Introduction Log || The Night of the Thirteen Moogles

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters (New Arrivals, Previous Arrivals, and Native OCs) When: October 5th Where: The Dream Width (Airship), the Curti Center, and the Housing District What: It is happening for the fourth time now. More outworlders have arrived in the Dream Width and must be rescued and brought back to their new homes on Vaikuntha Warnings/Notes: Only new players can put up a toplevel. Previous arrivals and established native characters can respond to new characters' toplevel posts. MEMORY [ You've been here before...? No, wait, why would you think that? You're here in the moment, everything is as it should be...(?) The memory you are trapped in has completely enthralled you. You stop questioning and accept, you relive and repeat. Luckily, you are not alone. Others have arrived to help you. The travelers in the airships will enter the nebula formed by your memories and attempt to wake you up and bring you back to the present. The dreamer's mind will shape how these newcomers are perceived and how the NPCs in the memory respond to them. For more details on the mechanics, please refer to this post] ARRIVAL [ You wake from your dreams, from your memories, on a narrow cot. There are fleeting impressions- recycled air, humming machinery, movement, strangers waking around you. The room you wake in is lined with cots, with barely enough space between them to walk to the door, though not all of them show signs of having been occupied. The makeshift infirmary seems like it was prepared to hold many more than are here. Stepping out, there is a lobby space that bears the signs of having once held some furniture, now cleared away to make space. Your footsteps echo in the emptiness. As the automatic door slides shut on the infirmary, a light flashes on the far side of the room. A flickering holographic projection of a man’s face and gloved hand appears projected in the space above the arrivals’ heads. He backs up so his upper body is in frame for the recording. An arm, covered in the same orange flightsuit sleeve, hands him a tablet. The man begins to read. A written version of the message scrolls along the bottom of the projection as he speaks. ] ’Welcome travelers’… That’s way too formal. Hey everyone. Hi! [ The second man leans into the frame to add his greeting. ] Don’t panic. You were floating out there, but we pulled you in and rescued you. Yeah, we’re heroic AND handsome. And also the only ones crazy enough to come out here to get you. [ A woman’s voice calls from out of frame. ] Can you two be serious for ONE moment and stick to your scripts? [ The two men give each other a conspiratorial eyeroll. This does not appear to be their first take. ] Anyways, no need to panic. Seriously, don’t do anything reckless. We got our fill of that with Skywalker. [A huff is heard offscreen, and the men finally spare the tablet another glance.] ‘Your pilots will be navigating treacherous environs as this message plays…’ Claire, seriously? Nobody talks like this! [ The tablet is tossed to the side and lands with a thunk offscreen. ] We’re gonna wing it. Look, everyone, we’re workin’ hard to get you planetside safely, and it’s gonna take some tricky flying to do it. So the door to the cockpit is locked so we can focus on not getting us all killed. Don’t try to open it, unless you want to be stardust. We promise you’ll get answers about what’s going on once we land. But for now, please trust us. Right now, we’re your only hope. [ The second man leans forward, close to the recording device, and presses a button. The projection freezes for a moment, and then the message starts on the next recorded message. ] CURTI CENTER [ Finally after hours of flight, you arrive at the Curti Center. The other NPCs await you having been notified of your retrieval in the Dream Width. Jessie gives a long and somewhat awkward welcome speech, explaining what the situation is: you were lost in a space called the Dream Width. You are now on a planet called Vaikuntha: for ages, the people of this world have used Airships to rescue people lost in the Dream Width, with one person being found roughly every ten years. No one knows why this happens, but this has been a mutually beneficial exchange, with the people from Vaikutha rescuing people lost in the Dream Width and the rescued ones sharing their wisdom with the people of Vaikuntha. Ten years ago, something unusual happened: two people were found at once, Biggs and Wedge. But that was nothing compared to what happened four months ago... And two months ago. And now, here you are. No one knows why such a large number of people has arriving lately, but the Curti Center is a place dedicated to piercing the Dream Width's secrets. Jessie also introduces the other ones: Claire, the woman sighing and writing in her schedule book upon being pointed out as the bookkeeper, Kupoto and Mogaruru, their Mognet representatives and finally the Native OCs: those brave and kind souls who have accepted to help you all on a daily basis. She also mentions Cid, the director who is busy preparing for certain dealings later this month. After Jessie finishes , the employees, including the Native OCs, provide a tour of the facility and help the newcomers navigate their future lives. Now is the time to ask questions and look over pamphlets regarding locations, Jobs, life in Vaikuntha... ] [ If you want to contact an NPC, you can do so on the NPC Contact