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

[4got10]

[It's funny. Chara could imagine Asriel, at a particularly excited time, talking a lot like this. It would be so easy to put up with it from Asriel, but it comes off so fake, so false, when it's from a human. Chara takes a quick glance at Connie at first, looking for a reading on the girl. Her name, her EXP, her LV.

Nothing. No numbers, no readout, just like everyone else Chara had tried it on here. It's frightening annoying.

Chara turns around fully, smiling.]

That's what space is, isn't it? A big black sea for stars.

[The words 'interdimensional void' do not help at all either. Makes Chara's heart sink, just as much as they play dumb on it.]

So are you from here? The ship I mean, not the void.

[Do you know why they're here? Are you responsible for dragging them here?]

[conniemaheswaran]

"No. I'm... honestly a bit freaked out by all this." Connie gestures towards the chattering mass of people behind her. "I mean, I have no idea how I got here, what this place, um, is, and every second I'm here is another second that the, the Diamond Authority could decide to check Earth off their to-do list and there's nothing I could do to stop them!" She chuckles awkwardly. "...sorry. You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? I'm just... worried."

[4got10]

[Chara supposes there should be empathy for seeing another child worry like this. Deep down, they have a little concern for the girl. But only a little.

It wasn't like much concern was every shown towards them, at least when it came to humans.]

No clue.

[They say good naturedly, still a bit helplessly. Chara has no idea what a Diamond Authority is, but checking Earth off their 'to do list' sounds reasonably bad. Still not their problem. For now.]

Sounds like we have a mystery. If you want, we could look around to find someone. There has to be someone who knows what's going on.

[conniemaheswaran]

"Yeah. Good, um, good idea." She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, I'm not usually this awkward. Well, at least nowadays. This whole... situation has thrown me just a teensy weensy bit off balance."

[4got10]

[Sure it has. A part of Chara wants to feel for Connie, but it's hard to. Uncertain to, if this isn't some kind of trick on the girl's part. And, even if not on the girl's part, unknowingly helping adult humans.

Still. Going it with someone else is better than entirely alone. Better with someone more frightened and frustrated then they themselves are, as well.]

Let's just say I know what it's like to fall into a different world. I get it.

Still, this place can't be abandoned, or everyone just clueless. Someone will know something.

[They'll let you go first as they walk, Connie. No way are they letting a stranger at their back.]

[conniemaheswaran]

"Yeah. I think I saw a few crewmembers, but they were too busy being mobbed by other people. Maybe we can find one and get some answers?" Connie suggests, moving through the crowd. She slaps her forehead. "I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Connie."

[4got10]

[Chara trails just a foot behind Connie, keeping a short, paranoid distance behind the girl. Enough to be close, but enough to back away if she turns on them.

Chara gets the feeling more and more that Connie isn't dangerous. But with humans, you never know.]

I'm Chara.

I haven't checked around the...void ship much. Are most the people here people? I mean, like us.

[conniemaheswaran]

"By and large, yeah." Connie expertly dodges a hurrying passenger with precision that Chara would recognize could only come from years of training in some highly athletic discipline. "I saw a skeleton and a dragon wandering around, I think, and there are a bunch of these weird cat... bear... things, but it's mostly humans."

[4got10]

[Those are some nice moves, and they immediately make Chara suspicious of Connie. Someone this young shouldn't naturally have that kind of training, and in their mind Chara immediately associates it with something dangerous.

It doesn't help to know that there's so many humans here, too. They'll have to stay on guard.]

Full house then, I guess. It's been a long time since I've really been around people.

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah. I, um... this is pretty weird for me too. For a, uh, a lot of reasons. Not just the fact that we're in some huge interdimensional void in a mysterious ship with people in a bunch of different period clothes but apparently all speak English and I have no idea how Steven or the Gems are doing and I'm going to shut up for a bit before I work myself up into an anxiety attack."

Taking a few deep breaths, Connie continues. "Yeah. Um, I was actually a lot less... awkward a few days ago. It's just, um. This situation's kinda. Thrown me off balance."