Test Drive Meme II

[eternitymods]

A. RETRIEVAL Dreams fade slowly, and awareness returns in increments. The hum of machinery, the smell of recycled air, the murmurs of others waking up around you. The interior of the ship has been outfitted with cots for those Biggs and Wedge retrieve from the Dream Width. Outside of the makeshift infirmary, windows set into the walls of the worn lounge area offer a view of space. It’s time to meet your fellow new arrivals who have been brought together on Biggs and Wedge’s airship. The other newly-awakened people have no idea how they came to be here, but now's a good time as ever to introduce yourself to the others on the airship and glean what information you can. B. CURTI CENTER The researchers at the Curti Center are not quite so unprepared as last time, but it is still obvious that they are struggling to understand the sudden influx of interdimensional travelers from the Dream Width. "Please step into the lobby for a quick survey. Perhaps there is some common thread we haven't discovered yet..." The staff will do their best to help the off-worlders settle in. They answer the questions they can, write down all proffered information they can about the arrivals' homeworlds, provide maps and pamphlets about Vaikuntha and the destinations within it, and even guide the arrivals to a neighborhood where housing has been provided for you. Yes, due to the strange influx of arrivals, you’ll be expected to share, but the Curti staff are doing the best they can, considering they are still housing the previous arrivals here on the island. Experiences like these bring people together. Perhaps you are the only one here from your world, but at least you are not alone in this experience. Others are right beside you, learning the same information, planning trips to visit the same new cities, checking out these Job things, and settling in to their new (temporary) homes. C. UP IN THE SKY There’s a whole new world to explore. It’s almost enough to distract from the fact that there’s one place you can’t go- home. You are on an Airship, the main mode of transportation between the major cities of Vaikuntha. While the majority are owned by airlines, perhaps you hitched a ride with a friend that has their own. You can go anywhere in a matter of hours — One can only hope you don’t have motion sickness. D. GUILDS Proud representatives of the Guild are lined up, ready to demonstrate their skills for the new initiates. Make sure to stay behind the designated line, this might get dangerous. So you want a new Job? You'll have to first travel to the Guilds, sign the papers, go through the orientation and introductory lectures, and get basic training. Afterwards, you can freely chat and practice with your fellow members, celebrating your new powers, and checking out your new wardrobe. E. LET'S BE ADVENTURERS Separated from all of your material possessions, connections, and everything you know, and really, what you’re left with is time. Better try to make the most of it. Enough expository banter. It's explorin' time. Maybe instead of spending every day in your room, you'd rather spend it living it up in the city of Lavode, or betting on Chocobo Races in Sparks Goldsaucia. Or maybe you'd rather go and explore the caves and ruins near Arito. With Airships and Chocobos at your disposal, you can go nearly anywhere! F. SIDEQUESTS Maybe you’re telling yourself, ‘I didn’t sign up for this.’ But wait, you did. At least it pays. It all started when you checked the Quest Board.  All you wanted was a few gil to spend, and here you are in the wild, hunting for a Malboro Vine. Or maybe you are in some ancient and decrepit ruins looking for an artifact. Or you could be asked to be janitor for a week. Consider yourself lucky though, at least you don't have to do that alone. G. GET A JOB (THE OTHER KIND) You’ve got a Job, but Claire keeps sighing and muttering about layabout space-people not earning their keep, so it might be time to seek out Employment as well. There are plenty of opportunities to earn some gil in Vaikuntha, no matter where you choose to settle down. Your iMog slate includes listing for employment opportunities. Hopefully you can find something you can live with so that you can start saving up for an airship or the security payment for your permanent housing. H. MOGNET *Ding!* You’ve got Mog-Mail! Thankfully, you can instantaneously chat with your friends around the world thanks to you iMog Slate. And unlike old-fashioned Moogle Letters, you can even send messages to everyone in a blink of an eye! However, despite the change in technology, the old tradition of Mognet Strikes have never gone away. Nobody knows any more whether the Moogles have legitimate reasons to go on strike or if they are just lazy. But today, Mognet is down, and to get information you have no choice but going to the public boards or risk message corruption and mishandling. I. RANDOM ENCOUNTER The ground trembles, and out of nowhere, something hostile appears! Is that battle music playing? You were minding your own business walking around, and suddenly monsters attacked you! Time to put to use the skills you've learned with your Jobs! Will you try to fight on your own or seek help? And remember, you die in random battle, you die FOR REAL. There’s no shame from running from enemies that are a higher level than you! J. CHOCOBO MADNESS You look at the giant chicken, and the giant chicken looks back at you. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful relationship? The kind folks at the Chocobo Farm have provided you with the tools of the chocobo-catching trade: greens, a bridle, and more advice than you can remember. Time to go find your new steed. Or perhaps you have already captured a chocobo, and your friend has captured a chocobo, and now you'd like to bring some chicks into the equation. Chocobo breeding may be the minigame for you! K. WILD CARD Feeling inspired to create your own prompt? The power is yours!

