Introduction Log || It's Happening Again (Again!)

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters (New Arrivals, Previous Arrivals, and Native OCs) When: June 5th Where: The Dream Width (Airship), the Curti Center, and the Housing District What: It is happening again. 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 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. Cid gives a short and to the point 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 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. Cid also introduces the other ones: his assistant Jessie, a young woman fascinated by the new arrivals, 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. After Cid finishes (and Claire grumbles at her work never being done), 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 Cid mentioned in his 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. ] 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. 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

[dreamsoftomorrow]

[He watched as they were pulled in, looking up at Clarus and nodded. So many new faces and information. It was like Hope was back at square one.

But he would figure this out. He had to.]

...thank you.

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Well, I'm sure sparketext wouldn't be something people are used to seeing in general.

[He couldn't help but smile a little at that. He probably would have been surprised by it himself. It wasn't really used on Cocoon, but he could gather what it was just by the name alone.

He listened at her explanation of the Linkshells.]

Alright. Seems pretty standard fare to me, then. Aside from the one Linkshell you can't leave, anyway. I'm sure we'll find out more about that one soon. If we're all on it, it means it's related to why we're here.

[Seemed to be the only explanation.]

[dreamsoftomorrow]

Arito? Do you have to always be near the Guild or anything like that once you get it? Taking the airship all the time seems pretty inconvenient unless you plan on living there.

[Since it sounded like they could use more than one job, after all.]

Salieri | open

[aethereally]

[Check Up]
[Saleri is very overwhelmed, and while trying not to let on, the whole situation is becoming too much for him to handle. This is especially apparent when he finally realizes that the place they've taken him to is a hospital. Sal's never been a big fan of doctors in the first place, and now he's gone from about 75 to 100% sure he can't trust the people in charge of whatever this operation is. What if this is all just some kind of weird experiment?

Salieri backs away from the workers, head held high, frowning deeply.]

I see! No thank you, I won't be involved in-- whatever this is. I won't be anyone's lab rat.

[With that, he starts to back up against a wall... and suddenly turns around sharply, running into it head first. It seems like he was expecting to go through it, but physics wasn't working with him. Ignoring the bruise he's going to be getting on his forehead, Saleri looks shocked and scared as he looks over himself. This was bad.]

Why didn't I-- Why can't I shift? What's going on?


[Sights]
[The wondrous world in front of Salieri is at least distracting enough for some of his current fears to fade. The difference in culture is astounding: different races of creatures, living harmoniously; people not just openly using and discussing magic, but making public careers out of it; the architecture and transportation being like nothing he's seen before; the total lack of people wearing hats in public! It was a lot to get used to.

He also stuck out quite obviously in his bright red, pinstriped, turn of the 20th century suit. While normally Salieri would be very grateful for all the attention, he was feeling an unusual loss for words. When visiting the gardens at the cafeteria center, he seeks out anyone else who seems to stick out as he does. Maybe they can sympathize. Salieri offers his best soft, sympathetic smile.]

This is all a bit much, hmm? Feels like I woke up inside a Jules Verne story.


[House B-14, closed to household]
[At the end of the day, just as the sky is darkening, Saleri finally makes it to his new home. He's been told that he'll be living with other people, which seems a little strange to him, but he's prepared to make the best of it. Safety in numbers, right? Besides, he could really use some good company right now.

The folks at B-14 are greeted by a slight young man in a flashy suit, hat in hand, as he knocks and then enters. He's hoping that's not rude.]

Hello? Anyone home?

[daggercubed]

It seems possible, now.

I hope it's possible--but don't. I'd rather not others get stuck here. It is, apparently, permanent.

Jobs

[red_planet_blues]

[Sparks has gotten adept at spotting newbies, but usually it's not very hard to do so. What would probably stand out to Bridgitte would be the Von Oktavia police uniform that he sported, instead of anything Paladin-related. Eh, it was his secondary job anyway. He approached Brigitte with a drink in hand for her - something non-alcoholic, just in case.]

Lemme guess - brand new from off-planet?

[chosehope]

"My name is Nunnally, it's really nice to meet you!" She said before giving her hand out. "I must admit, it is great knowing that I made my first friend here!"

Re: Jobs

[theirshield]

Yeah, just came out of the Dream Width.

[ Brigitte took the drink, sniffing it lightly before taking a sip and smiling. ]

I'm trying to find the Paladin Guild Hall, and my moogle said this was the right place... but I'm not so sure.

