The desert. It's hot. It's sandy. It's filled with creepy monsters and things. But mostly it's hot and sandy and there's a whole lot of nothing. You appear and wonder "why am I here? What is there to do here? Is that a cow skull? Do cows live out here in this desert? How can cows live in the desert? Maybe it's a horse?" These are all very complicated questions with equally complicated answers but there's no one to provide them no matter where you look. Instead, you're given the option of walking. Forwards, backwards, to your right, to your left, any direction is yours to take. Try not to die from dehydration or something, that would be a sad ViViD death and the cow-horse skull might start laughing at you. I mean, you'll just start over from the beginning anyway but still.
Welcome to ViViD's new line of Vacation Spotlights: Desert Edition.
Moo-Neigh.
 One wish, that's all you get.
Make it snappy, I don't have all day.
Actually, I have eternity but I just don't want to spend it with you.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] So.
There's sand.
In fact, there's so much sand that there's probably already sand in your shoes and your shorts and all sorts of other places that aren't fun to have sand in. It stretches for miles and miles, in large dunes and deep dips, and above it all there are three suns that beat down upon everyone's backs. Why three? Because why not, that's why. Enjoy the sunshine and try not to get sunburnt.
You've got a long ways to travel before you find anything but sand, but thankfully you're not alone -- there are a bunch of unfortunate stragglers who are out with you, so it's time to make some friends as you travel. You've got pleeeeenty of time. No water though. Or food. Or... anything but human interaction.
Thankfully, it's only a matter of time before you stumble across your hot new ride. Thankfully, it seats two, so you and your new friend can enjoy a cramped road trip. You, this relative stranger, and the great... sandy... unknown! Good luck!
PHASE II [ 645 ] If you prefer to not take your ride, you're going to wish that you did soon enough. Every desert level has to have desert monsters, after all. You're walking through the sand, trying to make it to somewhere that isn't sand, and then suddenly, the sand worms appear.
Or.
Well.
They try.
Unfortunately, they're little more than 5 or 6 inches tall apiece, and they'll mostly try to eat your shoes and socks. How scary.
Alternatively, if you have actually taken that sweet ride of yours on an adventure through the desert, you're going to hit something at one point. It makes a rather pitiful scream and there's a small bump underneath your tire before your car comes to a stop. You just ran over a sand worm.
Anyone who is intrepid enough to kill a sand worm though will find one interesting thing about them. They're filled with water, and you are very, very thirsty. Ew.
PHASE III [ 1000 ] It sure is hot.
And unless you've devoured one of those poor, sad, screaming sand worms, there's no water to be found. It feels as though you've been wandering in circles for ages, so perhaps it's really no surprise that the heat starts to get to you. First come the headaches, and the thirst. Then the dizziness and vertigo.
And finally, the mirages.
What you see is a waterfall cascading into a crystal pool, beautiful and pristine and painfully cool. It's just begging for you to come enjoy it, and -- wait, there's one more thing. Standing in front of that pool is either someone you care about immensely or someone you hate immensely.
And either way, the things they say or do will be the same. First they reach for you, beckoning, and they they start to detail all of the things they'd like to do to you. NSFW, SFW, loving or cruel or so many things in between, all that's honestly consistent is that it's pretty shocking.
Oh, and awkwardly, it seems as though anyone with you can see and hear that hallucination too. That's embarrassing.
PHASE IV [ 1215 ] Eventually, though, you'll find your destination. Or... at least, it seems like it should be the destination. The tiny temple is at least a change from the endless sand, and in the middle of it, there's a lamp. That sure looks familiar.
If you rub the lamp, of course, you'll release the genie, and he'll glance at you, and inspect his fingernails as though you're hardly worth his time, and offer you one, single wish.
As soon as you make it, well... You'll get the opposite of what you wish for with a sudden apology note in your hand. The card will read "Sorry, this level isn't entirely finished yet - Mosley" before immediately disappearing. Your wish will only apply in ViViD, of course, but hopefully you didn't wish for anything too crazy, or you might have made the level Much Harder for everyone around you.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] One second you're walking along the desert sand, enjoying the eternally same view, and the next there's a sudden pinch on your ankle, and a scorpion monster scuttles away quickly. Whoops, looks like you've been stung.