Comments

[chosehope]

"But that's still exciting! It's not everyday that you get to find out you're a princess!"

Not to mention that Ruri was talking to a former princess. "It must have been amazing when you found out!"

[hashtagdaddy]

Gladio's grin is fierce when Cor agrees to sparring, the younger man already imagining his first victory over his mentor. The grin morphs into a determined line at the reminder that Noctis is in this world - the reminder that no matter where they are, Gladio will always serve as his Shield and do his utmost to protect him.

He might not know the exact internal struggle Cor is having about needing to start over, but he's attuned enough to his mentor's subtleties that he can tell the man isn't exactly having an easy time of it either. While he doesn't relish in the thought of Cor facing a similar dilemma, it's validating to know that even the great Marshal has some concerns.

A faint blush dusts Gladio's cheeks at the supportive words from Cor, more used to hearing praise about his sparring or training rather than support about something completely outside their norm.

"Thanks, Cor. Means a lot t'hear you say that. You know that goes for you too, right? Pretty sure all of us will be stickin' close together here, at least for a bit, no matter what jobs we choose." He offers another fierce grin, determination shining through every inch of it.

"Besides, you've gotta come back to train every now an' then otherwise I really will kick your ass soon!"

[hashtagdaddy]

"Excellent. You've already got a training schedule started then. I'll have to talk to him about adding to it and modifying it." Hell, Gladio will probably even join in the dawn sessions just to have an excuse to spend a little more time around his (resurrected?) father.

"An' don't even think about trying to skip out on any training sessions. This is a whole new place and I've got no idea what sort of trouble you can get into here, so I'm gonna make sure you can take on anything."

It's not like Gladio plans on staying behind should Noct venture out into the world, but he knows the kid is capable of a lot and he refuses to have a lack of training become the difference between life and death. "You thought I was bad back home... bet you're not so happy I'm here now," he says with a fond chuckle.

Gladio is ... mostly sure Noctis is still happy to have him appear here. He's far more certain that said Prince will whine and gripe about all the training though. Idly, he wonders if there are texts on the various monsters/creatures this world contains and where he might be able to find them.

[warpstriking]

"We all do. Ignis and Prompto aren't excluded." It's mandatory for all of them in their own ways and Noctis is super annoyed with getting up so early. It was bad enough when it was just a thing hanging over his head in case he lost the race that one time at Galdin. Cindy and Nyx Ulric were invited to join, but... Well, to say that he's worried is an understatement. And it's a reason why he's going to by hyper-focused on getting that piloting license even faster so he can get out there and look in even more places.

"Ugh," Noctis groans, already certain he knows what to expect for that one. Which means definitely focusing on ninja this month. Sigh. "Oh, yeah. I'm less than thrilled." He says in a tone that stated the complete opposite. "Seriously though, it's good to have you with us." Oh, don't get him wrong, he won't appreciate having a second drillmaster in the morning, but it's one less person to worry about in the dark.

"See, you say that..." Noctis pulls away with a smirk. "But we've been here two months and had some time to get a grasp on things here." Two months' head start. He'd say "come at me scrub, I'm ripped" but the only way he could be squishier is if he had picked summoner along with black mage or something. "Not to mention some of the... odd weapon choices for black mage."

