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]

[The temptation to try and catch Shifty in their lie, in trying to give Chara a name they KNOW is wrong - they saw it, saw it hovering over you like it did anyone else - is very strong. Multiplied with how annoyed and angry Chara is to even be here.

But it's true. There's too much that doesn't add up. The clothes, for one thing, weren't what the other child had been rocking when they'd headed up to the judgment hall. In fact, they didn't look like anything you'd been wearing up to this point. What happened?

Did a load screw up?

Did you do this?

No. That isn't fair. Even Chara can tell that isn't fair. Just reloading shouldn't do something like this.

Should it?

Well. Can't focus on it too long. time to pretend things are just fine and dandy. Chara slouches a little, hands going into the pockets of their hoodie as they smile back at Frisk.]

Hey, stop it. I bet you say that every time you look into a mirror too. It's what I'd say if I saw you.

[And they wink.

The flirting, at least, is very familiar.]

[sassafrisk]

Frisk blushes furiously, scrambling for a counterattack. Now it was on. "Y-you're too kind! Why, if I looked into a mirror and saw your face every day, I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from such beauty!"

[4got10]

[Ha. Alright, this is fun, a little. Chara supposed it could be considered payback for calling them cute in front of Asriel back in Snowdin, but then again, this isn't even their Shifty apparently. Or 'Frisk'. Whichever name they were going by.

It means they probably shouldn't let their guard down around them either. After all. They have no idea who this version actually is.

Who knows what their LV might be.]

Guess I'd have to tear you away so you could look at the actual me, instead.

[But this is still fun. There's time for japes, at least. They can imagine 'Frisk' is like Shifty.

And japing like this will make it easier to keep an eye on them.]

[sassafrisk]

"I- I-" Frisk has no comeback for that. They begin laughing uproariously. "Okay, okay. I admit defeat." Taking an exaggerated bow, Frisk says, "I acknowledge your superiority in the ancient and very, very serious art of flirt-fu. It appears I still have much to learn, sensei."

[4got10]

[Alright. Chara laughs, just a little. A small snerking sound at first, before a short bit of laughter. Definitely Shifty, even if they're saying they have a different name for some reason.]

Sure, but first thing, grasshopper, is finding out where we are. It's sure not the Underground.

[You at least know Underground, right?

It can't be that things are THAT different.]

[sassafrisk]

Frisk purses their lips. "Yeah. I mean, at least up here I don't have to watch out for ridiculous Space Jam vomit traps or any of Undyne's other elaborate ways to kill and/or demoralize me, but I have-" their eyes widen. "Woah woah woah. Hold on for just a second. You're from the Underground? How long have you even been hiding down there? If you've got some super secret cool magic that lets you hide from a bajillion cameras at once, clue me in, because without an angry, unstable fish breathing down my neck all the time it would be a lot easier to get to New Home." The pause. "Wait, how do you even know I fell- oh, wait. Mettaton probably spammed the networks with promos for his shows with me. Yeah, that scans."

[4got10]

[Good. They're on that same page, then. And it is you. ...They think.]

You caught me. I'm unfilmable!

[Mettaton....that's. Interesting. He'd heard about him before, but never MET Mettaton...]

That, and mom and dad tend to keep me away from Undyne. Even if she did catch me, she'd listen to dad about leaving me alone. Probably.

[sassafrisk]

Frisk opens their mouth to ask about the kind, brave, and probably immensely idiotic monsters who'd taken Chara in, but then Chara's name clicks. "...ooookay. So, um. This is an awkward question, but... are you the same Chara that, uh, killed themself to give up their soul to the old prince--I forget his name--crossed the barrier, with the plan of. Um. Harvesting six human SOULs themself to free monsterkind?"

[4got10]

No.

[The word comes out the same moment Chara’s demeanor changes. What is this? What kind of question is that to even ask. What are you even insinuating?

Are you mocking them?]

My mom is the Captain of the Guards. My dad is the Royal Scientist. My brother Asriel and I are the guards in Snowden.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

I haven’t hurt anyone.

[sassafrisk]

"Oooookay. Since I'm pretty certain that Undyne and Alphys aren't married--yet, at any rate--then we might be dealing with some pretty freaky stuff here." Frisk purses their lips. "Okay. So Papyrus showed me some pretty neat stuff at his lab in Snowdin. Including proof that other timelines exist. So, I'm getting the feeling that we're in some comic book crisis crossover territory. I'm getting the feeling I'm the one from the dark universe where some alien overlord conquered the planet or something," they joke weakly.

[4got10]

...Heh. Maybe.

[...Alright. You are too sincere to have meant offense at that.]

If we’re going to be that open, mirror, I’ve got a question.

Can you still SAVE and LOAD?

[sassafrisk]

Frisk slaps their forehead. "Right! Well, it's been nice talking to you, but I've gotta go. A whole race to free, angry fish ladies to annoy, all of that heroic stuff." They close their eyes for a moment, then they snap wide open again.

"Oh, crap." They shake their head. "Okay, okay. Flukes are a thing that exist. I'll be fine. Everything's fine." Frisk tries again. And again.

They slump against the wall of the ship. "Continuing the comic book metaphor, it looks like whatever this place is acts like kryptonite for me. Hopefully not the gold kind."

[4got10]

[And the more Frisk tries, the more Chara’s fist clenched. They didn’t even do amything, and they were trying to run from them.

Why was it them they kept resetting in front of? What had they done? Why?

Once Frisk finishes, Chara just stares at them, blankly.]

If you want someone to leave, it’s a lot nicer to just ask them to, partner.

[sassafrisk]

Frisk looks shocked. "Wait, what? No! No, no, no!" They shake their head vehemently, scowling. "Look. It's not that I don't enjoy your company! You're really challenging me to up my flirting game, after all. It's not often I meet a fellow master. Anyways, it's just..." Frisk sighs. "Look. Me and Papyrus and-" They stop themself before they say Flowey's name. It would be a major jerk move to just casually reveal his presence to any old schmuck, passing "resemblance" to Captain Cryptic aside.

"Well, me and Papyrus have this... plan to free the Underground. And they- he can't do it without somebody to distract Queen Toriel for long enough to grab the six SOULs. There are people counting on us! As nice as you are, I can't just abandon them to frolic on some grand ol' adventure in another world when the monsters are still trapped Underground! Not that I have much of a choice now, though." They sigh, holding their head in their hands. "...okay. Yeah. That totally made me sound like a jerkwad, didn't it?"

[4got10]

[...Oh. Chara’s eyebrows raise just a little at that.]

You didn’t try until just now?

[At hearing their plan, though...]

What can you even plan to do with the six SOULS? Without giving them to a powerful monster, you can’t break the barrier.

[sassafrisk]

"I... don't really? Know?" Frisk shrugs. "We're kind of taking it on faith, but we have no reason not to trust him." Frisk claps their hands over their mouth. "Um. Could you forget I said that last bit, please?"

[4got10]

....The flower.

...Boogie has a plan?

[sassafrisk]

"Boogie? His name is Flow-" Frisk chuckles nervously. "What are you talking about there are no sentient flowers in the Underground everything is fine there is no war in Ba Sing Se I plead the fifth."