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

[aethereally]

[Saleri has a pretty firm handshake for such a small guy. Gotta make that first impression, after all.

The idea that the monsters here are all nasty is disappointing to him, but he;s still skeptical.]

That can't be the case for all of them, can it? Here-- [He grabs his pamphlet from his pile of stuff and opens to the job info, where Summoner is listed among them.] This world has summoners. Not everything they deal with is mean. Well, I suppose they can be depending on whether or not they're summoned to do harm to someone. So maybe that doesn't count after all. Anyway! Did I answer this correctly?

[chefbayardee]

Yeah, sure Salieri. [ He's pretty dismissive in that remark, actually. And after they shared such a good handshake! ] You've got a point with the Eidolons, but as long as you don't forget that most monsters want to kill you here, you'll be fine.

[ And then he nods. ] Next question! You mentioned Summoners, but there are a ton of Jobs. Any of them catch your eye? [ Now take some expectant staring, pal. ] Some of these have to remind you of home.

[ Loaded question??? Tell him about your homeworld, Salieri. Give him the deets. ]

[aethereally]

Have you come across summoned monsters? [Salieri has, though only like twice. Ain't gonna stop him from acting like he knows, though.] You might think differently if you have.

[He looks through the pamphlet again, marveling at the list of jobs.] Honestly, this is... a tad overwhelming. To think, people making a living from all of the magic-related professions! Open enrollment to the guild of your choice! What spellcasters go through where I am from... If they saw this, they'd either die of happiness or go green with envy. It's remarkable.

[Magic is for rich nerds who like to hang in clubhouses and keep everyone else out in his world.

There is one thing that's disappointing him about the list of jobs on Vaikuntha.]

So many of these revolve around fighting though, hmm? Gunslinger, Dark Knight, weapons Masters... Sounds dreadful. I'd rather go the magical route, but I've never been much for studies either. [He sighs and folds it back up.] How soon does one have to make a decision on this?

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just shrugs at Salieri's retort. The guy probably knows what he's talking about, but aliens. Just aliens. The gawking about classes and magic was pretty common, something he was used to doing himself. But this guy didn't seem to want to pick anything. ]

Go for magic anyway. I don't think you have to study too much. [ Or if mages do, he hasn't seen them do too much of it. ] And if you don't like a job, you can get rid of it later. [ And then he raises an eyebrow. ]

Was there anything you liked to do back home?

[aethereally]

Oh, you can? That's a relief. [Knowing he could trade a job in for another made it seem more appealing. The idea of being stuck with something you didn't end up liking or wanting seemed like a nightmare.

As to the question of what it was he did normally, that was hard to answer without making him sound like the spoiled dandy he was.]

Hmm, afraid to say I have yet to pick a career path yet back home. My family keeps insisting in pushing me in directions that I couldn't care less about. [Couldn't he follow in the exciting path of finances and banking like his dad?! The Shadows needed more of those.

Saleri slaps on a smile and tries to stay positive about this.] I guess it's time to find my true calling, hmm? I hope this place has something to offer me.

[chefbayardee]

Well, they're not here now. [ Hunk laughs, because Salieri isn't the first person he's encountered here who's escaping family. ]

And the bright side is that there's Jobs, like "archer" and "mage" and then there's jobs, like "pilot" or "professional athlete." [ He knows how incredibly unhelpful that is, but Hunk's not quite sure how to explain it, aside from... ] There's the ones you fight monsters with, and then the ones you pay the bills with.