Speaking of, he's gonna reach for something in his pocket right now. A device Gladio likely got, too. And smirks, pulling up the photos on the device, scrolls to one particularly of Clarus and- Is that a tonberry doll meeting his face?

That is a tonberry doll meeting his face.

I

[saint_sami]

It was quite easy to forget how weak one was in this world. Spend so much time remembering one's own strengths and weaknesses from before and it essentially makes them complacent. Of course, trying to fix that is always a chore.

Especially when someone helping you is a little kid with a lot of determination, running in with a large gunblade to swat away the geezard attacking Zelgadis.

"You leave him alone!"

Re: I

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis was torn between the pragmatic 'oh, good, someone who brought armor' and the 'oh, a small child is rescuing me'. Then again, given that Zelgadis once nearly died to a mazoku who looked like a human child, maybe he shouldn't assume. Whatever, he wasn't responsible for the kid.

"Thanks." Of course, now that he had space, he was going to cast an ice spell targeted to not hit the tiny swordswoman.

[gathersnomoss]

"How so? Not much magic? Most of my own world has weak magic; I'm just from the region that's the exception."

Which had made travel to the rest of the world interesting. While no one would underestimate the power of a fireball on the subcontinent, a person producing fire from their hands wasn't awe-inspiring, just dangerous.

[chatwithdeath]

"Try no magic at all..."

Which might as well be true. Not too many people had abilities like her own, and those that do were few and very far between, snapped up by industries upon finding them.

[gathersnomoss]

"That... well, that is surprising. You can substitute some shamanism and black magic with things like gunpowder, but white magic is really useful." He nodded to their surroundings. "As you've no doubt figured out. You can get by with medicines and bone-setting, if you have to, I suppose."

And Zelgadis hasn't checked how this world's white magic differed from his own. Which, for instance, could handle injury or poison, but was useless for directly treating diseases.

[chatwithdeath]

"It is. Though, it wouldn't be wise to let my surgical skills go unused." She was just fine operating without magic. It would take a little longer, but there was some security into making sure with her own hands someone would recover.

Or... in th case of her recent work, people received their just punishments.

[gathersnomoss]

"Keeping in practice for when we all go home?" Zelgadis guessed.

Poor Moogle - also sorry for it being so short

[hashtagdaddy]

Iggy's voice rings out and Gladio releases a small sigh as the bespectacled man steps into his line of sight. It's one thing to hear a freaked-out Moogle shout your (best?) friend's name and another thing entirely to hear and see that said friend is, in fact, present.

"Yea, Ig, it's really me." Grinning, he walks up to clap Ignis on the shoulder. He tries to come off non-threatening to the clearly timid Moogle, but Gladio's focus is primarily on the presence of his friend.

[regalblaze]

"I can hardly believe this," Ignis says, still a bit bewildered. He returns the clap on the shoulder and sighs loudly, clearly relieved about something. His Moogle, however, stops hiding and peeks out.

"...friend?"

Ignis gives the Moogle a nod. "Yes. This is Gladiolus." He turns to Gladio, leaving Ebony to gawk after the taller guy.

"Come. I'll brew you some coffee," Ignis motions to the kitchen. They need to catch up on things.

Such a good

[hashtagdaddy]

Gladio outright laughed at Prompto's attempt to squish him - as if that were even a remote possibility. While the blond could give a mean squeeze, he had absolutely nothing on how tightly tattooed arms could wrap around anyone (or anything, in the case of multiple stone pillars).

So, with a smirk, Gladio squeezed Prompto as tight as he dared (he definitely doesn't want to risk breaking any ribs or aggravating unknown injuries).

"How could you not miss this face? And these muscles?"

Trying to keep the mood light was all well and good, but he couldn't deny how much he'd initially worried (about everyone) when he initially woke up in that airship.

"Didn't have much time t'miss you n' the others, but after waking up here it's ... I'm glad to see you here too, to see all of you here."

