Test Drive Meme VI

[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, and some helpful Heroes of Light 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 and your rescuers 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. The experienced outworlders who helped pull you from your memories may be able to get you caught up to speed. B. CURTI CENTER The researchers at the Curti Center are pretty used to this right now, though there's still no good explanation for the influx of interdimensional travelers from the Dream Width since earlier this year. "Please step into the lobby for a quick survey. We have just a few routine questions, it's invaluable to our research so we do ask you indulge us..." 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 have offered to permanently house all of the outworlders here. 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 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 productive members of society and helping support the local economy, 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 housing elsewhere in the world. 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. And they say, those that party up will live to party on! J. LOVE IS IN THE AIR All the mistletoe would have come in handy here... As January gives way to February, stores and streets are decked in red, pink, and white. Posters line the Curti Center walls advertising Speed Dating events and offer to send flowers with anonymous or signed letters to outworlders and Curti Center employees - though there is some suspicion that a handful of received were never requested by the sender. Who cares! Some romances need an extra push! For the less adventurous types, the love-o-meters stationed at just about every hallway can predict your romantic (and platonic, if you so wish) future with just 100 gil, or even measure how good a potential match between two people will be. Is there any scientific backing to their calculations? That's not important. K. WILD CARD Feeling inspired to create your own prompt? The power is yours!

Comments

Estelle Heurassein | Tales Of Vesperia (early canon)

[storytellingprincess]

Arrival

Estelle groaned a bit as she started to come to. She felt just a little dizzy, trying to get her bearings straight. However, as she did, she realized something wasn’t right - this wasn’t the palace. Heck, she wasn’t even in Zaphias anymore.

“Wh-where?!” She said, panicked. “Yuri? Repede?” She quickly got off the bed - big mistake, losing her balance as she did. “Oh...”

Up In The Sky

“Wow! This is amazing!” Estelle couldn’t help but just enjoy herself. The Airship she had gotten a ride on was an amazing feeling to her. After spending so time locked away in the castle, it was so exciting.

“This is so great! I can see almost everything up here!”

Random Encounter

Random Monster fight? Random Monster fight. Of course, Estelle wasn’t your standard damsel in distress. Armed with the Paladin job, the princess faced down the beast with a determined look on her face.

“Don’t underestimate me just because of who I am...” she muttered, raising her blade up, shield at her side.

Love is in the Air

Estelle couldn’t help but be amused by the strange holiday that was being celebrated here. The use of such colors and the romantic connotations were adorable.

What wasn’t funny was the sudden invasion of letters from outsiders.

“Um, excuse me, Mr. Moogle, but, is there a way I can do something else with these letters?” She asked, only for the Moogle to high-tail it. “Wait...!”

Love Is In the Air

[paragonroute]

Rimuru was carrying his own pile of letters when he nearly collided with Estelle, sending letters flying everywhere. With a yelp, he almost threw them into the air and almost scattered them. "Whoa! Sorry about that! Are you okay? I wasn't looking where I was going!"

The girl was cute, definitely. She reminded him a lot of Shuna just by appearance alone.

Re: Love Is In the Air

[storytellingprincess]

“Oh!” Estelle stumbled back, landing on a pile of letter. “Oh, no, no, it’s okay!” She said, trying to brush it off. “I was too busy worrying about that Moogle and the pile it left me.”

Re: Love Is In the Air

[paragonroute]

"Ah, you too huh? Everyone's getting letters. Here, let me help pick those up."

Geting on his hands and knees, Rimuru started picking up the letters one by one, gathering the scattered letters and bringing them into a pile. "I'm Rimuru Tempest, I'm new here. Nice to meet you miss."

Re: Love Is In the Air

[storytellingprincess]

“Estelle.” She said, giving her name. “It’s longer, but I’ve found it’s easier on people if it’s shorter.”

She chuckled a bit as she got up and went to help Rimiru. “Here, I’ll help...”

Re: Love Is In the Air

[paragonroute]

"Really? You can call me Rimuru then, it's shorter." He grinned and continued to pick up letters, setting his own to the side.

"Thanks! Man, there's a lot. I never got these many love letters when I was a junior in high school..."

Re: Love Is In the Air

[storytellingprincess]

Estelle tilted her head at that. “High... school? What’s that?” She asked, blinking.

Re: Love Is In the Air

[paragonroute]

"Ah... think of a school, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen where you teach young adults. There's studies like math, sciences and stuff. There, you prepare for college exams and get into clubs and stuff. It's supposed to be the defining years of your life."

