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

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Good catch, kid," okay. A little impressed. Maybe.

Baiken took up the cask to her lips and took several gulps, a trail of it spilling out over her jaw and running down her chest before it was pretty much slammed back down, Baiken letting out a long sigh.

"It blends well with the pipe-grass I've been smoking today."

There was really no way she was going to have more of that. Being impulsive and going along with something just to see what would happen was one thing. Willingly subjecting herself to something that could make her sick or worse was entirely another.

Her throat still hurt and her head was starting to feel funny, so she just kind of stared as the other woman took several much larger gulps. That was fine. Maybe she'd drink all of it.

"Ah~" She really had no idea what else to say to that, so Pidge settled for giving her a thumbs up instead.

"You can calm down, by the way," Baiken's tone was lighter than it had been before.

"You already had some and managed to keep it down. You're fine. I'm not gonna make you drink more if you're legitimately not up to it."

"Hey, I'm calm." Or calm enough, at the very least. But she couldn't help feeling just a little relieved that Baiken also seemed a little calmer than before.

"I'm gonna be honest. That's probably the strongest thing I've ever had." And she'd had some pretty weird things in the time since she'd left Earth with the others. "But I'm still upright, so that's a plus! Right?"

"You're doing better than the last guy I pulled this on," a low chuckle. "A guy named Hunk, but considering he was getting over air sickness, maybe I was a little too hard on him," there's... a definite fondness in her tone when she brings him up. "Guy's been one of the few bright spots about being stuck here."

"Do you pull this on people often?" That seemed a little... something. She didn't have long to ponder that, though, because the next words out of Baiken's mouth earned her an audible gasp. "Oh my god." Air sickness on top of what she'd just had? "Yea, he used to... get sick when he was nervous or worried. Was he okay?" Hopefully the lack of follow up on that meant that he was okay.

"And yea. Hunk's great! Having him around is enough to make most things better." And she's definitely smiling now, though whether it's at the change of subject or the notion of not having to drink anymore is anyone's guess.

"Wait... you know Hunk?" This person was brand new, but...

"He's only one of my best friends. No big deal." She couldn't decide why that was so surprising, so she just shrugged. "But he's the kind of person who can get along with just about anyone, so I know what you mean. He's definitely a light in the dark."

That... made things a little different. She thought back on the descriptions of the other paladins Hunk had given her, and it didn't take long to realize...

"So you're Pidge."

"I am."

And it occurred to her at that point that they really hadn't done the name thing. Oops.

Wait...

"What have you heard?"

"The only thing that matters is that he thinks highly of you. A fellow soldier, a good friend. Someone worth respecting, at least by his standards...," Baiken hummed, taking another drink from the cask.

"Well... You handle your drink like a warrior, at least. I guess all of that put together shows what impresses me, so consider your question answered on all accounts."

That was certainly an answer, even if it wasn't the one she wanted. Still, it was nice to know that he thought those things about her. "I try." Even if she sometimes felt like she could be doing more. She shrugged it off as though she wasn't dying to hear the rest of whatever he'd told her. Pidge figured if she'd wanted to spill the rest of it, she already would have done so.

That next comment had her chuckling though, and she found herself wondering how Baiken was able to drink so much of that at a time. "I've um... only ever had champagne before," she admitted, after a moment. Either way, it was good to know what it took to impress the woman.

"It shows. You hid it better than Hunk, but you still got put on the ropes," she took up her pipe once more, taking a long pull from it before letting it out in a steady exhale.

"But, it's considered a measure of respect for warriors to share sake where I come from. And you shared it. Or at least tried."

"I did." And she was glad she'd only had a sip because there was no telling how she'd have handled more. She'd never even technically been drunk before, so it would've been an adventure. "That's because Hunk is usually pretty forthcoming," she pointed out.

"Where are you from?" She was going to guess Japan, but she supposed it could've just as easily been somewhere else. Who knew how this place worked, really?

"It wasn't terrible," she said with a chuckle, though she couldn't help feeling a little pleased with herself at how this conversation had taken a turn.

"From nowhere," Baiken shrugged. "The place I was born no longer exists, so it doesn't matter if i was from there."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She knew there was no rational reason for her to be apologizing because it wasn't her fault. Still, she felt a little bad for bringing it up, even if Baiken didn't seem terribly worried about it. "So... what do you do for fun when you're not offering sake to minors?" Her tone was light, teasing even, but she was genuinely curious.

"There's not much else to do but take odd jobs around here. Go there. Fight this thing. Bring back some of its teeth or whatever," Baiken shrugged.

"I don't have a lot of skills besides killing and drinking, so hobbies are hard to come by."

Test Drive Meme III

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