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

[hatejakku]

A sport played underwater?

[With scuba gear? Sounds bulky. He's gonna flip if he ever sees a Blitzball game.]

Ah, I get it. I'll need to find a team. [Said with not a lot of enthusiasm. Joining a team was way easier said than done, in his experience. He'll have to like mingle around and stuff. Sure, he can do that. Socializing. Cool.] You sure know a lot about this place. Been here awhile?

[zanarkandian]

It's been two months, maybe. Still getting used to the whole exploring and questing thing.

But questing's not really that serious. Whenever you need help, you just ask on the task board and people'll speak up if they can go with you---'cause we're all short on gil and want the prizes, y'know? Hey, if you're ever short, you can message me---we'd probably work pretty well together, short range and long.

[He's trying not to devolve into Yet Another Blitzball Ramble. It's only sort of working.]

And I'll have to make sure you catch a game when the season starts. The stadium's in Ka'Pandol---it's a huge underwater city, but there are waterlocks so us air-breathers can get around.

[hatejakku]

[Well, finding people sounded easy enough. Trusting them... remained to be seen. Better than his first team, he supposed.

But he's surprised by the offer.]

For real? Yeah, I'd like that. [Tidus seemed like a cool guy. He could trust him.]

I've heard of Ka'Pandol! I'll absolutely go. Never really watched a sports game before. [So another check on that list.]

[zanarkandian]

No problem! And---seriously, never? What kind of place do you come from that doesn't have sports?

[Even Spira had blitzball despite being miserable most of the time. He can hardly imagine how bad Finn's life must have been.]

[hatejakku]

[Finn shrugs, not really up for revealing how he grew up. He's also a little self-conscious now but that's cool. That's basically how he usually operates.]

I guess war-torn is the best way to describe it. But I've seen holos of sports events! Read about some of them... Oh, and I saw falthier races once. I guess that's kind of a sport.

[zanarkandian]

Oh, I get it.

[Those had to be some pretty serious wars for not even a stadium to be able to survive. People could really be nasty sometimes.]

What's a falthier? Is it like a chocobo?

[hatejakku]

[There were sports out there, places that could enjoy that sort of thing, Finn was sure of it. He was just never afforded the luxury. Maybe this place could give him that breather...

But no. He needed to get back.

Anyway.] No, they don't have feathers. They're like... really weird horse things. Or, uh, equine things? I don't know, man. They have weird faces and go really fast. [He's not a huge fan but they're okay.]

[zanarkandian]

That's still pretty neat. Could be fun to ride.

[He flashed a silly grin.]

Chocobo racing's kinda similar, I guess? You've just gotta watch that they don't peck at your head. Or maybe that only happens to me.

Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to catch up on sports here.

[hatejakku]

Not that fun. A friend enjoyed riding them, though.

[While they were getting shot at during a stampede. Rose is nuts. He misses her.]

I've met a chocobo not long ago. They're cool but that one had an attitude. [They kinda made up. It was all right in the end.] You know, as much as I want to get back, this place doesn't seem all that bad. I'm really looking forward to your game. [Like really really. It sounds fun! Maybe he won't even get shot at!]

[zanarkandian]

[He laughs. Yup, he's known plenty of chocobos with attitude in his life.]

It gets a little easier. And I can't wait to show you! The season's starting soon and you'll see broadcasts all over the world, but nothing's like actually being at the stadium.

[hatejakku]

I'll be there. [He has no idea what to expect from watching a sport played underwater, but it's still an experience! He smiles, excited for the first time since showing up in this weird place.]

And thanks for showing me around a little. This planet is... very different from what I'm used to.

[zanarkandian]

[The guild's now visible in the distance, so he grins and gestures toward it.]

No problem! Now get in there, and then you'll have plenty to explore, yeah?