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

akira kurusu | persona 5

[jocoeur]

a. thievtrival
( it's the metaverse, right? He's only just been momentarily separated from everyone else, right? maybe he'll wake up any moment... maybe this is just another kind of fancy jail cell... akira is pressing his hand against his head, against his glasses, wondering... ) How did this happen...

c. up in the meta-sky
( sorry but, the Mona car ain't got nothing on this. akira is wide-eyed and grinning, at the edge of the ship and peering over it, maybe even dangerously so. but the wind in his hair felt so good, freeing... almost like there was nothing ominous was awaiting him back home, or even on the ground.

Hopefully you're not one of the unfortunate ones suffering from motion sickness because his motions are probably not helping with that... )

j. power of the wildcard!
( hit me up with any other scenario! )

C, or when two thieves meet

[truthandlove]

[Once upon a time, Akira was enjoying the view from the airship. And then all of a sudden, thwap! A mass of magenta-purple-red-whatever hair whips him in the face with great force.]

You! What do you think you're doing, getting in my hair's way like that? This is my viewing spot!

[jocoeur]

( that is... a mighty blow indeed. both to his face and maybe his ego, too. he has to rub the spot where it made contact, wondering what those mighty locks were even made of... but still, he's courteous enough to take the blame for something he had no control over, apparently. )

Sorry. ( is he, though? his looking rather straight-faced when he says it. ) I should have realized this would be a hair-raising flight.

[truthandlove]

[Jessie's hair is full of secrets. She's ready to keep yelling at him, her normally extremely beautiful face contorted in anger, but her words are cut short when she hears that pun.]

Hm...not bad for a twerp. But I'm afraid when it comes to word-play, Team Rocket's skills are a cut above the competition.

[She's staring, expecting him to feel defeat after just one pun.]

[jocoeur]

( there's a slightly sing-song— ) Hn-hmm. ( at her praise. he's smiling a little bit, glad that she could appreciate the joke. otherworldly hair in an otherworldly situation aside, it was the little things that still counted.

he adjusted his glasses as she stared at him. uh oh, was it his turn now...? )

Team Rocket? Sounds like a bigwig operation.

[truthandlove]

We're the biggest and the wiggiest, and don't you forget it!

[She takes such tremendous pride in that. From her aggressive tone, exaggerated outfit, and wild hair, anyone looking at her should be able to tell that there's not such a thing as too theatrical with her.

And as further evidence, she leaps back and points at this kid, her voice ringing out as she keeps up their little game.]

What's ours is ours, and what's yours is hair today and gone tomorrow!

[jocoeur]

( he's not sure being the biggest or wiggiest is something to pride yourself on there bud, but... theatrics? well. the joker in akira knew how to put on a show as well, you know.

taking a cue from her movements, he takes a jump back himself, running a hand through his frizzy hair with a flourish, and ending with an index finger pointed right back at jessie. )

Ah, but I won't go down so easily, especially with a challenge like that, rest a-sheared!

[truthandlove]

[Both things are everything to pride yourself on! Team Rocket is the biggest and the most powerful, and her missing cohort James happens to own a large number of wigs. Both of them do. Surprisingly large wig collections.

She maneuvers a hand, whipping a rose out of nowhere. She probably plucked it from some decorative vase inside the airship or something. Don't question it. She doesn't move, only turns her head, but the rose is flashy enough on its own.]

When it comes to a face-off with me, going down is the only thing you'll be doing. [#phrasing] When we're finished here, you'll wish you were in thairapy!

A

[warpstriking]

Pretty sure a lot of us have the same question.

[Himself included. Noctis couldn't help but overhear, especially since it was at least something over the general dim noise of either snores (which he wishes he could rejoin, but too much of this has him on high alert with the similarities between here and a break room in the Keep) or general confusion. He wants to go see if there's anyone familiar around, but he can't just leave a kid - no matter how small an age gap there is by the looks of it - alone without at least checking.]

You alright?

[jocoeur]

( ah, that was out loud, wasn't it?
looking up over the rims of his glasses, akira studied the young man for a brief moment before replying with a simple— ) Mm.

