TEST DRIVE MEME

[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. None of you know how you came to be here or where you are going, and the door to the cockpit is locked as the pilots focus on navigating the treacherous obstacles of the Dream Width. You might as well take this moment to introduce yourself to your fellow travelers. B. CURTI CENTER There’s an almost overwhelming aura of excitement in the tower as researchers rush to document this unprecedented number of interdimensional travelers. Over the commotion, the leaders of the Center struggle to explain, ‘Welcome to Vaikuntha. We don’t know why you’ve been brought here, but this is your new home.’ The staff will do their best to help the off-worlders settle in. They answer the questions they can, provide maps and pamphlets about the world 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 under the circumstances. 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. WILD CARD Feeling inspired to create your own prompt? The power is yours!

Comments

[witchwithoutacause]

so are they just doing this out of the kindness of their heart or what?

[theoldhope]

Obi-Wan listens carefully and tries his best to follow as she guides him through the steps. As she speaks, he strokes at his beard thoughtfully. Then he accepts his iMog as she hands it back to him, and he smiles with a nod as she finishes.

"Oh yes, it did. I feel that I'm finally starting to understand how it works." Keeping her instructions in mind, he manages to get to the messaging center. "You might have noticed from my device, but my name's Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I'm quite grateful for your help."

[spaceforged]

But not unused to combat.

[It isn't a question. He can see it and he'd felt it when he'd blocked the counter with the flat of the blade. The old instincts are warming up his blood but there's no roar of a crowd. Thank the stars for that.

Shiro backs away and reorients himself. He tosses his blade to his machine arm and swings it. Better. Much better. He's light on his feet and poised. But it's clear this isn't his weapon of choice. He swings it again letting the weight of it become less awkward.]

What's your usual preference on weapons, if you don't mind answering.

[mech_and_mutt]

You're tellin' me! I ain't even seen anything like it before! [If she was feeling a little off-centered and tense now, then the way Red was suddenly leaning waaaay out over the rail probably wasn't helping.]

We could take this thing straight down to the ground with weather like this! Wonder if that's where we're headed.

[He finally turns his head back around to look at Amanda, thoughtfully clenching down on the bone in his mouth. 'Enjoy it while we can?' something felt... a little odd about that.]

...why? Think we won't be doin' this again?

Yehn'a Amariyo | FFXIV (A sort of Warrior of Light)

[masterofmagic]

[A. RETRIEVAL]

[This was... this was a bit much, wasn't it? OK, he had been in worse places before, worse situations before, worse accidental moments of "fate" before, but this was.... No, this was definitely weird. Had he falled through the Void somehow? It felt surreal.]

I have to be dreaming... I refuse to accept this as real.

[He wanted a vacation, this was too much!]

This is definitely a dream, right? Or a fanciful story, right? An exaggeration....

[No, he could feel it deep inside his heart, this was real and there was no way Yehn'a could lie to himself, even if he desperately wanted to.]


[D. GUILDS]

[There wasn't much choice, even though he had done all of this sort of stuff before his job crystals were missing now, all of his gear was missing in fact! He had his clothes but... they were missing something. It only made sense to seek out the guilds and see what he could lend himself to, even if it was a bit... well, what had to be done just had to be done. No reason to avoid it, sooner or later he would have to walk down that path.]

Some might think it's a chance to start something new, but I never did have much interest in anything else.

[No matter what Yehn'a was a mage through and through, so the first place he lined up was White Mage, though he wasn't set in stone yet.]


[I. RANDOM ENCOUNTER]

HELP!

[Where had those come from? Where had all of those come from! 10 Skeletons were chasing him and he could barely keep up his distance. This was ridiculous. If he stopped to try and cast they would definitely overwhelm him, but if he kept running... he would eventually give out. Surly there was someone who could come by and help, just one or two other people would make this situation salvageable.]

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Hope tilted his head at Tidus. "You mean that weird underwater sport? That's from your world too?"

That was a weird coincidence. He leaned back on his hands, letting the Slate slide off his lap for now and onto the grass.

"Just the usual essentials, I guess. Clothes, toiletries, things like that. I would assume room comes with food, but I would have to ask before I commit. But I don't really want to be without at least a change of clothes unless it's all uniform."