Page. ] A BALL OF FLUFF NAMED MOOGLE [ It has been a long day, perhaps now you would like to find your way to a place to sleep? Or perhaps you'd like to get some answers, but you can't be bothered to go seek people out? And lo, just as despair begins settles in, a Moogle slams into you! Or stops by your side if their aim is decent... It's the Moogle Jessie mentioned in her speech earlier! And they'll be informing you that now, they will stick to you like your shadow and help you in anyway they can! They're also giving you your iMog Slate- Now you can get onto Mognet! Isn't it great? ] A QUICK CHECK-UP [ Whether it's your Moogle, Native OCs or NPCs, all will urge you to stop by the hospital wing for a basic check-up. You may disagree, but listen. You've just been thrown into a space between worlds, rescued, and brought to another world. For your own sake, that's a good idea. Should you give in and go (or should you be dragged by your Moogle or a Native OC), you will find yourself in the cold and white space very reminiscent of an hospital. For characters with specific medical conditions necessitating help, this is where they will receive it if asked. The doctors and nurses are all White Mages or Chemists, with various levels into their Job as well as medical knowledge. Don't mind the confused looks if you look like nothing they've ever seen before... It's hard for a doctor to be unable to give a proper diagnosis to a patient! For everyone else though, they'll be let go with smiles and be given a candy as they leave. No one likes medical check-ups, but it's a very quick and basic one: testing reflexes, taking your temperature and the likes. On the bright side, while you're grumpily sitting on a bed with a thermometer on your forehead or in your mouth, it might be a good time to socialize with your fellow new arrival who's having lights flashed into their eyes by a doctor. Misery loves company, after all. ] SCARY PRETTY SIGHTS [ There's plenty of rooms to wander about in, with several points of interest apart from the offices. The Airship Hangar is where the airships are kept and the first room you entered. Workers keep guard to prevent the outworlders from getting too close to the vehicles. Airships are expensive and they don't want you messing with them, after all. Venturing into the Research Section, you can walk through public exhibitions on astronomy, airship design, and asterisk studies. A good place to get used to the basic science of this world. The laboratories lie behind a thick locked door with a sign reading "EMPLOYEES ONLY". No going there, for now anyway. Not too far from there are the Employee Quarters - work stations, apartments, and lounge areas. The latter are available to the public, whereas the rest is locked to Native OCs. But if you get them to be friends with you, perhaps they'll let you visit? Also open to all is a Cafeteria - a standard food court with stalls serving all types of Vaikunthan cuisine. The Chef is a very jovial and absent-minded Hypello. Beware of long lines and crowded tables. This month however, there is an overwhelming scent of spice and pumpkins in the air. Pumpkin soups, pasta dishes, bread, pies, lattes.... There are even some carved pumpkins with moogle faces of different styles floating in the air just above the tables, candles flickering from within. Should you prefer open spaces, then the gardens are for you! There are different sections in the gardens around the center. One boasts a wide array of blooming flowers, another more practical with herbs commonly used in Vaikunthan cooking. One had been cultivated for butterflies and hummingbirds to visit. Paths have been laid through so that visitors can safely navigate, and moogles will swoop down and shout at anyone who strays into the flower beds. Or perhaps, you want to wait till the sunset. Dusk on a new world, but a beginning of a new life... The sea shines bright in the orange light. A good moment for quiet contemplation. ] HOUSING [The housing accommodations are the best the Curti staff could provide, given that they are still also sheltering most of the previous arrivals from the Dream Width. The keys have been entrusted to the moogles who will be guiding the new arrivals. The new arrivals can stop by the Curti Center storage room to collect some essential supplies that have been donated by charity organizations from around the world (there are boxes of toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste sent from the Zora, hair brushes from the Elezen, quick-drying towels from the Hypello, among the various donations of clothes, toiletries, and blankets), before heading to their temporary homes. The people of Vaikuntha have done their best to provide for their new neighbors and help them get on their feet. Still, things will be a little cramped until the off-worlders can find employment and move into better housing. The staff hopes they can get along with one another until alternate arrangements can be made. You can survive living with roommates for a few months, right?] THE JOB FOR YOU [An important part of life on Vaikuntha is the Job (or Jobs) you choose to take. No, not the way you earn your living. Your Job Class. Most Natives only choose one or two, but you'll have an opportunity to take on more Job Asterisks after you master your first Jobs. The Curti Center's resident Job Master, Ganeshan, is more than happy to arrange transportation to the various Guilds so that you can claim your first Asterisks. ]