Maki Himekawa | Digimon Adventure tri (possible spoilers for last movie; lmk if i should avoid!)

[unchosenchild]

• A. Retrieval

[ This is not where she expected to surface. First off, this isn't an ocean. Second, this isn't the Digital World. Finally, nothing about this place is familiar.

If she weren't so crushed and despairing, she might have the presence of mind to be a little afraid, a lot inquisitive, and moderately angry. As it stands, she just... lets it be. Nothing really matters anyone can s-- wait anymore. She failed at her task, and for what? The worlds are in danger because of her, and she's still all alone. The Dark Ocean did one thing, if nothing else: cleared her mind, snapping her out of the madness that had gripped her upon having her single hope shattered by the one being she loved most.

There are other people here, all of them strangers. Maki doesn't feel up to much, but she does have one thing she needs to say. ]

Water, please.

[ Her manners are intact, and her voice is as flat as her expression is bleak. She's... not doing great right now. ]



• D. Guilds

[ Maki has never been one for moping around, so once she reaches the threshold of despair, she bounces back. Gets herself back together. Decides to make the most of this, or at least notto wallow uselessly. If this is where she is, she'll integrate. If she could do it as a child in a new world, she can certainly do it as an adult.

She's standing with the summoners guild, drawn by the prospect of having a companion to fight alongside. She's... definitwly hoping she can summon someone specific at this point, but for now, the Eidolons will have to do.

To the person next to her, she says, ] Speak now or forever hold your peace. Is there a better job than this?


• wildcard

[ do ur worst ]

[hashtagdaddy]

He nods, pleased that Iggy and Prompto are also keeping up with training, and grins at the thought of how Prompto handles his Dad's training style. Blondie thought he'd been a hard-ass.

Gladio raises one eyebrow teasingly at Noct's assertion of getting a handle on some stuff. He's not mocking the Prince so much as half-heartedly challenging the younger man to give him his best shot. But he can't deny the swell of pride at the surety in Noct's voice - it's obvious the kid knows he has a lot to learn but there's nothing wrong with being pleased at how much you've already accomplished. That confidence - not arrogance - is a good look on his charge and friend, he thinks.

Recognizing the iMog, Gladio stoops a bit to peer at the screen and barks out an incredulous laugh at what he sees.

"Astrals, I can't believe you managed that." He's still chuckling, gazing fondly at the photo and thinking back to times in Insomnia when Iris was small and often pelted their father with her plushies.

Good naturedly he adds, "Thought you outgrew playin' with dolls a few years ago."

[warpstriking]

Oh, a certain someone will find out soon enough. He notices that grin and can't help but be amused. Oh, he definitely will. Don't think he won't, Gladio. It's one challenge he looks forward to accepting at any point. Even dawn. He's just in that much of a good mood right now.

That amusement only shines brighter in his gaze when his friend and Shield laughs so wholeheartedly, and he grins.

"Yeah, well..." He shrugs. "Thought I was, too. Then Iris gave me those moogle dolls. Probably should have been my first clue. Then we get here and I try channeling magic through a staff like they suggested at the guild. Nothing. That little guy? ...May have set a stack of papers on fire."

Which, thankfully, the other members who weren't meditating laughed about. One of which even saying how they did the same thing once, clutching a fat chocobo doll. Only after the small gentleman walked off did Noctis learn he was over one hundred years old. But that was a story for another day.

"Besides, it makes for a great photo bomber. Not to mention freaks a couple of the other guys we met here." Because if he's forced to use such a ridiculous weapon? You bet your ass he is going to troll the ever-loving shit out of people with it. Like the next photo, where it's poking the prosthetic of some poor guy sleeping on the couch and draped with a blanket. With it's stuffed toy knife. It'd be adorable if it weren't for how the light shines on its little yellow button eyes.

C

[how_do_i_shot_dog]

[Hearing a sound of discomfort, Rinoa glances up from the tomb on her lap. She has no idea who the blond is, but he looks like he's seen better days and truth be told she's happy for the distraction. She had severely underestimated how much reading she'd have to do as a summoner.

