memesofeternity | TEST DRIVE MEME

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It...isn't?

[Quite a bit of what Hunk does here flies right over her head as some realizations start to occur. Firstly, she's now official a Hero of some kind! Secondly, scarves really pack a punch. And third...

...

... ... ...she slowly turns to face Hunk.]

Ah...it's going to get up, right? He's only sleeping, that's it. He's so tired, that's all that it is. Right?

[There's blood on these hands.]

[ The dots connect for Hunk quickly, as a gentle soul. She didn't give her name or return the handshake, and she's... really focused on this monster that she took out with a scarf. ]

Do you... do you want me to check on it?

[ Whether she wants him to or not, his strides take him away from the girl, and to the Geezard. He's not even sure how to check it's pulse, or how to lie if it's dead... which it probably is. So he's just gonna sit here, crouched down near between her and it for... an awkwardly long time. ]

[This expanse of time is awkward long.

Eventually, Azusa claps her hands together once to get Hunk's attention.]

My, my...I think he must be shy. Why don't we walk back this way towards town and give him some space?

[She's in denial. She's in complete denial. She's humming to herself, too.]

[ Is there even any meat on this thing? Hunk stares at it, at the long, weird claws and the... creepily-shaped body. He could cut it open, but...

Then he hears the girl, and her suggestion to just leave. He should probably make sure she'll be okay. Even if that means... ]

Yeah, good idea. He's knocked out cold, so he might just need some air.

[ Or some salts. And not the smelling kind. Hunk trots back over, and with one hand towards Asuza's back starts guiding her in the opposite direction of her first kill. Because man is it ugly. ]

You doing okay?

That's right! A little space and air does wonders for any recovery~.

[It's a mighty good thing Hunk's hand is there to guide her, because for a second she probably accidentally started walking towards danger. Now that she's on the right track, there's nothing to worry about!]

My, my...you're very kind, aren't you? I'm going to be alright, I think. Say, do you think that animal has a large family, or do you think it has a small one?

[She's still hung up on her delusion. But she's walking.]

[ She is not making this easy on him, oh goodness, and he laughs one of those "I cannot believe what is happening and I am very uncomfortable" kind of laughs as he makes doubly certain not to let her wander off until she's back in town. ]

I have no idea. There's probably someone back in town who would know, since they've lived here their whole lives.

[ But now that he thinks about it, it's a good question. If they're a good source of meat and they have big families and reproduce a lot, they might be like livestock. Replenishing horrible scorpion-clawed monsters with human faces and sharp teeth. Swarming like mosquitoes.

He just sighs and tries to repress that notion. They can't get back to town soon enough. At least, not until he realizes... ]

Y'know, I still don't know your name.

[She makes that same sort of nervous laughter right back, except her laugh is a little cuter because she's an idol. Or maybe that just makes it a little chilling.]

Ah! That's a great idea! I think I've had enough adventuring for today.

[She killed one enemy, got one experience point, but she's still done. She slows down before stopping and turning to face the man she rescued.]

My, my...I'm making such a horrible first impression, aren't I? My name is Azusa. It's a pleasure to meet you.

[ This girl's shellshock is an adventure for Hunk. Sure, he's a soldier in an intergalactic war, but her reaction was so... pure. ]

Well Azusa, my name's Hunk. Nice to meet you, too! [ Still with one arm guiding her back towards a path to town, Hunk is careful to offer his other to her for a handshake. While they're walking. Is this a social faux pas? He has no idea. She might be too out of it to care, so he may never know. ]

I take it this world is a bit of an adjustment for you?

Hm...I'd say it's a bit of an adjustment, Hunk-kun. I've never had to fight monsters or use magic before.

[She keeps walking. Surely by now the Geezard is back up and its telling its grandkids about the prank it just pulled. Azusa lets herself be pulled along like Hunk is gentle breeze; there's no resistance at all, and she does shake his hand.]

But I don't mind. I'd like to get back to work, of course, but there's something romantic about an adventure like this, don't you think?

Romantic? The adventuring and questing is pretty great. [ He needed to adjust more to being a warrior of the land and not of the stars than the rest of it. He was lucky! ] But the monsters are a bit much.

What kind of work do you do, Azusa? [ He looks at her with a bit of a perplexed face. She just killed that gross Geezard in cold blood, and yet she's out of her element? He wasn't sure he bought it.

Though he may not grasp just how week a Geezard is. ]

Isn't it? Adventuring, questing...knights and chivalry...new lands and new friends...maybe even new romances... [She giggles to herself. It's disgustingly cute because of course it is.] Ah, but you're right. The monsters are too much for me. Maybe I should try speaking to them next time?

[She comes to a stop and turns to face Hunk completely before diving into the next question.]

Oh, my, that's right. I didn't say, did I~? Where I'm from, I work as an idol of Namuko Productions. I hope I can count on your support in the future.

What's a Namuko? And an idol? [ He chuckles, though more out of confusion than anything, because... ] I doubt the monsters are going to worship you, even if you tried talking to them.

[ Hunk laughs, shrugging and rolling his eyes. ] I might have been begging that thing to stop chasing me, and it didn't listen.

Namuko is how we say 765 where I'm from. It's Namuko Pro for short.

[She giggles at his innocent questions again. Like before, her laugh is cute and charming and not at all condescending.]

An idol is a performer. Ah, I just finished performing an arena concert for around forty thousand fans, but I'm shooting a movie on the side. Does that help you understand?

[She'll get back to the monsters in a second. Some people might sound like they're bragging when they mention feats like Azusa's, but her voice is motherly and sincere. She's genuinely teaching him with examples, not listing her feats.]

A performer? Oooh. [ Hunk's face lights up, because Earth performances a bit more engaging than some of the things he's seen in space. Speaking of... ] I've actually been a bit of an idol myself! My team and I went on an interstellar stage tour and it was... [ Exhausting. Demeaning. Stressful enough to drive Coran to let a weird drug-parasite into his brain. Almost deadly. ] Not our cup of tea. I do not miss it.

But what's a... [ He pauses for a moment, thinking. ] Seven... six... five? Is it a countdown?

TEST DRIVE MEME

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