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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2!
It's also all the more reason she'd started stomping around the desert to track him down, only aided by the small pink car a short time later. Yosuke will probably hear the sad sounds of the car's "engine" as it pulls up to the hole Yosuke's fallen into. Delicately stepping out of the car she crosses the sand and looks down, somehow not at all surprised to see that he's fallen on his head. Some things never change.]
Need a hand? [It doesn't mean she can't laugh a little though.]
no subject
He doesn't actually realize it's her until she comes into view, since his line of sight is mostly sand and sky and the stupid worm that's miraculously found its way back on his shoe. Cheeky little thing that it is. Or chewy is more like it. His laces are toast.
When he does see Rise, he blinks twice before squinting as if to make sure it's really her. ]
...Rise-san?
[ Talk about a sight for sore eyes! It's surprising to see her here, but...well, if this is some weird, very vivid dream world, then Rise's appearance actually makes a lot of sense. Except she'd probably be wearing less clothes. Eh heh. ]
no subject
Still, she smiles brightly upon the confirmation that this really is Yosuke and she crouches down a little to peer into the hole he's fallen into.]
Who else? [Yu's here somewhere, she's sure of it. Their leader wouldn't just leave their friends for long and she's sure he'll find Yosuke soon, too. Her eyes drift to his shoes then, causing her to laugh all over again.] Making friends already? Don't let me interrupt.
no subject
She says it as if he should have been expecting her. Should he have...been? A desert? Seems like a weird place to find his friends, but he's not complaining. Even if this is a dream, it's kind of a relief.
When her attention shifts to the worm, Yosuke groans dramatically and let's his head fall back into the sand. ]
We're already way too well-acquainted. [ Give him a sec as he tries to shake it off again. ] Just get off me, will ya?!
no subject
Still, she watches Yosuke roll around in the sand with the worm and she…walks away? Yeah, she walks away!
But she's back soon enough and she's carrying what looks like a microphone stand that she's extending, starting to lower it into the hole even as she's talking.]
See if you can nudge it onto this! It might be easier to stand up if it's totally out of the way.
no subject
Except she's back and being far kinder to the worm that he ever intended to be. He'll try her way, though, if it's actually going to help. ]
Er...well...I guess we'll see if it wants to eat something other than my shoe laces.
[ He kind of awkwardly pushes his leg up to the stand and nudges it with his foot. ]
C'mon... [ Move it, little guy. It actually seems offended that it's being shoved against a large metal rod. Yosuke can't exactly blame it for that. ] C'mon, move. Trust me, you're gonna like what she's got in store for you way better...
[ Slowly but surely, the worm inches onto the stand. ]
no subject
There you go! Go on, get moving! [How it's possible for a worm to look so betrayed, she's not sure, but she's waving a hand as the sand worm wiggles its way slowly but surely forward. That's one thing down, and it's then she turns back to the hole in the ground.]
Think you can get yourself out of there?