memesofeternity | Test Drive Meme IV

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Test Drive Meme IV

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. The other newly-awakened people have no idea how they came to be here, but now's a good time as ever to introduce yourself to the others on the airship and glean what information you can.

B. CURTI CENTER

The researchers at the Curti Center are not quite so unprepared as last time, but it is still obvious that they are struggling to understand the sudden influx of interdimensional travelers from the Dream Width. "Please step into the lobby for a quick survey. Perhaps there is some common thread we haven't discovered yet..."

The staff will do their best to help the off-worlders settle in. They answer the questions they can, write down all proffered information they can about the arrivals' homeworlds, provide maps and pamphlets about Vaikuntha 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, considering they are still housing the previous arrivals here on the island.

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. PUMPKIN SPICE

Let us send shivers down your spine.

The weather has turned cooler, and with the arrival of autumn comes fall-themed treats, fall fashion, and of course, the beginning of the spookiest holiday season. Even though summer is still newly ended, it is not uncommon to already see people embracing the season in full force. Pumpkins and ghost-moogle decorations begin to appear on porches and in windows, stores offer a pumpkin version of everything, and there is so much orange.

It is all good fun in the day time, but there does seem to be a rise of monstrous activity after the sun sets...

K. WILD CARD

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"I mean nothing's without danger. You've got waterdwelling monsters, which I'm guessing Mirelurks are. But if you're near major cities, the monsters you run into are usually pretty chill. All the nasty ones are always in remote corners of the world, which is fortunate. Worst-case scenario you have to give something a good smack."

"Well! It's certainly good to know that I won't be bored then. I wouldn't say it's my specialty- that would be delivering mail- but I'm quite used to fighting all manner of horrible creatures with whatever weapons I can get my hands on. I admit, I was a little worried I might be completely out of place, but if there's "monsters" around here, well."

Kayle grins. "I'm certain I can find myself a niche."

"Oh man, there's always need for someone willing to put themselves in danger. You should talk to Ganeshan when we land, he'll get you set up with what you need. And if you're a courier by trade, I hear Mognet's hiring."

"Well saying I'm a courier by trade now is a bit of a stretch. My last job a couple years ago went about as far south as it's possible to go, and I haven't picked up another package since making sure that one got delivered. But if there's a need for package delivery here too, who knows- I just might consider that."

Kayle nods, "You mentioned Mognet before though, I still don't know what that is. Is it a mail service, then?"

Serge shrugs. "Eh, sort of? They handle mail, e-mail, all kinds of communications stuff. Mostly moogles running it, but they hire humans too. Sorry about your job going bad, though. At least you're alive to talk about it?"

Kayle chuckles, "Yeah, somehow... Some folks might say I'm the luckiest sonuvabitch in the Mojave, relating to that. When I say "went south" Serge, I mean I got shot in the head and buried in a shallow grave when my package got stolen."

She shrugs. "Surviving something like that, it kinda makes you rethink your life decisions."

That takes some processing. "So, what, do they have White Mages where you're from? Or did it just... miraculously not kill you? I hope you found whoever did it."

"The latter. A robot I found out later was working for the one I was supposed to deliver to dug me out and took me to the closest doctor. Obviously I learned that after the fact."

Kayle shrugs again. "Like I said, luckiest sonuvabitch in the Mojave. Somehow the bullet managed to not tear my brain to pieces. I definitely found the guy who did it eventually, didn't kill him though. Guess it was more than enough to see his face when he saw me again." the woman grins at Serge, crossing her arms.

"Like he'd seen death itself showing up on his doorstep."

"Well, for what it's worth..." Serge smiles. "I'm glad you made it out okay. It sounds like you've, ah. Had a pretty eventful life."

"Hey, that makes at least one person!" Kayle says, laughing for a moment.

"Yeah. Life in the wasteland is a lot of things, but boring isn't one of them. Maybe a little boredom will be good for me, thinking about it."