Comments

Re: I SMELL A SITCOM~!

[defenestraighttomyheart]

Richard mostly stuck to stuff that he knew and loved. A little jar of apple butter. Some table crackers. Caramel corn. Some tickets to a show at The Lady of Bliss. A bottle of bourbon. A pocket knife. A paracord bracelet. A pocket poncho. A roll of bandages. Bobby pins.

Oh, and a lovely bar of sandalwood soap. You know, normal stuff.

"Speak of the devil," Richard said, heaving himself up. He spoke in a stark, flat tone. "Good evening. Now, you have to know that I don't really spend a lot of time here, but I- Iiiiiiii..."

Richard turns around and blinks a few times.

Oh no.

She's cute.

"I, uh." He clears his throat. "I'm new here, too. I'm Richard Conway. Freelance Spy. I hope we don't have to meet each other in a professional sense. I kinda doubt we will, though. So that's good."

Mogcho is nearly losing his shit at Mr. Suave Noir man losing his footing the moment a woman steps into his office, per se. "It's pepper steak. High in protien, got all those vitamins and minerals to keep you going. If you gotta get your carbs, you got your whole grain rice on the side. It'll be ready in just a minute."

Re: I SMELL A SITCOM~!

[bladeofconquest]

Corrin blinks in confusion as Richard actually introduces himself as a spy. Then after a moment, taking care to balance her box of items, she extends a hand and smiles warmly. "Well, Mr. Conway, it's good to meet you. My name's Corrin, but, ah, you...you probably already knew that." A pause. "Do you normally introduce yourself as a spy, though? That seems like it would be a bit counter-productive."

She listens to the...surprisingly buff Moogle in the kitchen describe dinner. "That sounds delicious, thank you!" She motions to the Moogle floating silently behind her, judging them all. "This is Anya. She...she doesn't talk much. Like...at all. It's kind of weird."

Re: I SMELL A SITCOM~!

[defenestraighttomyheart]

Richard shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. "First off, you were probably going to find out anyway. It's not like I hide being the shadiest looking man in the room. I literally look like the guy neighborhood watch signs warn you about, and we're going to be living together, so I'd rather be upfront about it than have you worried about this weird guy who lives in your house."

"Second off, normally spywork tends to be the product of a whole lot of networking. And even though I pride myself on my work, I'm in a whole new world with whole new rules. And more importantly, none of the same people. Meaning I have to be a bit more open than I'd normally like until I can safely just ride my networking partners. It's not a great option, but it's the one I have. Which means if I can get a good working connection with a present or previous room mate, well. That's just dandy."

