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

A

[nyxmare]

Whatever circumstances that led Nyx to this particular location were currently on the back burner. This certainly wasn't any form of an afterlife or at least like any he had been told growing up or promised when listening to preachers over the years on city streets.

Rather unfortunate, if he had to admit. Nyx struggled to believe in the all warmth and happiness of an afterlife filled with embraces from lost loved ones due to a more practical mindset but it was impossible to deny that there could -- no, SHOULD be something. Everlasting peace maybe?

Who knew. He worked too hard in life to be handed this shit as a reward.

Regardless, this wasn't exactly the venue for existential thoughts about gods and afterlives.

Separating from the general group as he needed to get his head in check led him to finding a large heap of feathers. Monsters weren't a positive but the face of frightened children was something Nyx couldn't pass over regardless of species.

He shrugs out of his Glaive coat which still bore the marks of battle but it was all he had. He approaches the harpy, kneeling down to offer the coat out.

"You're cold. Take it. It looks like shit but it's still warm."

[chosennobody]

The afterlife was not the thought Roxas had for this place, but he'd been displaced once before. It was far from as jarring as it had been the first time, though he was waiting for the other shoe to drop still.

A man approaching him was not a good sign, in the harpy's mind, but he remained still and watched with only his eyes, keeping his head still. He did finally turn his head toward the much larger man very slowly as he offered the jacket. The doubt and confusion was clear on his face as he looked at the article of clothing for a moment, then the man.

"Uh... thanks," he muttered, slowly unfurling one wing to reach out and take the coat with the claw-like fingers at the joint. He gripped it and flicked it expertly over his shoulders, though there was no way he'd get his wings into the sleeves. The cover it provided was better than nothing, and the article of clothing already being warm offered some instant relief.

He eyed the human, trying do discern his motives before deciding to just ask. "What do you want?" It came out a bit harsher than he'd intended, but forgive him for being disgruntled.

[nyxmare]

Nyx didn't expect the coat to do much good besides some light relief. At least it was something, and clearly the harpy felt the same way. It also provided Nyx the opportunity to get a better look beyond the feathers. The boy didn't look like a daemon. Didn't act much like one either.

"Nothing."

He shifts his weight to sit down, giving the harpy some space.

"It seems we're both here against our will and neither of us are overly content about it. So, shared experiences and the like."

Nyx was positioned to have the best view of the room. He didn't know where he was and that was uncomfortable. He also had no way of getting off this airship which made things even worse.

[chosennobody]

Beyond the feathers was human skin and a tired young man, definitely not a daemon despite the non-human aspects. Even the Arachne didn't look this close to normal.

Another person might have insisted that no one gives something for nothing, but despite everything Roxas had been through he still kept his faith in the goodness of people deep down. Some people in Ryslig had been selfless too, and they made everything just a little more bearable.

"Yeah, well... this isn't the first time," the harpy admitted, also shifting to sit rather than remain perched on his feet in a crouched position, though his legs remained curled close to his body. "For me, I mean."

[nyxmare]

If Nyx wanted anything he doubted the boy would have been able to provide it. The unfortunate fact was that what he needed was information and it was clear this one wouldn't have the information he needed. Alas, they would be enveloped in a cloud of confusion for the time being.

Or, actually it seemed the harpy at least had some experience in situations of this type.

"It isn't..? It is for me, but I think that's pretty obvious. You're probably even more disoriented than I am."

He rests his arm across his bent knee, peering at it. He turns his hand slowly. The last time he'd seen his arm it was disintegrating into ash and his mind was failing with it.

"Since you hold more experience I would need to defer to you. What should I be expecting in a situation such as this?"

[chosennobody]

Roxas couldn't help but notice Nyx examining himself, and he watched him curiously as he moved, but made no comment on the action.

"I don't know about this place," he admitted. "Last time I woke up in a sea cave and was attacked by huge monsters. And then I turned into a monster." He made a small gesture toward his body as it was with the claws of one hand/wing.