But then what about off days? He sighed in frustration. He knew being an adult was difficult, but geez. Just how coddled had he been on Cocoon? He rubbed his face and leaned forward again to take the Slate. "I'm probably better off part-timing both, at this rate."

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Oh, he was still dwelling on it. Hard not to given his age. Still, he offered a smile and shook his head. "It's alright. I'm just having a hard time figure out what to do from here on. Back home, I would still be school but now, I've got to think of other things."

Still, the dorms would cover some of the expenses, but he would be a fool to believe they'd cover all expenses.

1 down, 107 to go

[dawningrevolution]

[Well, spiders are new, but Freyjadour does have some friends that are creatures. And anyone who can leave a polite letter in the comment box posting board is alright in Frey's book.]

It is a nice drawing. You can join my party if you are looking for a friend.

Sincerely,
Freyjadour Falenas

[witchwithoutacause]

[ It didn't help but like, if he fell off and died no skin off her nose? Okay, no, she'd have to leap out and grab him because watching someone die isn't cool, but until then be a dumbass. ]

As long as we don't go down too hard. I figure we're probably headed down eventually, right?

[ Amanda shrugged. ]

Doesn't look like there's much happening this high up.

[A]

[despairing_hope]

[If Komaeda was fazed by her demeanor or forcefulness he didn't show it, instead blinking a bit before tilting his head as if looking at a small misguided child, even if the woman before him was anything but.]

Am I supposed to? I'm pretty sure most of us are lacking in them.

Ah, but in a way, I do have different answers, it depends on the questions you have.

[surecast]

[ unfortunately, robyn doesn't quite realize that she's not quite as enamored with the sight as he is. he might figure it out eventually, but for now... ]

I've been on an airship before, but I never dreamed one could fly so high... [ he turns to the girl, almost literally starry-eyed. ] Have you ever— Oh! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Robyn!

[ he doesn't know what passes for a proper greeting in this strange new world, so he settles for an enthusiastic dip of his head. honestly, the fact that he remembers to be even this courteous in the presence of a stranger is something of a marvel. ]

[jeido]

[There's a small pause as Jade considers her words once more, as well as the mention of this "Rukia".]

I can't say I do...

[Jade gives her a small nod of apology.]

...though I'm not surprised to hear that is the case.

[It's a far shot, but it does seem to click with an unlikely theory he's had. There's, of course, the chance that the person in front of him is simply a good actor, but Jade hasn't spent years gaining much needed expertise on reading people by being a fool, and there is something genuine about that bitterswet smile. Coupled with her earlier confidence, it's starting to lend some credence to a theory he wouldn't give the light of the day another time.

His gaze softens as regards Sheena again, not completely lowering his guard, but all the same, considering of what she has to say.]

If you don't mind elaborating, could you perhaps enlighten me on what I'm supposed to know or remember?

[Like your name, for instance, he almost seems to say.]

lunafreya nox fleuret ( ffxv )

[coruscation]

up in the sky

[ she stands, hands folded in front of her, as she looks out at the passing landscape on the airship's deck. it seems that the train of her dress isn’t quite made for high wind-speeds, and the white lace billows out a measure behind her. should someone approach, she’ll greet them with an incline of her head, a slight smile and : ] Please, stay. This does not seem a view that should be enjoyed alone.

get a job

It seems we’ve been tasked with their care.

[ she’s kneeling, in front of her three chocobo chicks who are as she has been instructed not to be left alone to get themselves into any mischief. one tries to climb up onto her lap, with… no success, only managing to bump into her knee, and she laughs lightly. indulgently, she picks up the chick, and places it on her lap uncaring of how it tracks dirt onto the white of her dress. ]

I admit, I do not have much experience with chocobos, but— [ one of the other chicks jumps as high as it’s able, attempts to snap an errant piece of her hair in it’s beak. ] I believe with the two of us, we’ll manage.

wildcard

[ go wild, i'll roll with anything! ]

[spaceforged]

Again that flicker of fire like the heat of a sun seen reflected in his read-outs. He turns his attention to it and the authority in that tone like a lodestone orienting itself. In a way it grounds him like nothing else will.

