...this is somewhat comfortable. Even if. He's covered in creature gunk. ]
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I bet if we can find the gymnasium we'll find some showers.
[ He looks around as well- this place can't be an endless maze, but he sure as hell can't read whatever language the signs in the halls are written in. Eventually he just takes a guess and starts walking ]
That was badass, by the way.
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Where are they usually?
[ He runs a little to keep up with him, leaving... a nice and disgusting trail of blood in his wake. Good job. ]
The last time I tried that it was from further away. As long as they're crashing at the same time it adds up extra pressure and... [ He makes an explosion motion with his hands. ] ...I've been studying.
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[ Come on, dude. You’re like half a foot taller than him, surely you can keep up. ]
That’s so cool. Scary, but cool. We have an entire school of magic dedicated to destroying things, and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.
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Hopefully not too far, we're leaving a trail.
[ He doesn't really know if he can keep covering it up, considering usually it's easier on surfaces that aren't concrete. ]
Wait-- You have a school for magic? [ Somehow he presumed everything was self taught, just like he was. ]
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[ But thankfully they seem to make it out of the classrooms and into the common areas for the school. Now it’s just a matter of finding the gym. He looks around again, and decides to cut straight through the… lobby? Lounge? Quad??? He never went to high school, so his knowledge is based solely on popular culture. Luckily, it seems so is the knowledge of whoever made this game. ]
Well, I say “school”, but I mean that more like “category”. The correct term is Specialization. I’m an Animator. I move things. A Destroyer… destroys things. An Elementalist throws fire and lightning and ice around.
[ There’s a pair of large double doors just down the hall. If Charlie was a betting man, he’d bet those lead to the gym. ]
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[ He even gives him a light tap on the arm with his knuckles, friendly punches and all (hopefully no blood or guts gets on his shirt in the process). Though he does seem to pick up speed a little once they're out of the classroom area, remembering to keep an eye out for more creatures wandering the halls. ]
Doesn't anyone mix and match?
[ Well considering they're on the way to those already, he doesn't alter his path. Both hands press against the wooden doors leaving bloody handprints in their wake (which is all the more ironic, when his mask during an event before was covered with a set of bloody prints) and he finds the showers up ahead. ]
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[ Once they’re inside, and Charlie has made sure Merlin didn’t bloody his shirt, he waves the other wizard forward. ]
Go ahead. I’ll watch the door.
smh......
He presses both hands against the bowl, and while his palms are definitely still sticky and gross, the other can definitely be grateful it's because his palm had been facing the creature, not the back of his hand. ]
I'm not entirely sure I know how to get this out.
[ A+ going there. He starts by grabbing a towel from a rack though, wondering why ViViD is actually well equipped in a situation like this, then starts scrubbing it off his palms at least. He flattens the towel out on the floor then, finally moving to rest his shirt against it. It probably looks utterly ridiculous when you don't understand his thought process, but there you go.
He glances up, eyes flashing before a towel flies onto a hook by a stall, a few bottles stocked away in a cupboard walking themselves towards it too. He might as well wash it off his skin but... the best he can do with his clothes might be drying them. That's what he tries first, eyes flashing as his hands (both this time) hover over the shirt on the towel.
...Nothing happens. ]
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Charlie keeps the door in his peripheral as Merlin starts moving things around- -it's startlingly similar to his own magic, but with substantially less effort. Lucky. ]
I bet there might be clothes in some of these lockers if you need an extra set.
[ Tho whether or not they'll find something for someone of Merlin's proportions, well... ]
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It's still... doing nothing.
He looks up then, seriously trying to remember everything he's read in Gaius' grimoire since he arrived here. It's when he bites his lip, considers something that he tries again. ]
Fordin wann. [ His eyes flash, but nothing actually happens still, and it's enough for him to release a sort of growl of frustration.
Aren't you glad you aren't in his study sessions? ]
Fording wann [ Nothing. ] Fordwin wann [ Nope. ] Fordwin wamm
[ There. The colour red slowly starts to dissolve, leaving his shirt the same as it was before. Merlin, of course, takes that as a sign to continue stripping. ]
I knew I had it somewhere-- [ Maybe leave that to after you're ready, Merlin, considering he almost trips up over his own trousers while trying to get them off. ]
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Seemingly random question for you. How old are you?
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He's got a long way to go, that's for sure.
Once the trousers are also cleaned up and he's a little more relieved that he can at least shower and be clean again he glances up to answer that question. ]
It's a little confusing with how the calendar works here, but at home I was considered around 19. Why?
[ He's a baby in comparison................ ]
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[ Namely the cockiness and the stumbling and the having to try that spell... multiple times... ] That explains a few things, anyway.
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