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

Uendo Toneido | Ace Attorney

[whirluendo_of_puns]

[OOC note for clarity: Uendo has DID, aka multiple personalities. I'll be referring to each personality by their individual names and pronouns, but this isn't IC knowledge for other characters. From an outsider's perspective it just looks like Uendo behaving differently.]

B: Curti Center

[Even after his rescue from the Dream Width, Uendo still isn't entirely convinced he's not hallucinating the whole thing. Maybe he's finally cracked. Maybe the shock of what happened with Geiru and Shisho got to him and made him conjure up this elaborate fantasy. Wouldn't be the first time his head has resorted to baffling coping mechanisms.

Thankfully, all the years of having an entertainer's poise hammered into him are paying off. Uendo is able to keep his anxiety well out of sight, listening closely to the explanations of the Curti Center staff alongside other newcomers.]

Pardon me -- this is rather a lot to take in. It honestly feels as though I'm still dreaming.

[A beat.]

...Would that make this a Dream Widthin a dream?

[Speaking of coping mechanisms...]

C: Up in the Sky

[Uendo -- or rather, someone who looks and sounds like Uendo in all but his mannerisms -- is leaning precariously over the railing of the airship, watching in delight as the landscape passes below them.]

Hee hee! The ship really is flying! Look how high up we are!

['Patches, if you send us falling off the ship I swear I will find a way to throttle you before we hit the ground.'

The stern warning inside his head goes unheeded.]

F: Sidequests

[It seemed like such a simple thing. Signing up for a quest has to be better than just sitting around fretting all day, right? It's like a video game, except cooler!

Of course, "cooler" also comes with "actually dangerous". It starts to hit Uendo that he's out in the wilderness wielding a weapon he's never used before, looking for something small in the midst of monster-infested wood, with only a complete stranger there to back him up. Rakugo didn't train him for this.

It's not long before Kisegawa takes the wheel, shoving the unnerved Uendo in the metaphorical backseat. She tosses her ponytail back, unconcerned, before glancing at her companion.]

...So I'm guessing a Malboro Vine is, in fact, not meant for smoking, huh.

F

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie arches an eyebrow, then pinches the bridge of her nose. The sheer inanity of Uendo's statement was headache-inducing. "Why would you even... no. It's not for smoking. You'd probably die if you tried to get high off it. Anyways, we're trying to find a Malboro Pod, cut off a vine as proof, sell it for a tidy profit, then do the public a service by burning the thing to ash so it doesn't grow up to be a giant angry plant monster that eats adventurers like us. Are we clear, or do I have to explain it a third time?"

[whirluendo_of_puns]

"You can keep the condescending attitude to yourself, young lady."

It's not Connie's fault, truthfully. Although Kisegawa is technically aware of everything that happens while Uendo and Patches are out, she hasn't been paying much mind to the others' childish excitement over the idea of adventuring. In hindsight, she really should have. Maybe then she could have pointed out to them that a Malboro probably wasn't the same thing as Marlboro before it was too late to back out.

There's no way to explain any of that to Connie without giving them away, though. Looks like Kisegawa will just have to play along and clean up after the boys. Again.

"Let's get this over with, then. That clearing we got directed to is just up ahead, yes?"

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie wilts slightly at Uendo's reprimand. "Sorry. It just got, um, a little bit frustrating to hear you ramble on about how fun this was going to be when getting distracted like... you tend to do could get us killed out here. I'm glad you're taking this seriously now, at least. Anyways, um, yeah. Keep an eye out for decaying plants, Malboros are poisonous, so a Malboro Pod will probably have a negative impact on the environment."

She begins carefully stepping through the forest, eyes kept sharp for any sign of the Malboro Pod. In truth, she was about ready to throttle Uendo after hours of ceaseless jabbering on the way here. It was like sometimes he didn't realize that just stepping outside the city was inviting mortal peril. It was a miracle that they hadn't run into any marauding bands of monsters on the way to the forest, otherwise Connie would probably have ended up soloing the encounter while Uendo just obliviously walked past. At least he apparently had the capability to be serious, apparently. Connie just wished he exercised that ability more often.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

"Idle chatter is how I make my living, I'm afraid. I suppose I ought to tone it down before it turns into the opposite."

