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

[worldmother]

[ Her expression grows somber in that instant, and as she finally pulls away, Elly lets her hands rest on the girl's shoulders. This isn't quite how she imagined a reunion might happen, but it is what it is.

She takes a breath, trying to put on a reassuring smile. ]

No, we aren't going back to the ship. We're very far away from the ship and from everyone else. Fei and I aren't sure how far, but for now our home is here, on Vaikuntha.

[ She glances up at Fei, for assistance. ]

[reincarnationception]

[Thanks Elly, Fei appreciates this, from under that bus you just threw him under]

Uh, yeah, we're stuck here for now. But it's OK! This place is a good place for now, we are still trying to figure out how to get back home.

[remnantofzeboim]

[Emeralda looked from one to the other several times while she processed this, her expression for one of confusion, but then back to happy.]

You here! So Emeralda home.

[But then her expression narrowed again, and she thrust out a hand, fingers twitching.]

But can't change! Stuck!

[worldmother]

[ She wasn't trying to throw him under a bus! She can't always be the one trying to reassure things, and Emeralda would probably take that better from Fei anyway.

But watching the younger girl's movements makes what she said earlier finally click, and Elly's smile grows somewhat somber. Right. How to explain... ]

Things work differently here than they do back home.

[ She knows that isn't going to cut it, so she reaches out to grab Emeralda's outstretched hand, offering her as much of a reassuring smile as she can muster. ]

I'm not able to use ether here, either. It was a frightening when I first got here, finding out that something like that was suddenly missing. I can only imagine how terrifying that must be for you.

[ Bringing both of their hands down, Elly finally lets go before letting her own hand rest at her side. ]

But you're still Emeralda, even if you aren't able to do what you could before. That won't ever change. It might be confusing, it might be terrifying, but you're still you.

[reincarnationception]

Yeah, it's not a big deal, but it's probably pretty weird huh?

[Fei is generally trying to be reassuring here]

Elly and I can't use our normal abilities either. It's just something to get used to, right?

[remnantofzeboim]

[Emeralda looked at her hand as Elly held it, then her gaze flashed between the two of them as they both spoke. She didn't entirely understand, but she was getting the jist of it, at least. Somewhat.]

...Can handle it. [She finally said, in what she hoped was a reassuring voice, since both of them mentioned it being weird and confusing. She didn't want them to worry!]

But can't fight. [She added,, frowning.] Emeralda can't turn into weapons, can't fight.

[worldmother]

[ Good, that was one less thing to worry about. Then again, there was hardly any reason to worry in the first place, but it's reassuring knowing that Emeralda could take this change in stride. ]

There are people here who can teach you how to fight, even if you aren't able to change. It might take some time, but I know you can do it.

[ A thought occurs to her then, and Elly looks up at Fei. ]

We could go visit some of the guilds, maybe.

[reincarnationception]

Definitely.

[Anything for his little girl. That said...]

Only if you want to though. You don't have to fight if you don't want to.

[remnantofzeboim]

Guilds. [Emeralda had definitely heard that word mentioned before, and about jobs, but she hadn't really given it much thought. She didn't really ever need to think about a job, she had...]

[...Well, she had running around fighting monsters and saving the world? That was kind of like a job. But still.]

Okay. [She finally said, her gaze flicking from one of them to the other, smiling.] Want to fight. To learn!