But it's not poison, it would seem. Aside from feeling a little odd and having a mild fever, you're fine.
More importantly, you've now found yourself in possession of some... new powers (a la Spider-man), and they're...
Well, they're useless.
Maybe you can summon water now, but... only sulfur water. Perhaps you can now make pretty light shows and that's about all. You can see the future but only the next three seconds. The possibilities are endless, but what's for certain is that they're all completely and utterly useless to you.
What the fuck, ViViD.
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Emily Madsen | Original Character
[Apparent perks of being a hybrid: heat doesn't bother as much as it used to.
Downside: not as much as you'd think.
Granted, at this point, Madsen still has a short-sleeved jacket over a tank top, but she's rolled up her pants legs (though the boots are staying on, who the hell knows what's in the sand) and does have her sleeves rolled up as well, a patch of scar tissue visible on her right arm coming down from the shoulder. With the situation as it stood, she doubted people would be asking anyway when they had more important things to be worrying about.
Though that still begged the question of just why this whole fiasco was happening in the first place. Any further thoughts on what she's gotten herself into is quashed as soon as she sees the ... potential transport. Gold eyes blink as she regards it, opening and closing her mouth silently before looking back -
... well, at least she wasn't alone.]
Looks like there's room for two - you in?
phase iii.
[As if a reminder of her still all-too-human state (and just how long has she been in here, anyway? There's no way this could've set in so quickly), Madsen's been fighting off heat exhaustion, this time having discarded her jacket to show off more of her battle scars.
So it's no surprise that someone would be rushing to the nearest water source in a fucking desert - though the figure that's there has her stopping dead in her tracks, eyes wide.]
No fucking way... bird-brain?
[Lounging near the edge of the pool is a tall figure, muscular, with red hair and gold eyes eerily similar to her own, grinning as he gives her a wave.]
That really how you're gonna address someone who you haven't seen in years, kid? C'mon, thought I'd have more influence than that.
[She freezes in her tracks, only to clench both fists.]
Don't even try pulling that bullshit on me, you idiot. You're the one who thought it was a good idea to pull this. [One hand goes to her chest as she says that (if it were really him, he'd know exactly what that meant - and what he had sacrificed to make sure she live to see the end of the war), and there's a couple moments of hesitation before Nithal gives a hum, tapping a finger against his jawline.]
Still haven't figured it out, huh. The reason why I did what I did-
The hell are you even going on about -
[There's a moment's hesitation before he stands, the hallucination of her old partner brushing sand off his pants.]
Suppose that doesn't matter now. Question is, though - are you prepared to keep up? [His grin turns almost wicked, and she's immediately in a defensive stance -]
I took what you said back then seriously, bird-brain. [She doesn't return the grin, instead taking a deep breath. Looks like there's a fight about ready to brew.]
wildcard.
[Anything else you can think of or want to do a different prompt? Let me know!]
i - let's make it easy-ish
However, there was another person ahead of him. Dusty hurried to catch up only to find out that the person was staring down at some pink buggy and that the person was very familiar. He stopped, grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck.]
I guess..?
since when is anything easy when these two end up butting heads?
And of course the person I'm stuck with in a desert happens to be you. Please tell me you didn't follow me here...
well never XD?
[He was really really trying to not fidget right now under her gaze. He had heard from the gossip during that one incident, that she was hoping to get a chance at fighting him again, and while he could understand that - he did kinda ran during their last real scuffle - he wasn't sure if she was willing to put that urge aside right now or not. Fighting in a desert was not fun, even if it was totally doable.]
But then I rarely dream about so much sunlight.
no subject
Though contrary to what some might think she is willing to set it aside for the time being if they're both pulled into this against their wills. Even if it is damn tempting to slug him right here and now, it really wouldn't accomplish much of anything.
Instead, she ends up tapping a finger against her temple.]
And I'm pretty sure that shared dreams like this aren't really a thing. [There was one incident, but that was special circumstances and something she didn't like talking about. Back on topic-]
Either way, we're not getting anything done standing here and gawking at each other. Come on.
no subject
He looked at the vehicle again and huffed slightly. Someone had a sick sense of humor but he'll go along with it.]
Stranger things have happened.
[And he did finally went to take a seat, being careful to seem as really non-threatening as he seem.]
This doesn't feel like it's natural at all.