His eyebrows raise and the sides of his mouth stretch into a coy grin. "And third, it makes me feel cool to say that."

Re: I SMELL A SITCOM~!

[bladeofconquest]

Corrin laughs. "Well, when you put it like that it makes much more sense. I'm happy to be part of your network Mr. Conway, especially since no one else from my world is here either."

She looks around, finding a spot to place her box o' stuff down for the time being. She'll take it to her room later. "Anyway, it's fine if you're not going to be around much. I don't plan on being a lot, either. I'm probably going to take tomorrow to rest and maybe explore some more, and then the day after head out for...Van Octavia? Von Oktova?" She shakes her head. "The city where the Dark Knights convene. I did some reading and it sounds like that's the guild for me if I want to be useful, which I do." She brushes her hands off. "But maybe we could add each other on our Eye-Mogs if we need to get in touch about something? For such an odd little bit of technology I've gotten pretty adept at using it."

What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

"Good to know. I'm going to ninja school in Tark whatever-it's-name. That one stupidly cold place where they make guns." He chuckles a little in a bout of irony. "I wish I could say this was the first time I'd be willingly be going to a town built on top of guns and espionage. All it needs is a bad basketball team, a decent football team, crooked politicians that you'd need to pull the fingernails off to do the right thing, and the single greatest concentration of smartasses on the east coast and it would be home."

With a flourish, he pops his slate out of his pocket and snatches it out of the air. "Oh, alright. My handle on my iMog is defenestraighttomyheart at mognet.moog. You know you have the right place if you start getting sent particularly smooth jazz every now and again."

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[bladeofconquest]

"Oh, you're going to train as a ninja?" Corrin says brightly. "We have ninja back home. They're pretty cool, honestly." Are the Ninja here the same as their Hoshidan counterparts? Probably not exactly but she did give them a looksee and it seems close enough.

"Thank you! I'll send you a friend request." But she does cock her head, slightly bemused. "Smooth what?" She asks.

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

He brushes the nonexistent dust of his jacket. A cute girl just called him cool in a degree of Kevin Bacon sort of way. Mission accomplished. If he wasn't already home, he'd be going there now. He then pulls out his slate and proceeds to wait for the friend request.

And then you can just see him narrow his eyes at the screen. What?

He looks her up and down a few more times, eyes widened and transparently surprised. "Did you do actual conquesting, Ms. bladeofconquest?" He nervously mentions, going ahead and sending her one of his practice sessions anyway.

Did I miss something? She looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly.

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[bladeofconquest]

At first, Corrin is confused when she sees Richard's eyes narrow. "Oh!" The name. In retrospect, that name might not have been the best choice. She'd meant it to refer to the Shadow Yato, her sword...which she didn't currently have. But if they were going to be living together, at least for awhile, an explanation would help. She didn't want him to have the wrong impression of her.

"Well..." She admitted, slowly. "A little, but it wasn't by choice. My home country is the kingdom of Nohr, and until recently, Nohr was at war with its neighbour to the east, the kingdom of Hoshido; that's where the ninjas I know of are from, they serve in Hoshido's army along with its samurai and pegasus riders. It wasn't a just war, if such a thing actually exists; Nohr's former ruler, King Garon, wanted to conquer Hoshido and bring it under his control simply out of the desire to rule both kingdoms." A pause. Well, he had been upfront with her about being a professional spy, so she would offer him the same courtesy.

"As the second princess of Nohr's royal family, I played a large role in that war, but before you get the wrong impression of me, my role was ending that war and ensuring peace between Nohr and Hoshido. My elder brother Xander is king now, and he's working with my sis-" She stutters for a moment before continuing. "-ah, Hoshido's new queen Hinoka to ensure that our two kingdoms' future is one of peace and co-operation, not war. I'd been hoping to have a more active role in helping with that, but...instead, I ended up here."

She looks a little nervous, even embarrassed now, having said all of that. "The name was actually meant to refer to my sword, the Shadow Yato...which I don't actually have anymore. So, probably not the best...name I could have chosen for it."