Luckily for both of their sanity, Kisegawa is nowhere near as talkative as her host. She's content to stay mostly silent as they proceed towards their destination, looking out for any signs of decay as Connie instructed. Taking orders from a kid is a bit much, but the girl seems sensible enough for someone so young. Certainly she's more mature than Patches.

After some time, Kisegawa comes to a halt and nods her head towards a cluster of trees. The bark looks rotten in odd places. "There. I'm no botanist, but that doesn't look right."

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie is incredibly grateful for Uendo's silence and newfound competence. It almost seemed like he was a different person when he was under pressure. She perks up when Uendo points out the dying grove, smiling for the first time during their arduous journey. "Good catch, Uendo! Now, keep a lookout for any-"

She's interrupted by three flaming sets of hovering red runes flying from seemingly out of nowhere and towards the duo. Mouth set in a grim line, Connie draws her gunblade, setting its bullets to Aqua mode. "What are red elementals even- you know what, never mind. Are you packing any water elemental spells?"

B

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu hadn't been feeling so well ever since waking up in the ship - Mikitaka was right all along and aliens are real. He can't ever go home and hang out with Josuke and Koichi or have coffee at the Higashikata household or eat dinner at Tonio's. What's a 16-year-old to do when his attempts at having a stable life are for nothing?

But at Uendo's comment, he's silent while everyone around him groans as he considers that pun.]

...Oh, I get it. That's pretty good.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

[Well, at least someone appreciates a good pun!]

Thanks! The way I see it, if I'm going to be stuck in a strange world for who knows how long, I'd rather make it the most fun and fulfilling ride possible. At least then I can truly say I'm living the dream, you know?

[Uendo, stop.]

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu hasn't been exposed to a lot of terrible puns, and he's getting a front-row show. Besides, it takes someone smart to think of one, why wouldn't he be amazed? Give him a few more days and he'll want to punch Uendo.]

You always wanted to live someplace with magic? I guess we all do, but... [He slumps over.] Man, it's gonna be so rough to start school all over again.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Even if it's a magical school? I know I'd gladly go back to the classroom if it was a magical one!

[He pauses to consider this further. Then his face falls a bit.]

Unless there's math involved. I'm not sure even magic could salvage math class.

[righthandstand]

I'd probably suck at magic class anyway.

[Confidence, Okuyasu does not have.]

But most of the math we learn in high school is pretty useless anyway. What does geometry have to do with payin' the bills?

Curti Center

[homelate]

[ A... dream within a dream? Sayori hasn't even been paying attention to what explanations the strangers were offering, nothing really clicked. Nothing made sense. All she could think is that she was off the ground-- and that wasn't because of the airship.

It's only with this man's fancy dress and abruptly direct address to her that she seems to be dragged back to reality. Too bad she doesn't notice the pun. She'd normally love that sort of thing. ]

I-- wh, huh!? Wait, does that mean we can wake up?

[ The words came out of her mouth, but Sayori's not sure if she's even capable of waking up. ]

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Now there's a good question! If this is a dream, then it only follows we should be able to wake up, right?

[Even Uendo isn't sure how seriously he's actually taking this line of thought. He's just making chatter for its own sake now, trying to find some humor in all this.]

For all we know, one good smack could be all it took to make everything vanish! It makes sense if you think about it, doesn't it?

[homelate]

[ Or the press of the right buttons. A world deconstructed is already something she's familiar with, but Sayori can't just admit that to someone she just met. ]

That's... well, I guess people have already tried pinching themselves. [ In truth, she was terrified of the prospect of returning to the screeching darkness. Again, things you can't just share. ] I think the people in charge would stop us though for being violent if we tried that!

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Hmm...

[Uendo thinks about this for a moment, then pulls back one sleeve and pinches his arm.

Ow. Guess that would have been too easy.]

Oh. Well, it was worth a try. [He lets the sleeve fall again, looking a little sheepish.] I'd try something more drastic, but you're probably right. I'd rather not get arrested by the dream police for assault.