"I imagine they will be." He says, his voice carrying its own authority but with less fire to it. It's more like a steady wind. "They knew what to do about us arriving. The numbers might be surprising but there has to be some sort of protocol to have this much set in place."

His mind works on well worn paths. Laws. Rules. Regulations. It's like all the checks he used to have to do for take off. "Assuming that's the case might not be a bad thing, actually. They might be used to panicked and scared people. Keeping ourselves focused might mean the difference between a lot of information or just a little."

As much as he wants to demand and call and call into the void. That won't help them. He'll approach this slowly and methodically. No matter how desperately he wants to get back to the fight and to the team that need him. But whenever he has a moment alone, that's when it all will hit him.

Just how far from where he's needed he really is.

[mech_and_mutt]

Uwah--!!

[Wow. Who'd have thought that bones could catch fire so easily? Once he'd finished shielding himself from the blast- and once he was sure none of his fur was on fire- he disdainfully tipped his own bone back up into the crook of his mouth.]

Oh, so you've decided to join in after all!

[With a glance aside to the would-be bony menace currently in the process of affixing its head, he fires off a quick, well-placed lightning bullet to its sternum; and, with a bright arc and a scent of ozone, it collapses defeated into a heap of scattered bones.]

Better late than never. How many didja get so far?

[stfuporom]

[That was the first.]

What, you want to make this a competition? This isn't a game, you know.

...

Besides, that would only serve as evidence that you aren't cut out for this line of work.

[mech_and_mutt]

[Thankfully, reckless violations of common sense and safety aside, he's got a pretty good handle on keeping his place. He LIVES on an airship, after all- and besides, he's got a tail to grip the railing with.]

Well, yeah, but-- how often do you go all the way down?

[...With a sudden pensive sensibility coming over him, he pulls himself back, content to simply lean against one of the nearby posts instead.]

...or is that easier to do where you come from?

[witchwithoutacause]

[ Good, she doesn't have to witness a horrible death. ]

I dunno, I... I live on the ground?

[ She seems a bit puzzled by this. ]

I mean, so it's pretty easy?

I)

[girltalk]

Just stay still for a second, will you—!

[ the geezard is small, but the thing is fast, and oddly persistent in it's attack on the white mage who she assumes is unable to defend himself... so when she finally gets an opening, as the gross thing is about to make another lunge for the guy, she winds her leg back for a high kick...

and the geezard goes flying quite a ways. i

a speck in the distance. ]

Don't worry, I got it!

[srslynotsrs]

if you go that route, we're all guilty of breathing and killing all those poor germs in the air. maybe i should ask you what you're guilty of too.

Mythra | Xenoblade Chronicles 2

[sirenslight]

D. Sword Girl Gets Sword(and actual Pants)

[Having obtained the Swordmaster Asterisk with little trouble, Mythra now stands. She's stretching out her body a little, just to warm up a bit. After all, while lacking her usual capabilities, she does want to get a feel for things here. For how much of her power as the Aegis remains within her hands, even if not within her blade. Around her, set up, area whole variety of training dummies. Now, normally what you're supposed to do is try and just, hit them. Use practice weapons and all. But Mythra does not understand that. What she sees around her are targets. Targets for her to slice to pieces.

[Her movements are swift, technique dead on. She eviscerates all of the poor wooden training dummies misfortune enough to enter her path with a confident smirk and an almost crazed enthusiasm. Perhaps you were actually going to use this equipment, or maybe you were just there to bare witness to this display. Whatever the case, Mythra turns around after she finishes, wiping the sweat from her brow.]

"Well, that was underwhelming. This world really needs to ramp up its training exercises."

E. Sword Girl Goes On The Best Adventure of All, Reading

[Mythra has taken this opportunity to simply explore around town. Talk to the natives. Maybe buy some food. The usual things she did whenever she arrived anywhere. Having a pleasant stroll like this felt nice, but lonely. Without Rex or Nia or, even without her sister to talk to, it was all a little bit empty. Not having Pyra was just weird. But well, Pyra was probably still with Rex, living out their happy domestic life or whatever. She wouldn't want to just rip away her sister's happiness just so she could enjoy a bit of company.

