memesofeternity | Test Drive Meme III

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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

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Good. [ The response is quick and sharp, and slowly Hunk's hands start to release that poor guardrail, as if all that fire, all that rage was released with a single word. ] I'm glad, just...

[ He sighs, and those tears start to fall. He should take care not to get too dehydrated. ] He's Zarkon's son. The apple didn't fall far from the monstrous, horrible tree. We could've- we shouldn't have even given him a chance.

[ Hunk's only saying that because hindsight's 20/20. Because he wants to feel like they could've known, they could've done something. But- ] What should I do? When I get back to my time. How should I stop him? [ He's expecting Keith to say to go all Blade of Marmora on him. Sneak attack. And he wouldn't object. ] I... If I can stop it, I need you to tell me. Please.

[ Even though he doesn't know if that's possible, if he'll even end up at the same moment he was gone, if whatever he does wouldn't just make things worse. But he has to try, right? ]

[He understands what Hunk's trying to do. He'd want to go back in time and get back to them faster if it were possible. Maybe stop both near deaths for the entire team. Yet when he thinks on it, only one thing comes to mind.]

Keep him out of the quintessence field. It turned him into even more of a monster. It almost turned us into monsters. Allura managed to snap us out of it, though.

[But it was too late for Lotor. He'd already been lost to its power. Corrupted him just like his father.]

Allura won't believe it without proof. She tried protecting him until Romelle spoke up.

[ He does a bit of a double take at all this. They go out into the quintessence field unprotected? Isn't that what Zarkon did? Thank goodness Allura helps them out- it probably involves some of her crazy magic stuff. ]

What did Romelle say? What was her proof? [ And his eyes close for a moment. He's thinking hard. ] Is there anything we can say to catch him off-guard? Do we need Romelle to be there, or do we just have to know what to say to shut him down? Or do we just have to stall him until you show up?

[ Wheels are a-turnin'. Give him more to work with and he'll build the machine of Lotor's destruction all on his own, Keith. ]

Her presence was enough to cause Lotor to sweat a little. [For however much he ever panics.] He couldn't refute her claims, either.

[He sees the gears turning in Hunk's head. He knows even if he does get back and change things, it likely won't change the outcome much. After all, Shiro...

...

For a second there, he could almost feel the heat on his cheek again.]

Stall him as long as you can.

Got it. [ Stall tactics. His best friend is Lance. He knows how to keep people occupied, or at least get them paying attention to him instead whatever trouble Lance gets into. He's hard to ignore, after all. ]

So... I could start trying to talk to him about Coalition-Galra relations, [ Important. Obviously something he'd be interested in since they took back a big chunk of the universe. ] Balmera rehabilitation plans, [ There are more out there, probably in worse shape than Shay's. And the crystals are renewable energy, which would be right up Lotor's alley. ] and... definitely fine Galra dining. [ He'd have to plug Vrepit Sal's, of course. But he also knows he's not exactly close with Lotor. ]

What about Allura? How can I keep her busy? [ If they can keep her away from her work on quintessence, wouldn't Lotor have a harder time getting into the field? ] Just until Romelle shows up.

[He nods at all three ideas. Keith believes in Hunk and his stall tactics. His panic attacks did the job splendidly the few times those actually happened in tense situations, and that's when his head isn't in the right mindset. He's also a fast learner, so there's that at his disposal too. So long as he doesn't overthink it or make it obvious.

The important thing is they could work. Allura, though. She'll be the tricky one.]

Could always try to convince her to step back and take breaks so she doesn't exhaust herself, but that won't work for long. [They know her too well to know it would.] Maybe ask her to look into ways to prevent overexposure to quintessence. Though that could both be bad and good.

[Good, because it could distract her from working on the Sincline ships long enough and find a way to modify Voltron if it's needed. Also remind her of what caused Zarkon and Honerva to slowly corrupt. Bad, because it could give Lotor an immunity or resistance to the quintessence field and, well. Prolong everything and leave them at a greater disadvantage.]

Edited 2018-07-21 22:03 (UTC)

[ He's on a wavelength with Keith. Shiro would be so proud of them! Keith's ideas are good, of course, he's always good at improvising during a fight, but... but he's not used to fixing things like Hunk is. Or in this case, breaking them. ]

Lance! [ Lance is such a good monkey wrench to Allura sometimes! ] I just gotta get him to hang out with her, give her the ol' razzle dazzle, and keep her from concentrating on her work. [ His pestering only got worse after Hunk told him she was interested way back when. So... worth a shot. ]

That or I can just... stop her progress? Maybe their data can get corrupted or something. [ See also: punch a computer. Pour food goo on the notes. And so on. ]

[He really, really isn't. He's always been best at battle, even moreso now with his time training with his mother. He tried leaving the math to Pidge and fixing things to her and Hunk. Lance... Well, he trusted him to have his back and rile him up at times but other than that, Hunk has A Point.]