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

This seems to be a lot for Richard to take in. This lady in the frilly, yet modest dress that he's living with is an actual general who has probably seen more action in her career than five of him put together. She had presumably lead an army, deposed a leader, and put her brother and sister in charge of two rival nations. It puts some things in rather stark contrast.

"Oh yeah? Well, I accidentally threw myself out of a four story window, solved a murder case, and punched a lot of men in uniform." He wheezes out in a not-at-all serious tone, still a little taken aback by the sheer volume of this woman's influence on her world. "So you can say I had a pretty fruitful career, too."

He sighs out. "Uh, no. But seriously, that sounds like some War of the Roses shenanigans. Good on you, I guess. I'd argue that it's probably not a great idea to have a foreign agent depose a leader for national stability reasons, but I'm guessing it'll work out better for Xander and Hinoka than something similar that happened on my world."

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[bladeofconquest]

The War of the Roses reference is completely lost on Corrin, but she nods. "It wasn't an easy path to walk, no. And I wasn't exactly a foreign agent. I may be a princess of Nohr, but only through adoption...sort of." If you call "the man I thought was my father actually murdered my real father and then kidnapped me and then conditioned me to believe I was his daughter to use as a weapon of conquest" adoption. "My birth family is the royal family of Hoshido. Xander and Hinoka are both my siblings, but they're not siblings to each other." A pause. "I have a very complicated family life."

Though she does take note of Richard's story. "A murder? So you're a law officer as well as a spy?" A pause. "Wait, why did you throw yourself out a FOUR storey window?"

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

"Yeah, sounds like it!" He blurts out, slightly incredulous. Using his mastery of human psychology (minimaal), his vast detective experience and knowledge (many hours placed in front of a screen playing detective dramas), and probably mostly basic empathy, Richard deigns that trying to press things any further would just kind of wind up hurting her.

So, he went for the usual means of depressurizing the mood.

"Aha! Ah. Um." He scratches the back of his head. "I might've accidentally tossed myself out of my apartment window while trying to figure out how my jump-good pants work." A beat. "And into the skylight of a gun manufacturer's office building." Another beat. "That turned out to be the scene of a murder." Yet another beat. "Of which I got placed at because I got seen on a security camera."

He stares into space for a moment, looking in Corrin's direction while not necessarily actually looking at her. "And then later on that week, I got tackled out of the seventh story of a skyscraper building. I do a surprising amount of falling down. There's a reason I put it on my list of specialties on my business card." He mentioned, slightly goggle-eyed at his own bumbling competence.

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[bladeofconquest]

"Jump...good pants?" Corrin asked. "You mean enchanted trousers of some sort?" She's glad to be off the subject of her complicated family life and recent events therein, so good work there Richard.

"My goodness, you certainly do." She nods. "You must have incredible endurance to be able to fall from such heights unscathed. Or, do the, uh, enchanted trousers you spoke of earlier help with that?"

She can tell how awkward this is for both of them, but she's determined to press on regardless. She really, really wants to make a good impression. "But, you...solved the murder in the end?" She asks, hopefully.

Re: What We Do in the Shadows - Beat up baddies, mostly.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

All of a sudden, his mood seemed to dip. Corrin, and anyone with functioning eyes, could see that his expression had gone from that kind of smile you have just described something terribly awkward to someone, that stretched toothy grin and shaky and those high movement gestures, to something a bit more calm. Sad. You could almost hear his heart sink.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I solved the murder in the end. Got the trigger man and the person that called in the hit." There was a brief flash of anger that welled up in his chest.

"But, no. Although, I think the armored trench coat I had helped in some places, and manipulating the springs to receive impacts better with a Dropshot module really cut down on the damage on the knees as well as kept me quiet when I hit the ground. But I didn't have those at the time, so I guess I'm just good at taking a fall. Sometimes face first."