[Now, you might wonder where this would take her. The answer is, straight to the library. She was already used to suddenly waking up in unfamiliar locations. But in those cases, she'd been thrown quickly into the fray and she had had people around her who were more familiar with things around her that had a reason to help her out. Here, Mythra was alone, but more importantly, there was nothing pressing down on her to act. She was an Aegis, making her own decisions without a Driver to follow wasn't exactly too intuitive. So after taking care of basic matters, what she needed was information. Right now she's aimlessly going through books, that is, until she can flag down a nearby person.]

"Excuse me. You have any sort of, geopolitical texts I can get my hands on? Thanks."

[sunderings]

No creature is above or beneath any other. [ —Sion's reply is a fluting thing, carried to Ain's ears by the breeze of the day, the wind which tousles moonspun hair so too whispering through the fields where grassland meets with the line of the forest beyond. This outing, which Sion had asked of the other man, had been for the purpose of training, and if the geezard were to be the King's teacher today, he would make the most of it, learning what he could to bolster his white mage's (...admittedly quite average...) agility with sequenced steps. ]

Life is life, even that of— [ The creature surges forward again, and Sion weaves away, fleet of foot with his robes swirling in quiet susurration about him. Almost, he could swear he glimpsed a note of frustration upon the beast's face. ] —the ungainly and bumbling.

And with the way it so doggedly pursues me, you would think it in need of a companion, yes?

[ His charmed laugh, then, might distract from the approach of a secondary opponent, an ochu drawn from its roaming o fthe fields by the clamor of the adventurers (read: by Sion alone), its thorny vines wriggling and extended in the casting of a status ailment...! ]

G. Get a Job

[sidekickdetective]

[Shuichi hasn't gotten himself a job yet, but then again, he knows he's a pretty useless guy. As long as he goes to classes, he gets free room and board, and he's able to get a little spending money from side quests.

He comes up to the checkout counter with an armful of books on true crimes and unsolved mysteries in Vaikuntha. He pulls his hat down further over his face.]

Yes, I am. Not for anything weird. [Which probably just makes his reading materials seem even more weird. Good going, Shuichi.]

[glanzenschwert]

[ Therein lies the difference in their philosphy; Sion one of kindness, and Ain one of order. Order inscribes that some be more important than others, that some must be sacrificed... including the man he is accompanying right now, should his curse become detrimental to this world and Ain's own return home.

But of course, that is a secret. ]

No, it be in need of nourishment.

[ Monsters are monsters, always basal creatures.

The archangel closes his eyes, though only for a moment - the grass nearby rustles, and he picks out the shape of something bearing tentacles. His grip on his katana tightens as he takes a single step forward past Sion -

- he draws, with the familiarity of a man who has wielded countless blades, and skims off its vines with a single stroke. ]

Meru | Legend of Dragoon

[perkystep]

A.

The petite girl whimpered and stirred. The sounds were unfamiliar. The air didn't smell right. She frowned -- rather, pouted -- and rubbed her eyes as she woke.

"... Huh...?"

Meru looked around, then slowly rose to hang her legs over the edge of her cot. She didn't know this place. It wasn't scary, exactly -- she'd never say that. But it was unsettling that she couldn't see Guaraha anywhere, or Dart, or any of her friends.

C.

Meru talked big and insisted she was an adult... but she was still rather childish. And the fact that she had never seen anything quite like this "airship" before was plain to see by the way she pressed herself against the glass to look at the sky.

"Wow...!" Her breath fogged up her view and she quickly rubbed it away. "People built this thing?"

D.

"Alright!" Meru punched the air triumphantly, twirled, and struck a pose. Of course she would go to the Dancer's Guild -- what other choice was there? Dancing was her soul. Unfortunately, if she ever wanted to wield a hammer again, she'd have to travel to somewhere called Safer Osu and find some "Berserkers" or something. Whatever. They'd teach her what she needed to know, she was confident of that.

But for now, she was just excited to have another set of clothes she could move in. Flexibility meant everything to a dancer, and nobody liked a sweaty gross one. With her usual flashy garb plus this new outfit from the guild, she could actually stay cute and clean! What a relief!

She hummed to herself, continuing to sway and swirl as she studied her map, oblivious to anyone trying to pass her.