Event || Custom Fit

[eternitymods]

Who: All
When: September 10th to September 30th
Where: Curti Center and mines around the world
What: Characters assist Ganeshan in developing Custom Jobs.
Warnings/Notes: OOC Post

A. The Lab

As much as Ganeshan requires supplies to create Custom Jobs, he need help at home base. With the large number of potential applicants, outworlders and Curti Center employees are invited to help out in the lab, not only with testing transfer of Jobs to crystals, but in developing the abilities and running safety tests.

Easier said than done when all of these cats aren't roaming throughout the center and claiming everything to be their sitting spot. The interns are trying their best to catherd to little avail.

B. Job Development

The break room contains formal submission papers and pamphlets describing the steps required to develop a Custom Job. Senior employees are available to help characters workshop the abilities, but they mostly want to remain in the break rooms to avoid Ganeshan's constant Job mania. His booming voice is muffled through the doors, interspersed with allergic sneezing.

A room has been prepared for those to practice using their basic job abilities, primarily in making sure they're stable yet not too weak. There is a chance that an improper ability extraction can go wrong and hurt the user, so Ganeshan has group of White Mages are on standby in case things go south.

For those that would rather have all the fun without the work, there is the Ability Simulation and Modeling Room, where characters can design their abilities on the computer and see them play out on the screen before them. There's no limit here, and since Jessie is too busy to keep an eye on everyone, the outfits and visual effects have the potential to get...very, very silly.

C. Heigh-Ho

It's off to work you go. Those crystals won't mine themselves, and anyone strong enough must enter the mine in search of the necessary material. It's tedious, difficult work, and some of these are embedded so deeply in the rock that they might be more trouble than they're worth. Not to mention those gross bugs might not like their homes to be disturbed.

There's also the fact that monsters have a tendency to wander inside and attack, so they'll need some reliable body guards.

There should be more crystals deeper inside, but someone else will have to scout the area...

D. Explore the Dungeon

Which is where this team comes in. All the good stuff is deep in this mine, and reliable navigators are necessary to map out the tunnels without getting lost. There's also the fact that the previous owners of a time long ago didn't want opportunists to take their precious resources and outfitted the rooms with puzzles.

Door Locks are puzzles. Pressure plates activate traps. It's the ultimate test of critical thinking. Some of these don't make sense if you think for too long. Why did they go through all the trouble to program time-based puzzles with falling blocks and symbols? The Pupu are strange. At least the bats here are easy to fight, and the mine cart rides are fun.

Comments

[righthandstand]

Want me...to turn into a Monk? 'Cause I can do that. Punch 'im.

[It'll hurt like hell, but it's easier, he supposes. He wishes he could blow shit up, but whatever.

In the meantime, he casts Haste on Orcelito and watches what he does next.]

[princeandscholar]

[He's flipping through the pages, eyes narrowing on the text, mind whirling.]

If I change the temperature quickly, I can weaken it. Yes, get ready!

[There's that odd feeling like he's moving too fast, or the world has slowed to a crawl as the golem lumbers forward. Orcelito casts Broil and Freeze in succession.]

[righthandstand]

[Punching it is! Okuyasu holds his hands out to the side and focuses on the Asterisks inside him. The Monk Job within glows, enveloping him in ribbons of lights that pass over his body. Where there was once a Time Mage's terrible outfit, now there is a Monk's gi fluttering in nonexistent wind.

He assumes a battle pose.]

Ready for the beatdown!

[princeandscholar]

[The spell is melting off, and Orcelito wraps the golem in one final ice blast to get as much severity as possible between the freezing surface and previous scalding. He spares a glance to the Monk in veiled concern; there's no way this won't hurt, but at least the blows will not be in vain.]

It's unstable now. Go!

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu yells to pump up his adrenaline for a powerful punch and an mental shield against the pain. He rushes at the monster at full speed, able to have his mind focus on one target.

With a final leap, he pulls his right hand back and punches the monster in the gut. The power permeates the rocky body and for a second, the golem doesn't move. Then is explodes and all that remains of its legs collapses into a pile of inanimate rocks.

They won! Okuyasu strikes a pose, hands on his hips and laughs at his triumph.] Hah! That'll teach it to mess with the Okuyasu-Orcelito duo!

[princeandscholar]

[Orcelito, fortunately, had the sense to dive behind the puzzle block for the finale. Once the debris has settled, he stands up to analyze the results.]

Haha, it wasn't bad, was it? [He feels satisfied enough to join in the cheer. Still, it hadn't occurred to him that he might be put at such disadvantage as a mage. Thank goodness he had a variety of elements at his disposal... though looking into a new Asterisk would be prudent. He glances at Okuyasu, checking to be reassured he wasn’t injured in the fight.]

I didn’t expect to see anything larger than a bat. We should stay alert if the mines have guardians as well.

