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

[studdedcouncilprez]

[Fortunately...]

[She's very good at keeping her rage suppressed. And besides, she's just happy to meet somebody of the Phantom Thieves, let alone, well... him. In actual truth, she's... well... pleased. Although it may be uncharacteristic of her, she is going to reach up and touch his face. Because if this was an Akira-ghost or some weird cognition, she would probably freak.]

[Fortunately its flesh and blood. For both their sakes.]

Its you! You're... alive!

...

This is starting to become a bad habit, you know. You really should stop doing it.

[That's as close to a Makoto joke as she's really capable of tbh.]

[jocoeur]

( he lowers his arms at the same time she reaches for his face, wondering if she'll pull on his cheeks like some kind of comical clay-mation. but it's not as bad as that, and when she's satisfied, he'll readjust his glasses... )

Shouldn't the student council president be advising her pupils to stick with what they're good at? ( is it a better joke than her attempt? not really, but there's a smile waiting for her with that, one that softens as he adds— )

Sorry if I made you worry.

( he didn't want to get into the habit of that... really. )

[studdedcouncilprez]

[There's a brief flare of anger at that.] Not when its that, you jerk! [She does calm down though after seeing his concern. Really, you're going to give her an ulcer at this rate...]

[But if he's here, shouldn't that mean--]

O-Oh! If you're here, doesn't that mean there's a good chance that the others made it? Have you seen any of them? Morgana? Ann? Yusuke...

...Sis...

[Her worry becomes all the more apparent at the last. She leans in closer still, hopeful that he would be able to put her fears to bed.]

Please... I must know!

[jocoeur]

( at her steam of questions, akira falls silent. one of the corners of his mouth seems to dig in slightly, with an unhappy shake of his head. he hadn't seen any of those people, let alone sae niijima. though that last one... might have been good news, depending on where he stood. )

You're the first one I've seen. ( and then— ) I thought I was alone.

[studdedcouncilprez]

[She sees the pain in his face and suddenly she feels ashamed of herself. I mean, shoot, she's supposed to be his senpai, right? As soon as she had that thought she straightened up and leaned nearer.]

I'm... sure they're okay. [She put on a brave face.]

I mean... we've faced death how many times now? I'm sure... they're just waiting for us to lower our guard and walk in on us when we least expect it.

And hopefully its Ryuji first, because I think Ann would kill him if he was last to show again. [She smiles, but WOW is it a forced one.]

[jocoeur]

( he pauses, watching her— then finally breaking into a cheerful, curt chuckle. makoto was trying hard, right? he had no desire to see her efforts go unrewarded, and so he answered her force smile with a more beaming one— and offering a thumbs up. )

You say that like Ryuji would remember the consequences from last time. ( it's hard not to feel this warmth when he was talking about his friends... all of them. )

They'll be okay. Or else... maybe we might be the ones facing the consequences? Heh. ( it was a joke. but if it meant knowing everyone was safe and sound... he'd have gladly accepted them. )

[studdedcouncilprez]

[She's still worried--the small furrows in her eyes are definitely present--but having Akira here was definitely a comforting presence in the chaos that was this new place.]

[And he's right. What would any of them say if they caught her fretting like this? Ann would try to encourage them. Haru would press them to think for themselves. Ryuji would joke and laugh it off. Morgana would chide them. Futaba would say her witty statements. And Yusuke... would help. Probably.]

You're right. From what I've been hearing there's a lot people don't know about the Dream Width. If anything, we've got our work cut out for us.

[She folded her legs and waved her pamphlet at Akira.] And have you been doing your homework too? Though I may have a guess of what jobs caught your interest, Mr. Thief.