Test Drive Meme IV

[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. 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 Feeling inspired to create your own prompt? The power is yours!

Comments

[nyxus]

"Hopefully the weather's more stable," he said with a soft snort. He was very conscious of their hands, maybe just a bit self-conscious about it in actuality. Was his hand too hot? Too cold? Was it weird? Was he making it weird? They were stupid thoughts but punctuated between every few steps in their directionless walk, the thoughts came nonetheless.

"I still don't know why you picked that remote, gods-forsaken planet to live on. Chioni was a nightmare." Nyx glanced to the other, feeling a warmth grow in him again. He didn't think he could say that he loved Ardyn, no. This was still too new for that but... the possibility was there, staring him in the face, wearing a goofy white hat.

Nyx smirked and reached up, snatching the fedora off of Ardyn and settling it onto his own head instead. "I miss my aquarium apartment, though."

[ultravires]

Ardyn chuckled at the mention of his choice to live on a rather unstable planet. Yes, it was disastrous but in the end he had to move out and in with Nyx and Shiva. Oh, that goddamned cat. He would avoid bringing her up. Nyx probably missed the cat, sweet boy that he is.

“It was different there.. I still had my power to .. deal with the conditions. Not here, though.. here it’s a different story.” He blinked ahead and then to Nyx wearing his hat. The handsome features shadowed by the brim of his hat. They were away enough from the crowd, Mimosa floated unobtrusively behind them. Ardyn pulled Nyx behind the vendor, finding more shade to be with the other and privacy. He took a breath before he leaned down to capture Nyx’s lips. This would be their first kiss on this world. May it not be the last.

[nyxus]

He could guess what was coming the moment Ardyn began pulling him aside, and he was grinning before Ardyn's face ever got close. Nyx was more than happy to kiss him back, though it didn't last long. His own moogle, Kiplet, had begun giggling and bouncing up and down in the air. She wasn't as discreet as Ardyn's moogle, evidently. The tinkling sound of moogle laughter had Nyx pulling back and laughing lightly himself.

Nyx reached up into the thick purple hair he had come to love, stroking back through it with blunt nails enough that the loose ponytail was pulled out. The elastic went flying off some place. Nyx was able to easily stroke through the silky locks then and was glad for it.

"I missed this. I missed you," he shared. Kiplet was still giggling and making a fuss over the human lovers.

[ultravires]

Ardyn reciprocated the grin, his own hands were on Nyx to hold him close. The moogles were undeniably adorable, but still his interest was far too focused on his lover. The feeling amazed him, how quickly their affection on the otherworld picked up here without hesitation. Though, he wondered what obstacles may arise here to make their life interesting outside of their relationship.

Then, mostly, he couldn’t think of a thing that mattered outside his own needs or desires— of course, that wasn’t any different was it?