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

rutile | houseki no kuni

[transect]

b. CURTI CENTRE

( most of you are creatures of the like rutile has never seen before. they're showing their interest in just that fact by looking the different people over— the humans especially. you may experience an unpleasant poke in your side, if you're stationary enough. )

I see, this part is rather soft, isn't it? Hmm.

g. GET A JERB

( having been serving as a doctor to the gems for so long, it seemed only logical to take the same career path in this new world, didn't it? perhaps you've just come in for a check up, maybe that fighting-learning curve has left you with a broken bone or two. need some stitches? no problem, this physician will help you with all of those things...

which is made obvious when they enter the examination room, with a rather large scalpel in hand, gleaming. and in the other hand? some kind of... bone... saw... )

Now then, what seems to be the problem?

j. WILDGEM

( up for any shenanigans! )

G

[righthandstand]

[Actually Okuyasu decides that he doesn't need to get his burns treated, he'll do it the old fashioned way and dunk it in ice.]

It's nothing! I forgot I need to do my homework!

[He sucks in a breath and turns around.]

[transect]

Don't be ridiculous, you came here for a reason, didn't you?

( a reason rutile is already looking for. looking you up and down for anything that might look... ) There, is that— have you ruined your finish?

[righthandstand]

My what?

[He stops - big mistake, she sees the burn marks on his wrist and his old scars on his face.]

[transect]

Your finish. ( maybe that's too gem-speaky? allow them to reiterate— ) Your outer layer. Here. ( rutile is grabbing at the wrist, within inches of the burn wounds. ) And here. ( they're marking on their own face where his scars are. )

Now, why don't you tell me what happened? ( instead of pretending it's all fine. )

[righthandstand]

[Is she a robot? Holy shit Okuyasu is kind of terrified but not since she looks like such a nice lady?]

What? My skin? It'--

[He glares at her. Not out of anger, perhaps not fear, but he's learned to be cautious of strangers since he was small. He can't tell if he trusts this doctor.]

[transect]

( that mistrust isn't entirely misplaced. rutile has a few... questionable methods, after all. but there doesn't seem to be any ill-intent in their inquiries. not today, at least.

standing back, they just cross their arms over their chest. ) I can wait, but the longer it takes you to be honest, the longer it will take to treat.

Unless of course, you're fine with infection. ( that happened in organic lifeforms, didn't it? )

[righthandstand]

I'm...fine.

[He won't die. It's not like his arm got cut off or anything.]

...So what's gonna happen to my arm?

[transect]

( oh, you're fine, are you?
in that case, without answering, rutile is going to grab at that arm again, right on the burns this time, and give it a good, hearty SQUEEEEEEEEEZE!!! )

[righthandstand]

[His eyes bulge when he initially feels the pressure of her fingers again the sensitive skin and screams.]

HOLY FUCK!

[In an attempt to yank it out of her grip.]

[transect]

( the good doctor will release the arm of course, expression unchanged as they nod. )

I see, so this is what humans react to as 'fine.'

( perhaps all of their experiments on organic creatures truly weren't so ~inhumane~ after all. they'll make note of this for later. )

[righthandstand]

No! Shit! This ain't fine!

[He holds his forearm and rubs where he felt the pain.]

I can handle this myself!

[transect]

It looks like you've been handling it yourself quite well, so far. ( thats sarcasm, btw.
the doc turns around, going to one of the cabinets in the room and pulling something down from the shelves. )

Are you still adamant about not telling me what happened? It could be much less painful that way, you know. ( could be. but will it be? )

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu looks at his arm, then at the doctor.]

You're not gonna stab me with anything, are you?

[transect]

Of course not.

( rutile spins on a heel, brandishing a scalpel that once more shines in the light with the motion. )

Dissection requires a much lighter, slicing motion than that.

[righthandstand]

[This is what he feared. Okuyasu backs away slowly and reaches for the door frame with with non-burnt hand to feel for his exit the moment Rutile takes another step closer.]

[transect]

Unfortunately— ( they continue, looking a little too obviously disappointed... ) An injury like that won't require such skills.

( down goes the scalpel, as the other arm holding a tube of cream comes out from behind rutile's back. ) This will have to do. I'd advise you sit, so there's less mess.

[righthandstand]

[After that stunt with the scalpel, Okuyasu doesn't know what to trust. They could have a knife hidden in their sleeve that'll come out the second he gets closer.

But that cream does look like a good idea.]

Why can't I stand? [It will be easier to run.]

[transect]

Due to your earlier reactions I have every reason to believe you may faint at any moment during the treatment. ( because there's nothing wrong with rutile's behaviour, YOU'RE clearly the one over-reacting, my dude. )

It's a precaution, what kind of doctor would I be if I didn't take any?

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu can be too trusting. That is, if he has no reason to believe the other party will attempt to hurt him. He doesn't know shit about burns - he can get infected with some deadly disease and die, or he can risk getting a cool scar. Whatever.

He walks over to the bench and sits down, rolling up his sleeve. His attention is solely focused on the doc as before. Don't trust that person.]

B

[einspine]

[Likewise, Papyrus has limited exposure with non-monster type creatures. Frisk was his first real human encounter, so all the new faces are exciting! Not just for friendship purposes, although that is very important, but for science! For discovery!

Though he can't help but stop as they inspect someone a bit softer and fleshier.]

...Actually, humans are pretty soft! Almost as huggable as skeletons, in fact.

[He says, despite being made purely of bone. But in his defense, his labcoat is... slightly less bony.]

[transect]

( titling their head, rutile is standing straight again. they were much more familiar with exoskeletons to be truthful, but the curiosity cannot be sated! please forgive them, as the good doctor is leaning in towards you now, papryus, poking at where they might find a funny looking bone under that coat.

your humerus, that is. ) This seems to be a hardness of at least five. I can't say for certain without further testing. Certainly more durable than a human's outer layer.

( perhaps 'huggable' is a level of measurement they have yet to encounter, though. )

[einspine]

...hardness of five? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[He's squinting now and rubbing his bony chin. Surely, he'd at least be a ten! An eleven?]

Either way, I can assure you that I'm very hardcore! Perhaps even the hardest of cores... next to Undyne. And the actual CORE.

[transect]

About half-way. ( sorry skelebro, ten is the highest on the mohs scale, after all. )

However if you think that's true— ( about your extremely hard core, they mean— ) We can of course test by other means.

( all of a sudden rutile has pulled a hammer?? out from somewhere?? )

[einspine]

WHAT?!

[Oh god, SUDDENLY HAMMER?! Watch as Papyrus' once black eye sockets bulge into BIG, GOOGLY EYES. He did NOT see that coming.

But what to do? On one hand, he DID say he was the hardest of cores! If he backs down now, he might look significantly less cool! On the other hand, HAMMER. Skeletons are not for hammering!!!

...But he's seen bigger hammers. Undyne is rather fond of SLEDGE HAMMERS!!! And suplexing boulders. And making things explode in the lab. HE HAS LIVED THROUGH MANY!

And so, crazy as it may seem, Papyrus puffs out his chest, adjusts his goggles, and forces himself to grin despite the situation.]

Nyeh heh heh!!! I accept your challenge! For I'm far from a coward! Nor am I afraid of crucial scientific tools!!!

[There. A brilliant proclamation. A glorious recovery! All is well.

Maybe.]