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

[arosetowar]

And the rest? Where do they live?

[Probably starting to look a little flustered now. Please embrace clothing, little mermaid.]

It would be improper not to.

[finny_fun]

In the towns around the ocean floor. Some even live on kelp farms and the like.

[It's not that she's a nudist Cornelia, she just has really no concept of outfits.]

Oh, I see. We women cover up top but there's really no reason to wear clothing in my kingdom.

[arosetowar]

No, I suppose there wouldn't be...

Is this your first time outside of the water?

[finny_fun]

Technically yes, although I've visited the surface once in a while. Dad doesn't like it when I go up there though.

[arosetowar]

Is the surface ordinarily dangerous for you and your kind?

[finny_fun]

It can be, though under the waves can be dangerous as well. Sharks and other problems with the deep sea creatures. Mermaids and Mermen can get hurt from falling rocks and the like. Up top, we might even be hunted for some reason.

[arosetowar]

Do the humans know that your people exist?

[finny_fun]

They have stories, like we have stories of them. I hoped to see their world but because Sora left a couple of years ago, it's been hard to actually get back up to the surface.

[She makes a face about that.] Dad destroyed the item we put together, and said that the worlds must be separated. I don't believe that's a good idea.

[arosetowar]

Your father must have his reasons. Why do you disagree with them?

[finny_fun]

Because he can be so hard headed! I just... he's so restrictive. Don't go here, don't go there. You can't just do this, do that. I'm already old enough to know what's wrong and right, and yet he gets mad at me for being in love with the human world.

It's because something happened years ago that he doesn't want anyone to approach the surface, since apparently people came to Atlantica years ago and messed things up.

[arosetowar]

[Ariel's complaints are uncomfortably familiar. Though Cornelia can relate to both Ariel and her father, it's the latter whose actions best reflect her own. She knows first-hand how damaging such a suffocatingly protective approach can become.]

It sounds like he he has direct knowledge of how difficult it is to keep people safe. Give him time. Perhaps he'll realise that being too harsh can have the opposite effect.

[finny_fun]

[Triton could be very suffocatingly overprotective and it was a hard pill to swallow.]

I guess so. I hope I don't have to do something drastic to get him to understand that the human world isn't so bad...

[arosetowar]

Perhaps you'll figure out something less drastic while you're here. You certainly won't be lacking for human company.

[finny_fun]

I hope so. There's a lot of people here to talk to. It helps a lot.

[arosetowar]

Good.

[Gosh, Ariel reminds Cornelia so, so much of two of her sisters...]]

Do you think you'll be able to walk?

[finny_fun]

Eventually. Once I gain enough strength in my legs. The doctors said I should be strong enough with something called physical therapy.

[arosetowar]

You'll need to be dedicated to the task. Physical therapy can be gruelling.

[finny_fun]

They say there's nothing wrong with the muscles in my legs. I just need to get used to walking. Which should be soon.

[arosetowar]

Some good news, then. Do you think you'll still be able to swim?

[finny_fun]

I might need to re-learn it without fins. There's no real way to get them back.

[arosetowar]

Are they how you breathe underwater as well?

[finny_fun]

Oh we just do that normally. We mermaids can breathe water like air.

[arosetowar]

It sounds like you'd make a good underwater explorer here, if that's something you would consider doing.

[Because of course she's always about finding ways to be productive.]

[finny_fun]

That's a good idea. I could probably find a lot of treasure on the sea floor!

[arosetowar]

Is that what you did as a mermaid? Hunt for treasure?