( really, it wasn't the first time he'd wound up in a strange place, ill-equipped. this one just seemed to play by a few different rules than the metaverse... at first glance, anyway. )

Not how I pictured spending a Saturday night but— I guess you can't win them all.

it's okay i don't think we really established what day of the week this shit is set on anyway ICly

[warpstriking]

[Yes. Yes, it had been. He raises an eyebrow. Wow. Someone who talks less than this one Glaive he vaguely remembers bumping into once or twice in the Citadel...]

Understatement of the age, right there.

[If anyone save the crew of this ship expected to spend tonight like this, he'd eat his jacket.]

good thing for me ha HAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

[jocoeur]

( living the silent protag life ain't easy.
but don't go eating your jacket just yet, noct. it's probably all tough and leather-y. )

Who knows? Maybe there's a spectacular nightlife at— where ever... they're taking us.

[warpstriking]

[He'd tip his hat to you, but he left his sombrero in the trunk of his car haha... ha...

Oh don't worry, he's not planning on it. At all. Ever.]

Yeah. You'd think they'd at least have the decency to leave a note or something.

[Nightlife would be a welcome respite after everything he and his friends have been through lately, t b h.]

[jocoeur]

Something along the lines of 'sorry about the kidnapping, here's a coupon for a free courtesy drink on arrival' maybe?

( he's only half-serious. but the lack of expression on his face might have most people guessing about that. )

[warpstriking]

Something like that. Maybe ramen or something, because pretty sure I saw drinks in that lounge area over there.

[It's okay, kid. He's used to reading his longtime friend's poker face and his deliveries are usually a bit flat, too.]

A

[raidraptors]

[Shun usually isn't all too vocal, but this is a question (he likes to think) he can answer.]

Some kind of deity, probably.

[At least that's his experience, after having been dragged off to another dimension against his will once already. (Does he sound bitter? Damn straight, he does. He doesn't look forward to being regarded as a toy again.)]

[jocoeur]

( deity? no thanks, he wasn't having so much luck with those.
but it's that bitterness he'll focus on, rather than the subject matter. )

Sounds like you might have some experience if that's the case?

[raidraptors]

[A faint shrug, as Shun lets his eyes drift towards the windows so that he can get more of an idea of where exactly he's wound up that, answering absently.]

You could say that.

[He isn't going to offer more than that, instead opting to run his fingers over his sharp, black nails… between that and the fact that he can feel that his teeth are still the sharp set of a werebear… there is no doubt that the Fog God's curse still lingers on him, at least in part.]

[jocoeur]

( have an extra long side-glance thanks to an answer like that.
of course, akira wasn't especially keen on sharing his encounters with weird gods on a first meeting either, but he won't deny that that small tidbit has him guessing.

after a moment or two, he looks away as well. focusing elsewhere— out at the passing sky. )

If someone like that is behind this, I'm sure it's only a matter of time until they reveal themselves, then. ( because, after all— ) It's not every day that dozens of people are just uprooted from their homes like that without consequence... or reason.

[raidraptors]

[Shun nods absently in agreement… it is only a matter of time indeed. Though he disagrees on the second point.]

No doubt it will become a more common occurrence in time.

[New people arriving in regular intervals, that's how worlds like these work, right?]

C

[singularize]

[ There's a young lady looking to be in her late twenties, the wind ruffling through her curly blond hair. Her smile is radiant, excitement touching her eyes. ]

It's so pretty, isn't it?

[ Her voice is... a little on the lower side for a girl, but her happiness is evident enough. ]

[jocoeur]

( glancing over at the girl, akira gives her a quick once over, finding that smile just a little contagious as he flashes her one in return with a happy-sounding— ) Mm. ( as he nods.

he goes quiet again, for a moment, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath... before he finally adds— ) I've never had the chance to fly like this before.

[singularize]

[ Sun nods, her expression settling a little to be appropriate for conversation. ]

All the more reason to enjoy it then!

[ If you look down, you can see the world go by. ]

How did you fly?

[jocoeur]

Planes, mostly. ( "mostly" he says. get a load'a this guy... )
But those were nothing like this. ( maybe this was more like a blimp? not that he had any experiences with those, either... )

It's nice to feel the breeze, instead of being locked inside.

[singularize]

[ She closes her eyes, holding out her hands in front of her, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. ]

It feels like you can become one with the wind, almost.

[ If this were another world, perhaps she could just jump off the airship and fly alongside it - but not in this one. ]

The wind sings a story of the land below~