Serge snickers. "I dunno, maybe you shouldn't stick around here if you're looking for boredom. Things get crazy around the holidays and Hallow's Eve is coming up. You've gotta stay on your toes, or you'll get volunteered for decorating."

The Courier holds one finger up to her chin, putting on her best expression of mock disappointment. "Oh no. I might not be bored, how ever will I survive having action and activity?"

She chuckles. "I cannot say I've ever been volunteered to decorate anything though, so I am certain that could be a, ah, novel experience. I would not put much faith in my aesthetic sense."

"Ehh, I'm sure you'll do fine. I'll admit that I may have volunteered to help with pumpkin carving, but that's 'cuz they just throw the seeds out instead of keeping 'em and roasted pumpkin seeds are amazing."

"While I'm willing to believe you on their taste, I just. Ahem." Kayle looks ever so slightly embarrassed for a moment, shifting in place.

"What's a pumpkin?"

Well at least she knew what an orange was.

Serge gets something of a gleam in his eye. Someone completely alien to most foods, who'll probably be willing to try anything so long as it's fresh. Muahahaha. "Oh, it's a... it's a vegetable. Big, round, orange. It's kind of a tradition to hollow them out for Hallow's Eve. Then you carve designs into them, like scary faces or cats or ghosts, and you put a candle inside at night. Curti Center always puts out a bunch for the holiday. The seeds are pretty great roasted, and depending on what kind of pumpkin you get they're great for making pies."

Kayle gets a bit of a "lightbulb" moment, one might say, recognition dawning as Serge describes a pumpkin. "Oh! I think I've seen plastic decorations from before the war that look something like that. I never would have known they were edible- though I think perhaps some gourds mutated from similar things."

She smiles, "I'll have to try the seeds sometime. Or a pie. Or both."

"Wait, so... plastic orange things, spooky faces on in black paint?" Do they have those on Kayle's homeworld? Weird.

Courier Six nods! "Yes, I think they were set up for some holiday just before the bombs fell. That was some off two hundred years ago, though, so they're all pretty degraded."

"Huh. Weird how some things stay constant. Like I've heard from a couple people that have magic systems really close to ours, like the same spell names, same classifications for different kinds of magic... Even the Eidolons are constant, which is kinda weird to me, but... who knows?"
He feels like there's a quote here that could be applied. Something about butterflies and sashimi?

Kayle shrugs helplessly, "That is decidedly strange- this place, for instance, seems to be a wholly different planet from the world I am from, and yet... There are oranges and pumpkins."

She pauses for a moment, and then just sort of gets this look on her face. A flash of momentary realization.

"Holy shit. Sorry- Just. Processing the realization that I'm looking at solid, material proof that multiverse theory is correct." she pauses, then, and follows up with,

"Also, what is an Eidolon? There's magic here?"

Serge just... stares at Kayle. "Do- do you not have magic? At all?"

"Uh, no. And frankly, if I wasn't currently on an airship flying down from some kind of dream-inducing version of outer space above a world that isn't my own, I'd probably call bullshit on you telling me magic existed in the first place." she considers that for a few moments.

"Still not entirely sure I believe it, but at this point it doesn't really surprise me."

Serge blinks. "I mean, I'm not a mage, but I've been thinking about visiting the Time Mage's Guild, it feels... right, I guess? I dunno. If you're curious you could ask Ganeshan about it, he's pretty much the expert on Jobs."

"Excuse me? Time Mage? As in time manipulation with magic? That's bullshit and I don't believe you." the woman says, matter of factly. "I'll make sure to look into it in the future."

Serge shrugs. "Seems crazy, but apparently the Imperials figured it out. It's a shame, they just re-opened their borders back in August and invited a whole bunch of people to this big festival thing. I wanted to go, but I'd just started training so I couldn't get off... which is a shame, that big dinner sounded like a lot of fun."

Re: Back in the saddle- Again

a_mad_engineer - 2018-09-25 21:40 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Back in the saddle- Again

timecrash - 2018-09-25 23:53 (UTC) - Expand

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