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

Who doesn't play it to yell at Snow?

[dreamsoftomorrow]

"It's not that I want to ignore it," Hope protested with a laugh. "It's more like... I can't decide between option 1 and option 2 so... I'll make a third option."

Although, he supposed, there was more than just two options of magic here. There were several, which made it doubly harder for him to choose. So, why not go for an entirely different option and learn something new instead? He may be good at magic, but it was his world's magic. This world's magic was a whole different system even the spells had the same name. He was started at level one either way.

While the bombastic showiness of Hunk was a little weird to Hope, that wasn't what made him tilt his head quizzically at the yellow paladin. He just had no idea what the joke was or that this was a party invite. "Uh... Pardon?"

Look, video games aren't really a thing for him. Being from a video game and all

No matter what they expect going in, everyone leaves screaming at Snow.

[chefbayardee]

The jokester's gambit failed, it failed! His internal monologue shouted to abort, to deflect, to act like it never happened, but that just wouldn't fly. So against every fiber of his anxious tendencies, he continued. He decided to explain the joke.

"You said you wouldn't trust yourself near monsters unless you had a party. Parties have cake." Hunk paused a beat, staring expectantly at Hope with a grin on his face. "So you can be in an adventuring party with me if you want! You know stuff about magic, about animals, and summons. You'd be a huge help whether you went with Chemist or a magic class or whatever else." Just not Gourmand, you need to save whatever innocence is left, Hope.

Hunk laughs and rolls his eyes. "That is, unless you don't want to fight alongside a Paladin of Voltron? People across an entire universe would kill for that chance!"

Which seems par for the course!

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Hope was about to ask if bringing cake would be more monsters going after them, but he was realizing that he was letting a joke go way over his head at this point. He picked up on that much, at least! Hope laughed and shook his head.

"I don't know much about Paladins of Voltron, remember? I think I would like to party up with you regardless of what you were, anyway. You're very nice, Hunk. And I can tell you'd watch my back, even though we only just met."

I figure one day I might play FF13-3, see how it ends, scream at Snow. Maybe. 13-2 was... ew.

[chefbayardee]

Hunk's eyes rolled because while Hope seemed like a good enough kid, he seemed to have trouble rolling with things. Granted, the Paladin remembered, so did he. Sometimes he still does! So as the eyes returned to a neutral state, the smile was as present as always.

"You don't have to know much about the Paladins or Voltron. Just like I don't have to know much about the l'Cie or magic or Eidolons," Hunk shrugs, and shakes his head. "I mean, we trust each other enough to talk about our worlds and what we've been through, so we can definitely trust each other in a fight. See," he pauses, stifling a laugh, "the other Paladins and I didn't all trust or like each other at first, and we've done some great things."

Hunk shrugs, shaking his head faux-judgmentally. "I mean if the Paladins can work that well despite being rough, that means us and anyone else we work with would probably have a bit of an advantage!"

Excuse u, 13-2 gave me *adult Hope*, the greatest thing ever???

[dreamsoftomorrow]

He's trying!! Hope even huffed at the eye-rolling! He is trying, okay? But even this is a little much for him, l'Cie experiences aside. But as Hunk spoke, he did see the point in his words. Even if he still crossed his arms, a little bit indignant.

"I understand," He said. "I never met the others before we became l'Cie. So I didn't know who to trust."

He just followed Lightning because... well, he wasn't too sure anymore. She seemed the most capable and just as hell bent on revenge at the time as he was. And they'd changed over the course of their journey, changing their goal and she had become a lot more than just someone to follow. She was a friend.

"But being in the same boat as others... it does bring people together in ways that one doesn't expect. What I mean is... yes, you can bring the cake to the party."

Hope/Alyssa should've been the main characters instead of Serah/Noel, they were so much better.

[chefbayardee]

"Whoo-hoo!" Hunk literally jumps for joy, shaking their neck of the airship a little when his feet reconnect with the floor. And in a movement a bit more fluid than expected for this goofball, he slides over next to Hope and wraps an arm around him, pulling him into a side-hug as he points out the window.

"We're gonna have some great adventures, Hope!" A beat causes the glee to erode, to shift to a look and tone of concern and uncertainty. "You... you're a kid, so are you gonna go to school? That might make things trickier..."

And then he shifts his posture out of the hug, laughing with more calm than confusion. "But it's not like we'd be attached at the hip or something. So standing offer, whenever you want to put yourself in harm's way."

I actually didn't mind them! But I definitely would have preferred Hope and Alyssa :3

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Hope stepped back a little at the sudden jump for joy, but is then pulled into a side-hug. He followed the pointed finger out the window and, there was no stopping it, he was smiling. "I might be going to school, yeah. I'm... not sure yet?"

He shrugged with a helpless smile on his face. He really wasn't. It'd be a shame not to continue his studies and learn more about this world. But there was also a lot to explore! How did he balance the two?

"Depending on how long this whole... thing is, I have time," He grabbed his back to pull out his slate. He opened up his friend's list and went to search for Hunk. He only had one other friend on here, Tidus. "I'm staying with another person I met, he's a Blitzer. But I wanted to see what else was out here before I settled. May as well keep track of everyone I meet! And... there! Found you and added you."

He smiled brighter and showed Hunk.

All four of them in one party (plus some monsters) would've been AMAZING.

[chefbayardee]

Hunk takes in Hope's words, and can't help but mirror Hope's smile with a smirk. He felt the faint vibration of his slate pinging with the friend request, and didn't even see the need to check it went through. His smirk then turned more and more into a toothy grin as he started talking in response. "Y'know, Hope, I uh... I might be Team Voltron's chief mechanic. And I might be a competent engineer. And I might have picked up Magitek Knight so I can figure out Vaikunthan tech." At this point he's grinning ear-to-ear, with the most shit-eating cheeky grin possible. "So I miiiight be able to tutor you. You know, if you wanted." Not like Hunk would mind, honestly.

He shrugged, intentionally making it as played-up and comically large a gesture as he can. "All you have to do is tell me what in the world a blitzer is. That sounds incredibly unsafe." But he's morbidly curious.

Right? Weh.

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Hope laughed and shrugged. "I don't... really know? Tidus said it's actually a sport on his world too, it's called Blitzball. It's an underwater sport, I guess? I saw it once and didn't quite understand it, aside from the fact that they must have really good lungs to hold their breath for that long."

But a tutor in engineering? That pinged Hope's nerd senses to its core. He was no real mechanic himself, and he really had no idea what he wanted to study. Chemistry was its own ball game too, if that's what Chemists do anyway. It sounded like it was. Mixing compounds to create things like potions and whatnot.

"So, you're a chef and a mechanic?" He said with a soft smile. "Guess I shouldn't find that odd. I also picked up Summoner, for the chance to maybe see Alexander again."

Even if it might not be the same Alexander.

[chefbayardee]

Hunk's face lit up at "underwater sport" because that sounded interesting, but the look faded to sheer disappointment at the mention of holding their breath for long periods. Hunk was... in no way confident in that, sometimes he could barely hold his lunch! But the mention of wanting to see Alexander again brought back the warm and compassion from Hunk.

"Hey, you'll see him again. He shows up when you need him to, so you must be doing pretty okay." Another smile, though it slips into a jokesy smirk after a few moments. "And since you asked, I am a chef and a mechanic." And like a soldier, a Paladin, a leg... "Cooking is basically just engineering and chemistry, if you think about it!"