"Where's that new girl? There you are! Listen, I'm late for an appointment to look at an apartment in Beverly Hills, so I need you to lock up when you leave."
Alex Lawson, Shop Manager of a small-time boutique in Downtown LA. He's rude, acts like he owns the place, and doesn't care about fashion. However the job pays well, and Ceres desperately needs money for rental. Her other option will be to work at Starbucks, which is further from her current apartment.
"Okay."
"Good. Before I leave though, I want you to straighten the shirt on the mannequin. It's a little too crooked for my liking."
"Okay..."
Satisfied with the answer he's getting, Alex removes himself from the scene, leaving Ceres to straighten yet another shirt to satisfy his OCD.
"Finally!" no longer able to control her inner thoughts, Ceres burst out loud.
She did well smiling and keeping her mouth shut for the shift. She didn't even raise an eyebrow when she saw a kid place his sugar-dusted hands onto a white halter top that was on sale.
Without waiting for the official closing time, she finished folding the pile of clothes the customers messed up and locked the register.
Fresh air punches Ceres in her face as she steps out of the boutique. She was never an outdoor kind of girl and certainly has no intention of changing that soon. Unsure if it was a sudden spike in oxygen, the constant financial stress, or the 8 cups of instant coffee she had, in front of the store, stood what seemed like Hello Kitty?
"Hi! Is this your store? Are you open? I could really use your help."
'It spoke! I'm officially mental! Will I get locked up in an institute? Does that mean I will no longer need to pay my bills?'
Ceres stared at Hello Kitty once more, trying to decide between fainting on the spot or going along with her hallucination.
"Still open..."
"Thank you. You're the best! I'm having a little fashion emergency. The back of my top is ripped, and I'm on my way to a tea party with Daniel. THE best boyfriend in the world! I don't want him to see me like THIS, but I don't know of any boutiques around here. I'm Kitty White, by the way."
Something wasn't right. The way this encounter played out seemed oddly familiar to Ceres. Then it hit her. For the past 3 years, men and women alike have disappeared. Authorities had spent 8 months trying to find any trend or connection. Until a chance recording of a disappearance landed them in shock. The security camera footage showed the victim disappearing into thin air after being contacted by a cartoon feline. 5 months after that, they finally narrowed in on the common ground between these victims, they had all at one point or another, downloaded and played the mobile game: Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.
'What cartoon feline! If it's Hello Kitty, just say so!'
[Player #562355 detected.
Initializing pairing sequence...
Pairing complete.
Initializing synchronization...
Synchronization complete.
Logging in to Stardom Network...]
[Welcome to Stardom Network! The ultimate goal is to have you make the correct decisions and rise to Stardom!
Your mobile phone has been upgraded to the latest model.
To start things off, check your current details via the Status app on your mobile phone.
Once you're done, just exit the app.
Task Completion: You'll be rewarded 100 Kash and 1 K-Star]
Digging into her tote bag, Ceres found out that her old iPhone had indeed been replaced with the latest.
The screen unlocked without any issue, and she immediately saw the mentioned app.
All her previous apps, photos, contacts, and data have been removed.
What's left is a clean interface with only 2 apps: Status and Inventory
[Player ID: #562355
Player Name: Ceres Kirk
Species: Human
Originating: Earth
Age: 35 Click here to customize
Kash: 0
K-Stars: 0
Abilities: None]
Ceres has been an avid reader of comics. Mostly Korean and Japanese, but there is also a good mix of Chinese and English.
The situation only served to excite her. She's halfway convinced she has gone bonkers, or she is somehow the chosen one.
'Hang on, I can customize my age? 21 it is then.' Ceres updated her age and closed the app.
[Task complete! Your reward has been credited.
You can retrieve them via Inventory.
Transportation to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood will begin shortly. Please remain calm.
System detected an update in Player Age. Changes will be applied upon arrival.]
[Transporting 5...
4...
3...
2...
1]