She rises, stretching for a moment before tucking the text under her arm and approaching the very much not okay swordsman.]

You don't look so good. [She bites her lip for a second. He's in even rougher shape up close. Is he sick? Injured? Back home she could cast a quick cure, but here she was pretty much useless in the medicinal arts.] Do you need me to get you a healer?

[hashtagdaddy]

"Hey, little guy." Gladio offers the shy Moogle a gentle wave. He uses his other hand to usher his own Moogle forward. Maybe they could make friends while he and Ignis caught up.

"This is Noodle. You two behave, okay?" With an affectionate pat to Noodle's head, Gladio follows after his friend.

"They have anythin' like Ebony here? Or did you finally start makin' your own?"

[precognitive]

That must be a trait of us photog nerds then. [ She's smiling before giving a look of concern. ] Hey no pressure or anything. I can sorta get how he feels. [ She says, scratching the back of her head nervously. ]

He's scared of heights? But he's missing out on so many photo opportunities! [ She laughs a little, carrying on the friendly teasing. ] Though I suppose these kinda heights can be terrifying. I'm used to travelling by airplane and it's not so different.

[precognitive]

Are you sure about that? [ She smirks, obviously teasing. ] Don't worry, I won't ask you to prove it.

[ She's looking at the information given. ] You wanna pick up Chemist? That sounds like a really useful job. I'm sure it'd come in handy. It might work well with your first job too, right?

[ And of all the problem solving for others, she always found her own problems the most difficult. ] I haven't even decided on my first yet... Though the Chocobos might be my second choice. I dunno. I kinda like the hats on some of the other jobs, but... I don't think the attire is a good justification for choosing the job. [ But they're still really cool. ]

[precognitive]

[ The spiky hair was definitely what caught Max's attention at first. She makes a note of his discontent and looks around. She was sure there was a spot that wasn't as... rickety. It might help him. ]

I don't think they'll let you fly this thing sadly. [ She says with a small laugh. ] There should be a spot over here you can sit at. [ Thinking, what had she read about this online? ] Perhaps if you sit here and close your eyes and focus only on your breathing it'll help settle it?

[ She walks over to the spot she mentioned, turning back to him. ]

Also I hear eating ginger before a flight actually helps prevent motion sickness. I saw it on a TV show once.

No worries! <3

[doodlebuginette]

One thing about Marinette that people would attest to is the fact that she's the one most likely to cheer a little too loudly or get just a bit too excited about things. And this was no exception, really. It had been an impressive run, and she can't help but feel excited.

So when the little moogle came fluttering over, Marinette's smile only grew and she waved happily. "Hi! I guess I am one of the newcomers. And I hadn't decided about the guild just yet. But that looked like a lot of fun," she announced.

[doodlebuginette]

She couldn't really help but smile. It had been a while since she'd had such an entertaining conversation. "Your guess would be correct. I haven't been here for very long yet," she admitted. But she's looking around at everything and thinking about the people she's met in the short time she's been here, and there's nothing that really stands out as bad or unpleasant. "I haven't completely decided yet. But I like what I've seen so far."

[doodlebuginette]

Maybe she should've been expecting it. But it was still surprising when he brought up monsters. But then, the casual way he brought it up and shrugged it off was also surprising. Did that mean that the monsters here weren't much to worry about? "It seems nice so far," she admitted. There was no need for him to finish that last statement, though.

Her eyes go a little wide when that tablet comes out, because it was something familiar that she could latch onto. And she's leaning in to get a good look at the screen... and then grinning up at him. "That's a cute apron~"

But what really struck her was how genuinely happy he looked. It was a look she knew well, honestly. "That's really cool!" she told him. It seemed like a lot of people didn't know how to cook, but it was comforting to know that there were other people here who did. "That's nice of you. If you need help with the show, let me know?" It wasn't that she thought he needed the help so much as she just really loved the idea and wanted to be part of it.

She could relate, so she's just smiling and nodding. "It's good to know that people here are willing to help." Which meant she wouldn't be alone in trying to help, after she'd settled in.