Test Drive Meme III

[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. 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!

Comments

[princeandscholar]

That taken care of, Orcelito whirls around to face the final opponent – the Zadom who had finished its' defrosting turn and was scrambling out of the ice. Fortunately, there’s a spark of wisdom in its’ reptilian brain telling it this is not worth further effort, and it dives back into the waves under Orcelito’s furious glare.

A glare that softens into a puzzled frown when he returns to… his brother? Here? Orcelito takes a moment to observe him, standing still and breathing deeply to calm his racing heart after the battle. He snaps the grimoire shut and lowers it in a non-aggressive stance.

“I’m fine, thank you. You saved me again.” Orcelito's tone is soft, and he manages a small smile. Even as the tension from the battle eases out of his shoulders, his chest is tight with uncertainty and worry. He sounds and looks like Belca? But how to know for certain… Orcelito considers the last time they met. He doesn’t want to put forth a test Belca would find painful, so he skirts around the incident at his inauguration to find another route. Ah ha. “I always seem to be relying on you without meaning too. But it wouldn’t look cool if you tried to carry me.” And he lets that carefully-worded sentence hang between them, watching Belca’s reaction. The incident at the villa's tomb is something he’s told no one about in detail.

[bastard_child]

"That's what... brothers do... right?" Wow is he really awkward right now. "It's nothing, really. As long as you're safe, I'm glad I was able to do what I could," he said, listening carefully to how he said that sentence. It didn't just seem like it was casually worded... "You carry your naive brother once out of a sickening room once and then he suddenly decides that he's too cool to let it happen again, huh?" he's really trying. Even in an attempt to joke about it, it still felt strained.

[princeandscholar]

Orcelito listens intently, piecing together the replies, praying they all fall into place. It’s a heartfelt response that he wants to accept, but he blinks back against the stinging in his eyes and stays alert. If he can just manage his emotions until he knows for certain…!

For all that the memory of that place is dark, he bursts into a smile. And not the hesitant smile from before. Here is the expression Orcelito had before everything happened, when things were all right at the castle, when he was with his siblings in the gardens or palace.

“Belca! It is you!” Brace yourself, Belca, onii-san incoming! He’ll try not to knock Belca down this time, but the hug is in no way reserved as he throws his arms around his brother. (He’s careful not to run into the sword. His grimoire he already dropped into the sand.) “I was so worried!” About everything! When Belca disappeared there, and when he appeared here, and..! He just needs to make sure he’s really here right now.

[bastard_child]

That was certainly a change in expression. So he was testing Belca and he passed apparently. He should have expected the hug, but he didn't. At the very least, Belca was able to move his sword out of the way in time and somehow sheath it before assessing the situation. So he wasn't too far gone or he was putting on a facade... Either way, he's glad to see Orcelito, but he couldn't help that slight nagging in his mind that something might not be right yet. For now, he'll try to at least awkwardly embrace his brother, but keep that in mind.

"Of course it's me. I was more worried about you than I was me, though," he finally responded back.

[princeandscholar]

Through Belca’s clothing, he can’t feel whether the scar from the arrow is still there… but either way, that reply was enough for Orcelito to allow himself to relax against his brother’s shoulder.

When he finally pulls away, there are tears in his eyes and he laughs softly, in relief rather than humor. “Me? I’m the one who’s been safe inside the castle. Didn’t I say I’d take care of everything?” Speaking of which, the smells of battle bring his attention back to the present. Orcelito retrieves his spellbook before gently urging Belca with a hand on his shoulder to leave the battlefield with him.