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

[acceptedlife]

[Ira blinks, honestly not expecting someone to speak up, but, well. His own magic was muted again, and with it, his full ability to sense others around him. Though if he minds the sudden company, he certainly doesn't seem to show it. Probably because it's one of the few times he's been in a decent mood since they arrived.]

My mother, actually. [He glances over to the stranger, before looking back to the city on the horizon.] Pretty sure it was named after her, like some lake on the other side of the world was after me.

[regalblaze]

[Ignis usually wouldn't be the one to strike up a conversation with strangers. However, it seemed like a good thing to do while waiting for the ship to land.

But- that piqued Ignis' interest. A town named after his mother? And a lake named after him? This is too peculiar. Is he-]

Are you the native resident of this place?

[Goodbye tact.]

[acceptedlife]

Me? Nah. [He shakes his head.] Not really from anywhere.

[Not anywhere that still exists, anyway. And he didn't exactly get to either return to the Tower or to his mother's home after they saved the world they met on. Though this stranger doesn't need to know that. So instead, he focuses on why he thinks that.]

It's just too much of a coincidence. Maybe one or two, but I recognized every name... Nakagawa in particular, considering it's our family name.

[regalblaze]

[Not from 'anywhere'? What does that even mean? Maybe his home was destroyed so he was brought here? Those are questions that Ignis can't possibly ask, especially when he sees the expression on his face. There were plenty of people back at the Crown City that he heard say 'I'm not from anywhere'- the people that moved in after disaster struck their lands. It is a difficult topic to talk about and Ignis will not press it.

Still- to think that the town and lake are dedicated to them despite not being around here is a bit farfetched in Ignis' opinion.]

I don't like being the bringer of a bad mood with my questions,[he says that but he always is with his rational thoughts,] but how do you know that if you are not from here?

[acceptedlife]

[It means exactly what Ignis thinks it means. His home was destroyed, probably beyond saving. Despite how much it makes his fledgling heart ache. There's nothing he can do about it, and that's that. Especially when he's stuck here.]

You heard the legend, right? Of a world cursed by an endless cycle of life and death?

[He pauses, lowering his voice so that, over the winds and sound of the airship's engines, only this stranger would hear. He doubted any native would believe it, but...]

While the story here's not entirely accurate, I- was there when the cycle ended. So was the family I found there, in Crystallis.

[regalblaze]

[The frown that etched into Ignis' features should tell him that he has no clue about the legend. Any legend. The only thing he's ever heard about in his life was the prophecy of One True King, ascending and saving the Star from night eternal.

...the destiny of his King. A destiny that, in Ignis' opinion, was so unfair that Astrals are weeping. Or, at least, the Astrals that do have a sense of compassion.

He listens carefully and quietly, not wanting to lose the bits of the story over the sound of ship's engine.]

The cycle... ended... [Would that mean that everyone and everything died?] Do you mind if I ask what is Crystallis?

[acceptedlife]

[Ah, so he didn't. Well, it doesn't really matter, and he doesn't really mind. So, he shrugs, before motioning that he could just take a step closer. So it's easier to hear.]

Crystallis... was a lot like Vaikuntha. [He starts, resting both hands on the railing.] A nexus world that drew others in, only we awoke planet-side instead of some ship. Unless you got really unlucky at the end, anyway. Most of us inside Aqures Ixen, the city that took the displaced in, by a large object known as the Crystal of Fire before things escalated.

[regalblaze]

[Ignis does step closer, his eyes flickering between the sight of the town in front of him and the guy's face. Trying to take all of that new information in is a task. Most of the terminology and places Ignis has never heard about, but it is not difficult to understand those bad things happened. Especially with words 'displace'.

After a moment of pondering, Ignis asks-]

Things escalated... [That doesn't sound good.] Do you think that this Star would face an end of the cycle as well?

[acceptedlife]

Well, we were summoned on purpose to stop the impending apocalypse then. Here, though?

[He heaves an agitated sigh.] I doubt it's the same, considering no one seems to know the hell's going on.

[He loathes not having a sense of direction; feels too much like a trap of complacency. Yet he isn't sure if his instincts are on point or if it's his restlessness and paranoia.]

[regalblaze]

[Ignis is silent for several moments, trying to comprehend everything he found out right now. There was a world before, somewhere, where it faced the apocalypse. And now, they were pulled into a similar world but without anyone knowing why.]

Not knowing is the most dangerous thing that exists. [Ignis says, more to himself than the man next to him. It makes him think of Noct. If they keep on going like this, without getting any information, they might get blindsided and endangered. Which could lead to things Ignis doesn't even want to think about.]

Thank you. For sharing this with me. You didn't have to. [But he appreciates it.]

[acceptedlife]

[Ira lets him have those few moments to absorb what he just said. Honestly, he's wondering if he should have said more, but with very little else to go on... He doesn't want to cause too much problems just because of his own hangups.]

Yeah, no kidding. [He sticks his hands in his pockets, staring out at the distance. Wondering what his mother or Mary would do in a situation like this. And while he doesn't know what's going on in the other's head, he can't help but notice the look in his eyes.

Ira wants to ask him about it, but he stays his tongue on that one. Anyone in their right (or maybe not-so-right) mind would be worried about the situation they're in right now.]

We're in this together whether we realize it or not. [He shrugs.] Foreigners in a world full of mysteries. Don't see a reason not to share what I know, really.

[Well, some of it. He has to protect the Brotherhood... Even if he's one of the few here.]

[regalblaze]

[It was probably good thing that he didn't. Ignis' habit of thinking too much would probably kick in and he wouldn't be calm for days, weeks maybe. Especially since they are stuck in the place like this.

But he has to agree with him. They really all are in this together. The faster he secures Noct's safety, the better. Without the royal powers, they are completely at the mercy of this world.]

Still, I appreciate it. You told me more than people that are native to this world. I understand that they don't have much information on what is going on, but some basics would suffice.

[acceptedlife]

[At this rate, maybe he'll write a book about it. Would probably be easier than constantly informing others about the past, and with how fragile memories are...

Ira nods, sighing.]

Try not to hold it against them. While we might be the new ones here, they're likely just as new to this as we are.

... It was a point of contention in my last group. Constantly accusing those trying to help of withholding information when they didn't know, themselves.

[regalblaze]

[Or a script. A shorter version of everything if there's no time for reading.

Igins rubs his chin, nodding-]

I do not. However, I cannot deny that lack of information is extremely aggravating.

[And considering from which time and place he was pulled out of and thrown in here, Ignis is having some problems keeping his calm.]

[acceptedlife]

I know what you mean. That's part of why I'm here.

[On this ship, at any rate. He wants to see everything with his own eyes and see if he can get any intel on the different locations... for a start.

Ira absentmindedly fiddles with the pendant hanging around his neck. Before realizing he hasn't so much as introduced himself.]

Ira Nakagawa.