[homelate]

We can try something else! But... I mean, I guess this isn't so bad?

[ Sayori's arms start flapping at her sides. Part of this is her playing up excitement, but she's not entirely lying either. ] I've never seen so many different people~ If this is a dream, it's one of those lucid ones! Actually feeling like we're in control and stuff, maybe we can have great adventures before we wake up!

What kind of person are you? An actor? I like your clothes!

Up in the Sky

[doudemoxxii]

W-w-what on Vaikuntha are you doing!?

[ Sakuya's half a second away from jumping toward them and grabbing Uendo's clothes to drag him back to a safe observation distance, but he's worried he'd accidentally be the cause of this poor man's death. He hates to ruin fun, but why do "fun" and "danger" have to be intertwined? Nope, nuh uh. He's not ready to be traumatized of air ships and imagining cheerful people casually falling off of them.

"Step away from the railing RIGHT NOW", in firm command are the words in his head, and what comes out... ]

Could... you step over here. ... Please?

[ And for the love of all that is holy please don't drag him to appreciate the view that he is clearly not enjoying as much as Uendo. ]

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Eh? [Patches looks over his shoulder, still casually leaning over the railing.] What, you talking to little old me?

[He's almost tempted to do something slightly dangerous, just to play a little joke on the stranger... but that might be just a teensy bit too cruel. The kid already looks like he might have a heart attack.

Laughing, the jester hops back onto the deck and shuffles over to where Sakuya is standing.]

Here I am! Is this good?

[doudemoxxii]

[ A sigh of relief. ]

Y-yes, thank you. Um... I think it would be pretty hard to cast healing spells on bodies that 'splat' on the ground, so please be more careful...

[ Maybe he could have worded that better, he really should just be doing Curti desk work instead of handling people... ]

Never... been this high up before?

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Ohhh... So no healers for splatters? Gotcha!

[He's learning so much about magic!]

Nope! Well, we have planes back home, but they just have you stay in your seat the whole flight. And the windows are too tiny! It's no fun at all!

[doudemoxxii]

Well, maybe some but... It would be, how you say... futile.

[ Tragically imagining a pile that they try to heal while all in a circle, White Mages must have a hard life. ]

I... guess I can see why you're excited then for this free space and movement, but heights are kind of scary. I guess you're one of those daring types?

[ He actually envies that a little, there's no malice in his voice. ]

c, if you're okay with one more loser!

[piume]

[ Having been put in charge of assisting the confused newcomers, the least Lean can do is to make sure that none of them actually falls to their death before even picking up their first Job. Carefully reaching out (so as not to distract him further), he tries to grab onto whatever piece of Uendo's clothing comes first - a collar, a belt, or even the hem of his coat will work - before pulling him away from the railing and into the safety of the ship. ]

Soon, you'll be able to see it all up close, so contain your excitement.

[ He gives the guy another glance-over. A weak warning like that might not cut it. ]

... The moogles will not be able to catch you if you fall, you know.

Of course!

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Awww... But the view is so great from up here...

[Patches whines as he's pulled back by his haori, but doesn't resist otherwise. He does generally respond to a voice of authority... even if the response isn't always what the authority wants to hear.]

Oh, I know! What if there was a flock of moogles? All hanging onto my clothes and flying through the air with their little wings?

[He flaps his sleeves by way of demonstration, beaming.]

Yay!

[piume]

[ That's a... legitimately valid question that has Lean pause for a moment. He sizes Uendo up and down a couple of times before holding up his hand to count something on his fingers. ]

... Ten. It would take at least ten moogles.

[ Hm. ]

Or eleven, if you want to be on the safe side. I would even suggest twelve, personally.

[ There's always the one who forgets who catch you, or is too busy holding onto another moogle instead. Wait, why is he even considering this entirely theoretical scenario? ]

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Hmm, hmm, I see! Twelve, huh...

[There is a dangerous sparkle in Patches' eye.]

So I just gotta find some moogles and ask them for help! Oh, but how to convince them? Hmmmmmm...

[He tilts his head this way and that, deep in thought.]

Hey, do you know if there's anything moogles like?