[righthandstand]

That's why you got met, to blow up these monsters while you do all the smart shit.

[A few punches in the air, and Okuyasu has released all the energy from his post-victory high.

And winces.] Ow ow ow ow ow owww....

[Now he grips his knuckles and hisses.]

[princeandscholar]

[His returning smile is marred by a sympathetic wince; what does the Monk guild have against wearing proper gauntlets?]

That first class you equipped… that was Time Mage? You’ve been able to level and use it already? [He sounds surprised, even a little impressed.]

[righthandstand]

Uh-huh, been workin' on it since I got back from the dinner. You know that seein' in the future is pretty sweet, so I had to practice it whenever I can.

[He did it just to practice. When he puts his mind to it, Okuyasu can achieve many.]

[princeandscholar]

I see... you've grasped it quickly to be able to cast Haste so soon. [Turning back to his current job a moment, Orcelito presses his shoulder against the block and pushes it the final few feet to a satisfying click.]

I also received my Asterisk during the festival. I've been practicing, but it's been difficult. [A little laugh.] I'm still not used to seeing everything twice.

[righthandstand]

Same here, but the thing is that you can't think about it too much or your brain works twice as hard lookin' at two things happenin' at the same time. Ya gotta go with your gut instinct.

[A Job where you don't have to think - perfect for a dumbass like him. Okuyasu is glad there's something even he can understand.]

[princeandscholar]

[Tacticians don't go with their 'gut instinct', so he raises his eyebrows at that. How does one not think about it?]

I... suppose you’re right. It is more than we can expect to process. [He continues to rearrange the blocks away from the door they obstruct, musing between steps.]

I do want to understand it. Or, I thought I'd have to understand it myself before I could replicate the techniques, like the Tactician’s spells. Perhaps it’s something that will come with time. [A smirk.] And practice. Is there a particular exercise you’ve been following?

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu stands back, watching Orecelito fly through the puzzle like a pro. When Okuyasu imagines his next move, his party member does something different, which turns out to be the right way.]

What, me? Not really? [He kicks at a mound of dirt that was built up from the fighting.] Just punchin' dummies outside and seein' what works.

[princeandscholar]

That’s a good idea. A target I can control the movement of would be easier to start. [He hasn’t used a wooden practice dummy since he was a child… it feels a bit silly, but it may be the best option. Just for right now.

Orcelito steps back from the puzzle to get the overall view. He hasn’t cut them off and the path is open, but the door in the cavern wall is still shut tight. The last block he moved revealed a metal panel set into the ground; with no free weights to push onto it, that leaves one option - himself. Orcelito approaches the plate but addresses Okuyasu before touching with it.]

I’m going to activate this. I don’t think there’s a trap, but… be ready if something happens. [A smile and shrug. He can’t see that far into the future, and this dungeon is still surprising him.]

[righthandstand]

[Look into the future in case a rock starts rolling down the tunnel, got it. He walks away from the wall and withing grabbing distance of Orcelito. He assumes a battle stance, facing the area behind him.]

Ready.

[princeandscholar]

[Fairly confident they are secured (or as secure as one can be with these puzzles), Orcelito steps forward onto the panel. He can feel it giving under his feet just the slightest bit, yet there’s no click, no sound at all. This is definitely a pressure plate, so what is wrong? He frowns. Come to think of it, the panel is a little wider than the normal ones – oh.]

I think this one will take both of us.

[Either it is meant for two people, or he is too light to activate it. He prefers the former explanation.]

[righthandstand]

Oh.

[Okuyasu walks backward until he steps onto the pressure plate, and it sinks the instant both his feet are planted on the metal. On cue, the metal grate is lifted and reveals the next passageway.]

Sweet! [He turns and rungs towards the door, only for it to roll back down.]

[princeandscholar]

Wait! [Reaching out and vocal protests do no good; whatever awaits them through the doorway, Okuyasu will have the trial run of it. Or not, as the plate shudders and rises again.

Orcelito sighs, and then it's back to hand-to-chin planning his next move.]

I can't move any of the blocks. I may find a way to force the gate to stay open once I’m inside, but you will need to stand here [because you are heavier] while I investigate.

[righthandstand]

[No!!

Okuyasu looks confused, on the verge of betrayal.]If it's too heavy, I can move it. [Because then he's stuck here with nothing to do. It sucks.]

So if you don't get back in a day, I assume you're dead?

[princeandscholar]

[Orcelito eases off the plate to switch places and gives a reassuring smile.] Let's try this first. We can test reordering the blocks if it doesn't work.

[He turns to leave, and it's probably a good thing he was looking away as he resists the urge to run a hand over his face. Back into a smile, Orcelito calls over his shoulder:] This will only take a moment. Mari, a light, please?

[And if Okuyasu graciously holds the door open, Tactician and Moogle will disappear into the darkness beyond the grate. (There are no bloodcurdling screams, unfortunately.)]