"If we're lucky this place is the exact opposite of that place," he sighed, looking to his own arms with mild disinterest as if Nyx reminded him they were there but he didn't care too much. "Seems like we can travel more, and no one has come in to tell us we're at the will of some god or another, so it's a good start."

[nyxmare]

"Ah," He makes motion with his hand, indicating the feathers and claws. "So this isn't normal for you."

Technically then the boy wasn't a harpy. Just appeared as one. At least there weren't going to be vast species disparities in experience that would lead to awkward social faux pas.

"The exact opposite? Well, I haven't felt any real threat yet nor am I changing shape." Which was kind of a daemon like thing to occur, bringing about a bit of confusion.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this were the will of gods since I've had some experience with gods and god-like figures making decisions that leave human beings holding the bag."

Resentful? No, of course not. Why would Nyx feel any form of resentment?

[chosennobody]

"No, not really," he sighed, huddling into the coat a little more. Ironically he'd learned to be human when he was a monster, but that was a completely different subject for another time.

"The changing shape didn't happen at first, or even all at once. I think it took... four months?" He tried to recall, glancing up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Just bit by bit." And it had hurt like a bitch and came with the unfortunate side effect of craving human flesh for dinner on a regular basis, but the former nobody felt that might be something they could exclude from conversation for now.

He did, however, perk up a bit when Nyx got salty. "Yeah, my experience too. They like to fuck us over for their own pleasure, or games, or whims, or to fight their wars."

[nyxmare]

Well, there was a topic that Nyx could follow without feeling slightly nauseous at the idea of one's body sprouting feathers. Certain mental images were just not overly welcomed and oddly, that was one of them.

"The Astrals are essentially why everything is happening, technically. No, not technically. It's.."

He actually feels himself laugh, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Why did it seem funny to him now?

"Gods and dead kings. Somehow it's them that get to decide what happens now in our world, as if it's just a chess game gone wrong."

[chosennobody]

"The Astrals were the gods of your world?" he ventured to guess, tilting his head slightly to one side to regard Nyx. They seemed to share sentiments, and that made Roxas feel just a bit more comfortable with the human.

"We're probably here because of the gods of this world," he shrugged. "In the last place, two gods needed outsiders to fight against each other in their names, so they drew people in and molded them to fit their needs."

The harpy paused, tapping one sharp toe claw on the metal floor thoughtfully. "I can't say I know anything about dead kings..."

[nyxmare]

"They are, but they're hands off for the most part."

The Astrals seemed like something to pray too but otherwise seemed rather disengaged unless it was to cause problems for people that were of higher station than Nyx was.

"At the very least I have experience with that type of existence." Considering he'd been a member of the Kingsglaive for such a large portion of his life. "Though if it's the same case here I would hope for a more noble goal than celestial bickering."

He sighs through his nose, leaning his head back against the wall of the ship. He was supposed to be dead. At peace, so to speak. Should he feel thankful for this extension on his life or irritated? He supposed it entirely depended on the purpose.

[chosennobody]

"Lucky you." Which was a weird thing to say for someone whose home "world" didn't appear to have any gods. Well, the Olympians aside, but... did they count? Hades was a dick but that was the extent of it. He'd never enslaved people that Roxas knew of. Not like the Fog and Fourth gods.

"Hope all you want, I guess only time will tell," he agreed, shifting to curl his legs under himself a bit. He was caught glancing at the coat over his shoulders, studying it a second before speaking again. "You're a fighter, huh?"

[nyxmare]

That was true. Time was all that could bring answers at this point, unless someone walked in and explained everything in excruciating detail. Considering people enjoyed their secrets and mysteries he doubted that it would happen any time soon. So time it was.

"I am. Was..?"

Was the past tense the correct tense? The last he knew he had died thus creating the need for past tense. Now he was alive and breathing. This was going to be a confusing transition.

"I guess I'm going to have to at least find a new coat. Or get it repaired." His head had turned to look at it. Plenty of damage but it was repairable. Possibly, anyway. "Are sleeveless coats in? I could go that route."