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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I'M CRYING
he's used to eccentric women, though. he can deal. ]
Can't say I have enough time to visit theater. But, ah, I've got the gist of all the classic plays. [ he's been educated rather well, and ozaki aways had a penchant for arts -- as if a weapon needed to know how hamlet went. ] Pfft -- I'm no actor. I'll take that as a compliment, though.
[ if only he knew.... if only............
she talks a lot, but he can't say he dislikes it; the way she forms sentences is graceful, somehow -- unnatural to this time period, but he's seen weirder people? (as if akutagawa doesn't spew some chuuni shit every time he opens his mouth.) ]
Right, I -- [ he is.............disgusted. for the third time today, too. needless to say, he moves his leg immediately after noticing the second coming of cthulu, attempting to kick it off -- and send it flying, he does, right towards his new companion.
be careful not to get hit in the face?! ]
UGH WHEN WILL THEY FIDN A LAMP AND ASK FOR A CHICKEN RAP BUT SUMMON CHRIS BROWN RAPPING
ugh, the little happy tiddy sucker just wanted to suck on shoe tiddy but alas! the swift kick that launches it off like team rocket is not a good thing for nero! not at all! why is chuya like this, why does he want this boob breathed monstrosity to attack her face? think of this in slow motion, the flying monster that keeps opening and closing it's mouth. slob trickling from it's wet lips because it's thirsty for more tiddy but no!! chuya has to hurt it.
if she wasn't a heroic spirit, would she be able to dodge that? probably not but she does and there's a huff from her lips at the fact that it almost hit her! )
Umu!! Watch it! ( yes, there it is again and the rain of petals that start to follow on chuya but... there's something wrong this time! the ground starts to take and there's teeth sticking up from the sand, eating at the petals. whatever could that be? nero is not sure but there's shaking under them as the small sandworm squirms and cries stuck in a random tree with no leaves, there's a large crack inside as if something broke it not too long ago.
in the distance, they can hear wolves howling... the ground shaking.. what could that be. )
It sounds like.. Hounds?
( ugh.. don't dehydrate together. nero and chuya, shoujo version. )