Think that could work? [Because she could easily just shut that down, too. But data corruption could work too. Was he going to ask Pidge to help, or-

... He squints at him.] You're gonna punch the computer aren't you.

Keith, if punching a computer makes it work, punching it harder makes it not work. And the Galra and Alteans are highly advanced, so everything is a computer. [ He nods sagely. He's been learning about punches, Keith. Trust him. He's a punchy scientist now. ]

So tell me if this works. When Lotor's out doing Galra Emperor stuff, Lance distracts Allura with a fantastic dance number, and I punch the computers with their data! [ A beat. ] Or I stumble and spill food goo, whichever. Then they have to start all over, and I cry a lot and apologize and that should be enough time for you and your mom and Romelle to show up.

[ He starts grinning. ] Then, we stop Lotor and nothing goes wrong and they get a new Galra Emperor who doesn't keep Alteans as livestock [ His hands clench into fists again. Reflexive. ] and then it's all okay! The good guys win!

Somehow I think Pidge would argue about the first part. [~~It works for him all the time but shhh.~~ Though he does stop and listen. It seems like a decent enough of a plan, at least. It will work in the long run. There's just one problem.]

Sounds good, except one problem: the new Galra Emperor will likely be ruthless and continue Zarkon's conquests of the known universe. [He'd been there at the Kral Zera. He saw the people who were lined up to test their mettle to see who would be take the throne.] The biggest contender aside from Lotor was Sendak, and he'll have the witch behind him. The Marmora will likely try to eliminate all of them again, but they'll be keeping a closer eye on the proceedings after last time.

Then we just stop Sendak. [ The grin turns into a smirk. ] We've done it once, twice if we count the Kral Zera. We can do it again! [ Optimism! ]

Besides, the Empire had trouble the first time they lost an Emperor. If it happens again then wouldn't they all, y'know, freak out? [ He doesn't want to say there'd be a ton of infighting again, but. Well. He shouldn't have to. ] We'd have to run damage control on the different factions of the Empire trying to hurt people like last time, but we'd still have Voltron.

[ And then he loses steam a bit. He's not a wartime tactician or anything like that. Hunk's better with recipes and wrenches, so... ] I dunno, do you think this could work? Do you have any cool Marmora space ninja opinions?

Most of my intel on what he's been up to lately is probably weeks old for me. [Besides, most of it was from Kolivan and whatever the other Blades shared. His mission priority was the new type of quintessence.] But you're right, there would be trouble. And countless could be in trouble while they try to sort themselves out.

[So many factions fighting to fill the power void. He senses a headache coming on again.] We still do now. [Except there's a little problem with that: no way to recharge the Lions, and he hasn't mentioned that yet.] It will all depend on how they respond, and our status after. It's a lot of moving parts we're dealing with. One false move and we might have an even bigger disaster on our hands.

[Like the fight with Zarkon...]

So... it could work. [ But there's a ton of variables, things they'd never be able to predict. Isn't that business as usual for them? ] I think we'll be fine. I mean, we're managing here after all.

[ As much as he wants to be a two-person war council, they're not the best suited for the discussion. They'd have to bring in Shiro later! Which means... changing the subject. ] So... how do you like it in Vaikuntha so far? Not having to deal with the Galra is pretty nice...

[ He's not quite sure how to have casual conversations with Keith, least of all when there's a time gap. ]

It could. [And it is business as usual, but it will help to have at least another third set of eyes on the idea. But, there's a problem. Hunk doesn't know the full picture. It will likely wreck him if he did with this weird time gap.]

It's certainly different. [And by different, he means too quiet. Like going back to Earth without any knowledge of the Galra out there conquering the universe. He's not sure what to make of it.] What did I miss here, anyway? I know Shiro mentioned you bit a sea god...

[There's no judgment in that, by the way. Just an honest curiosity.]

He- we- [ Hunk just stammers for a moment. Shiro!!! Why did you have to tell Keith?! If Shiro grabbed Gourmand, Hunk would tell Lance or Pidge or anyone, so... he doesn't hold it against him. It's just annoying. He's not "Hunk: The Nice Guy," he's "Hunk: The Guy Who Bit The Sea Goddess." It's a lot. ]

So we keep getting roped into crazy situations where stuff wants to kill us, just like back home. [ There's a chuckle. Ever so slightly cynical. ] Chocobo eaters, weird memories, moogles with bombs, and, well...