[chosehope]

[With that, she gave a firm nod. It was funny, even in a new world, it felt like nothing had changed]

Mhmm, of course. Although, I do apologize, I didn't wish to make things more difficult for you.

[She's referring to accidentally bumping into people]

[chosehope]

With that, Nunnally just gave a small giggle. "Well, I suppose that I wanted a little bit of excitement! It's not everyday you get transported into a new world!" Granted, it was a bit awkward in her wheelchair but she hoped that it wouldn't stop her from participating with the others.

"And it seems like it would be a lot of fun too!"

[chosehope]

[If that is what Cornelia wants, Nunnally couldn't argue with that. Stubbornness does run in the family!]

No, I haven't. I'm sorry that I bumped into you, I was just so excited to see the gardens that I wasn't thinking.

[chosehope]

Hmmm...

[She said before looking down at the pamphlet]

According to this, it means that I'm pretty lucky? I suppose an Astrologian is someone who can read the stars and can tell what's going to happen next!

[chosehope]

[That and it was true, Nunnally was scared on what might happen. Being stuck in a strange new world with no idea what's going on nor does she know if she should trust these people. Of course, while she wanted to believe in the best, there were others who could take advantage of her.

But still, it can't be all that bad here, right? Especially when there were so many newcomers who were in the same position as she was.

It was the least she could do to make others feel welcomed here. Although, she had to admit, she was fully expecting a fight from him. Granted, she would have respected his decision regardless but still...]

Are you sure? If you don't want to go, that's fine too! I hope that I'm not forcing you to go!

[That's the last thing she wanted!]

[saint_sami]

Sasami reached out to take Nunnally's hand, smiling widely. "And I'm glad to be that person! Now we're a little less lonely and we can help each other out... right?"

[chosehope]

My name is Nunnally, it's really nice to meet you!

[She said before giving a firm handshake.] I must admit, it is great knowing that I already made a friend here!

[And that to have someone who doesn't know her background? It is nice to be able to start from scratch]

[chosehope]

[Nunnally had to admit. For a moment, she was rather surprised to see someone to her age here. While she shouldn't be surprised, it was enough to make her feel more at ease.

At least there was someone here whom she can befriend!]

I'm sure they will, it would be rude of them to keep us inside all day! Especially when it's so nice out!

[She said with a giggle] But I'm sure the air will smell nice! Perhaps it'll smell like nothing we have ever smelt before!

[einspine]

[B-Brush?! Papyrus gasps, as if this is some terrifying revelation!]

BUT IT'S SO FLAWLESS. WHY TRY TO IMPROVE UPON PERFECTION? WHY TAME SUCH LUSCIOUS LOCKS?!

[Because logic dictates that it's good grooming, but... spikes. Spikes! They are important.]

[promisedtolive]

[ Begins to push her chair toward the garden, also struck by the familiarity of the situation. ]

You never do. [ His tone is gentle; no matter what happens. ]

Are you well?

[saint_sami]

“You will? That’s great! But, ah, I need to get to where I’m living to see what I got to cook first!” Sasami said.

[saint_sami]

[Sasami can’t help but blush at the compliments] Th-thanks...!

Though, I think you’re right and by the sounds of it, we’ll have to go to... guilds?

[righthandstand]

You gotta take a bus ship to the continent, but they got schools for us. Since, like, we don't know shit about history or literature. [Okuyasu appreciates it. It's like having personalized tutors.]

How old are you?

[nanaimo_bar]

"That would be preferable, so I can meet up with you later if you ever need ingredients from the wildlife," said Nanamo. "I'm a fairly good marksman and healer now."

[modelcivilian]

Not at all. Once you join the Guild and get the Asterisk, you can go wherever you'd like. You wouldn't be able to have multiple Asterisks otherwise.

[theirshield]

"Yeah, that's true-I'm just not so sure these are the kind of people I want to be learning from." Partying with? Alright, that would most definitely be fine. Their music was good, if a little edgy, and while they wore all black they at least made it look appetizing.

"I'm going in. Want me to bring you back a drink or anything?"

[likewishes]

[ Lelouch's head immediately jerks towards the open door. Realization hits like ice spreading through his veins. Down his spine. She's there. Oh Euphy's heard them. There's no mistake of that. Not with that look on her face. This isn't the way that he wants to tell her. It isn't the way that she should be told of it - not with her siblings arguing but with an actual discussion.

Oh Lelouch wants to say something. The issue is that he cannot find his voice. His throat constricts tightly and he, right along with her, makes a strangled sound.

This is wrong. So, so wrong. ]