He grinned a little. "I went to high school in Japan, before, well, that doesn't matter. it was a while ago, but suffice to say it, I'm a lot older than I look."

Re: Love Is In the Air

[storytellingprincess]

"Oh, I see! It's a more advanced school, then!" Estelle said. "Sorry, I never had the chance to do such things, so so much is new to me."

Random Encounter - Estelle the Tank!

[boomchucka]

Selphie knew better than to underestimate any woman who was armed. If you asked her, an armed woman was far more dangerous because they were so frequently underestimated. What she wasn't about to do however, was to let Estelle face down a monster on her own. Even if she appeared to be more than capable of taking care of herself, there was no knowing when another monster might rush up from behind.

With her trusty staff in hand, Selphie hurried to Estelle's side with a grin and a nod. The SeeD shifted her weight into a comfortable fighting stance before focusing her attention on the monster in front of them.

"Need a hand?" Selphie asked casually.

Yuuus

[storytellingprincess]

Estelle looked back to see Selphie by her side, offering help. She smiled at her and nodded at the offer.

“It is very much appreciated. Safety in numbers, yes?” She said, sizing up her opponent.

\o/

[boomchucka]

"Definitely," Selphie affirmed. "I'll take the left!"

Selphie darted off in the given direction with the intent to ram the monster in the side with her staff.

[storytellingprincess]

"And I'll keep its attention!" Estelle said, charging forward to deliver a powerful Shock Break attack on the creature, letting Selphie attack.

sorry for the late response!

[boomchucka]

Selphie nodded firmly as she thrust the broad end of the staff into the monster's backside. The attack lands as Estelle keeps the monster's attention.

No problem!

[storytellingprincess]

With Selphie attacking, Estelle keeps up the distractions, using her shield to deflect the blows when they come.

[boomchucka]

Sure of foot, Selphie's confident that her next attack would hit the creature and take it down quickly. She didn't want either of them to wind up getting hurt as she deftly uses the opposite end of her weapon to follow up from her first attack. While the attack does hit the monster, it's merely a grazing blow with her weapon hitting more of the ground nearby than anything.

A person can't land every attack after all.

[storytellingprincess]

The beast winced as the graze hit it, causing it to face Selphie.

“No! Watch out!” Estelle shouted, trying to get its attention again by smacking it with her shield.

Random Encounter

[time_puppy]

"Rrragh!"

Thoom.

What may not have been expected was that the paladin, decked out in gleaming sword and shield, would suddenly be getting out of nowhere assistance from her polar opposite.

Black armor. Closed helmet with ears sticking out from behind. And a big, heavy sword slammed down against the ground with a reverberating smash. A dark knight of small stature has joined the fray.

Re: Random Encounter

[storytellingprincess]

“Oh!” Estelle blinked in surprise seeing the small-stature Dark Knight. The help was much appreciated!

“Are you here to help me?”

Re: Random Encounter

[time_puppy]

The dark knight hefts the sword back up over his shoulder, displaying an almost comical amount of strength given how big the bloody thing is in comparison. Still, he's panting, clearly exerting himself to do so. He flicks up the eye cover of the helmet, looking out over the paladin princess. He gives a small shrug, holding his hand out.

"Sorry. I just thought maybe you could use it. Going on your own.."

He grimaces slightly. "It can be dangerous, for anyone."

Re: Random Encounter

[storytellingprincess]

"It can, yes." Estelle said, nodding. She reached over, sliding her shield aside to take the dark knight's hand. "Thank you for watching my back."

Re: Random Encounter

[time_puppy]

Hand, paw, same difference. Riolu blinks as it's grasped. He hadn't expected that. He rubs his head, glancing to the side to obscure the minor blush.

"O-of course. Two is a good team number, though three can be better sometimes. Why where you out here, anyway?"

Re: Random Encounter

[storytellingprincess]

"I was trained in swordplay in my world, but I don't have that option anymore. So I'm relearning until I can master it again. And the only way I feel I can do that is through combat."

Re: Random Encounter

[time_puppy]

"I see..." He says, frowning slightly. He knows what that's like.

"I understand. I had to learn how to fight, too. And.. now we're both learning it all over again." He says.

"Well.. It might not be the same, but... Would you like to fight with me, instead? Might be a little easier for the both of us to learn that way, at first."

Re: Random Encounter

[storytellingprincess]

"That does sound like a good idea, yes." Estelle said, smiling brightly. "And let us hurry, as I don't think the monster'll wait too much longer."