[ He sighs, and as he starts to retell the story the tempo just... hastens. He's nervous. ] We tried to drain the water flooding this deep-sea city, and we ended up finding a shrine to Leviathan, the Ocean Goddess. She wanted to test us, and I was using the Gourmand asterisk. I went to smack her with my fighting fork, but I slipped on my friend's blood and face-planted except Gourmands can Bite people and I didn't know and so I bit the ancient Vaikunthan goddess of the oceans and she was not happy, let me tell you. Then someone made a song out of it, and...

[ He's just taking a few deep breaths as the anxiety settles in. This is very clearly still messing with him even a month and a half later. ]

Calm down, Hunk. He wanted to make sure I wouldn't be surprised if you bit something else while we're fighting.

[Leave it to the black paladins to be practical about this. Though Keith seems oddly calm about it...

What a thing to be remembered for though. He reaches up to pat him in sympathy.] That sounds rough, though.

...How often do these 'crazy situations' occur, anyway? And... chocobo eaters? Memories?

[He's. Not even going to ask about moogles with bombs. And is glad Sven is out of earshot right now.]

(( Ganeshan didn't help ))

[ Telling Hunk to calm down normally doesn't work, but... he takes a deep breath.
And another. He can freak out about Gourmand all he wants, but Keith asked him a question. Hunk knew he had a job to do. So he visibly repressed his nerves. Keith needs his knowledge. ]

It's like... every few weeks, maybe? We got here in the middle of April by their calendar. We fought Chocobo Eaters, which are these big toothy monsters with huge arms that can snatch up Chocobos. And then we went into the Dream Width to rescue people, but a lot of us were pulled into each others' memories. Then we went to PuPuLand and got attacked by the Moogles of Light with their giant robots and bombs and tornados electric fences, then we passed Leviathan's test and beat up Ultros, and then there was a serial killer, and... now you're here.

[ And then Hunk just smiles, albeit a tired one. Between his panicking and everything he just listed? It's a lot to cope with. ]

[He knows it usually doesn't. Though when he sees how he tenses, he briefly rests a hand on Hunk's shoulder. He's also not bothered by it, visibly or otherwise, at all. All he wants is to support him any way he can, and if giving him something else to focus on helps a little? He's glad for that.

He's here for you, no matter how crazy things get.]

Every few weeks? [Well, at least it's slightly less frequent than back home? Bright side? His eyes widen a hair at exactly what they've faced.] Sounds like you guys had one wild ride.

[One he wishes he could have helped them face a bit sooner.]

Yeah, I mean... it's not over yet. [ He looks down to the ground, and his shoulders slump a bit. ] We're not home. We don't know if our home universes are okay, or if you and I are even from the same one...

[ He's not sure if he wants them to be from the same universe, even if Keith is from his future. Then there's two Paladins missing, at least. How can they cope with that, if at all? ] We don't even know if we can get back home. It might be like that other universe we went into, except we can't get back.

We can't focus on what could go wrong. [He says it gently, yet firm.] If we do, we'll get stuck thinking about it instead of what we can do.

I'm worried, too. But right now, we need to focus on this planet and do whatever we can to figure out what's going on and how we got here in the first place.

[Maybe there's a clue to getting back home hidden somewhere in those answers.]

Y-yeah, I know. [ Hunk just sighs, before glancing back over to Keith. ] I was doing just fine on all that, but now you're here and, well...

[ He looks down to the ground. ] I'm back to worrying about the stuff I thought I dealt with, y'know? Home is just... staring me in the face. [ But then he shrugs, almost sarcastically. ]

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Test Drive Meme III

SNAP SNAP SNAP

TEARS SOME OF THE MEAT FROM A PASSING TRAP AND KEEPS YEETING IT

SNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAP

SNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSN-

OH MAN THIS THREAD

I'm dying and this is gr8

they're gonna get up to some Shit in game aren't they

They really, really are. I'm gonna need a steady supply of popcorn and wine.

same. Keith gets to learn about Fun and Mischief. and Gourmands.

Yep. And Hunk gets more tips on how to handle swords and knives. :')

Hunk fully confident in his bladework is scary.

But imagine it being even scarier.. :3

one day he's just gonna be all out of hecks to give

you mean: after he accidentally learns what Devour does?

nah, he read the asterisk manual after leviathan...

probably should have done that in the first place, Hunk...

look he saw "cook for friends" and jumped on it

RIP us, then. oops.

he did this to Everyone

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