memesofeternity | Test Drive Meme III

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. SUMMER SUN

[insert Sheryl Crow track here]

Vaikuntha offers opportunities for many summer activities. Only some of the beaches hold the risk of being attacked by aquatic monsters, the others are a perfect destination for a day trip on a sunny day. Take a hike up the mountains and relax in some hot springs at the top. Go camping in the woods ~~just not on Friday the 13th~~. Enjoy a refreshing sea salt ice cream bar. Just because you’re here, it doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to a vacation.

K. WILD CARD

Feeling inspired to create your own prompt? The power is yours!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It was when a distracted Matilda passed by while exploring Sparks Golsaucia that had Madhuri drop the coffee in her hand and turn her head. No way...

Thus began to following. Pushing through the crowds, she had to be sure she wasn't imagining things as she fought to get closer to the cloaked figure and confirm that she wasn't hallucinating, that her mind wasn't just playing tricks on her-

Matilda spoke briefly to herself, thinking aloud, and Madhuri's eyes stung before she could stop them. By the Prime, there was no mistaking her. There was no mixing up that voice and that walk and that tail and-]

TILLY!

[That's a tiefling leaping at your back to hang on tight in a hug. She wasn't wrong, she wasn't hugging a stranger and wouldn't have to apologize and look like a nutter-butter!]

(Fortunately, living with Gil and Torvus in the middle of a big city helped keep Sparks Golsaucia from overwhelming her. Even so, the fox still kept her head down and her hood up, a natural reflex whenever wading through dense crowds like this one. Two things brought her to this large city: first was PuPuland, which sounded so much like the Phoenix Ascension Festival back home that she had to see it for herself. The second was her own research into an establishment known as The Lady of Bliss. If what she heard about the place was true, then that might be the Madhuri she knows running the place...

...Except she's pretty sure both reasons are in different directions.)

Maybe I read the map wrong again...

(There's little time to ponder finding a quiet corner to read the map again when SUDDENLY HUGS. The fox squeaks and tenses up something fierce, but...she recognizes that voice. The way the tiefling leans into that hug so the two meet cheek to cheek...

...Suddenly all of that tension vanishes and an eager smile crosses her face.)

MADDIE!

(The fox absolutely turns around to give her dear friend a proper hug, practically giddy and all the more relieved to find someone she already knows. That's one thing of her to-do list.)

I'm so glad you're here!

[Ohhh, all that tension and those odd pangs in the belly melted away, and she gave her best bear hug with her whopping 11 strength. But she beamed when they finally parted, eyes dancing in amusement.]

That's my line, dear! How in the Prime did I miss you rolling in on the airships? I--

[She gestured to a rather large, ornate building nearby, complete with columns and stone carvings of muses bearing many gifts.]

It's far too noisy here, let me show you my establishment and we can do some much-needed catching up!

(One 11 strength meets another in that hug, but that expression of relief stays glued on her face when they pull away, the fox turning her attention to the building in question. She needs a moment to hold up a finger and looking between the building and the map.)

Oh, is...is that The Lady of Bliss? I guess I wasn't so lost...

(She shakes the thought out of her head for now. Priorities! She'll absolutely follow Madhuri inside, welcoming the reprieve from the dense crowds.)

R-right! I...kind of kept my head down after I found myself here. I wasn't sure what to do, but...I like what I've seen of Vaikuntha so far. And once I heard someone with your name had a business here, I had to look into it. I'm so glad there's a familiar face here...

Right!? It's just me, though. I've looked for the others, even looked to the Tarokka cards... nothing. But at least that means there'll be no 'Wastirek the Wicked' nonsense here.

[She closed the doors and settled into one of the seats, getting comfortable.]

So, I... hmm. So time works a little oddly here. I've been here a few months, but I'm willing to wager it feels as if we've just seen each other.

(Tilly can't help sighing a little bit. Of course, not having Wastirek around would save herself and Vaikuntha quite a few headaches. At the same time, she can't help missing the grumpy kobold now and then.

She takes a seat alongside Madhuri, pondering.)

Months...? I've only been here for a few days and definitely saw you back home. Hmm...

(This is the sort of thing Knell might know more about than her. She took more after their ~~recessive genes~~ void dragon mother and Matilda their ~~dominant genes~~ necromancer father.)

Perhaps we've splintered off from ourselves. I don't know how; I though you'd have to interact with a world enough or something, but...to be plucked out like that? Someone's able to alter the space-time continuum.

Bingo. The natives here have no idea what sent us to the Dream Width, but I bet my first gold coin ever made that the mysterious evil presence from this world's past is what drew us here.

As it's understood, we have a potential 'world was reset and may repeat itself for good or for ill depending on our virtue' scenario. I intend to observe, see what goes. It'll be a story for the ages!

That'd make for a great story indeed. An ancient evil, a world trapped in a loop, strength drawn from beyond this world to help save it...and to think my biggest concern this morning was if eggs for breakfast would insult Mileena.

(A pause.)

M-my chocobo. After learning about asterisks and what they can do, I decided to branch away from magic. It's been so wonderful, Maddie! It's a fresh start in almost every sense of the phrase. No one knows about Vel la Moore, so I can just be me and....

(The fox cuts her enthusiasm short with a sheepish smile and her fingers through her hair.)

Anyway...it looks like you've been really successful, too. Your own theater! The decor screams you...

Test Drive Meme III

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