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

[euphemia]

The thought of a garden unsafe twists her lips just a little. How unfortunate, she thinks. Yet there was nothing safe about gardens in her home, either. Albeit they had the advantage of being protected, there were certainly gardens in the Shinjuku Ghetto that probably was too dangerous for anyone.

A smile easily fixes that thought, however. The fact he was sharing details at all was a treasure.

Maybe I did. [ Lucked out. Sure. ]

The people here at the Center assigns you a house you can stay in rent-free until you're able to care for yourself independently. [ And now a brighter thought. ] I'm actually planning to move out fairly soon with someone. It's exciting ... being able to live in this strange world.

[ But the Moogle's surprise did bring her back to another topic. ]

You certainly do look like someone who serves in the military. Was it a country?

[ Yet as for herself? Well, that question stuns her a little. More than stuns her. Flashes, even. The last memories before she arrived. Nothing wipes a smile quicker than remembering she died. ]

Aa, I was ... a student. [ It wasn't a lie. She was, at one point. And then... ]

[warpstriking]

[Noctis doesn't argue. It's not the time to, not when they are both grieving. And not where Ravus may not recall it when he awakens in the airship. He already knows that promise he made. He saw it in the letters strewn around his body, but again, this is no place to discuss it. As much as it burns in him to do so.

Noctis' gaze falls upon Pryna, a hand moving to give her a scratch behind the ear. It may mean naught, but it is a silent promise all the same: that while Ravus is with them, he'll try. For Luna's sake.

He stands then, and nods once.]

Yeah. I can't blame you there.

[A part of him wondered, was this how his father felt, if he knew all along in the first place? Yet as the world begins to crumble, Noct looks to the memory of Lunafreya one last time:]

See you soon.

[Noctis will make sure that Ravus is comfortably placed in a cot before he retreats to a more secluded area of the airship. Better to let Ravus speak to others than him when he wakes again. Especially as...

... He slides down a wall and curls up on himself, knowing he won't be of much help after that. So he'll just let it out of his system, so he can face the others once they land.]

[chocobosnap]

Oh. My best friend knows him. [He offers cheerfully and takes Finn's hand. He's wearing fingerless gloves and a lot of bracelets on his wrists, one a thick cuff. It might be a bit strange as far as fashion statements.]

W-Welcome I guess! [He doesn't mean harm, he just has a lot of social anxiety. He really hates it.]

I'm Prompto Argentum.

[chocobosnap]

Okay. [Prompto agrees, he's fairly easy going. He's not actually sure if Noct and Ignis are home at the moment anyway.]

Do you like chocobos? [He grins brightly, enemy or not, they didn't need to fight anymore, did they Ravus? Maybe they could be friends.]

Do you want to meet them?

[lordshield]

[Their bodies meet and his arms wrap around her, supporting his daughter against his body. The contact made him feel truly alive, his heart pounding against his ribs. She felt so light, the moment was so surreal, and he wondered if she's always been this small or if time hadn't been kind to her. No, she'd always been small. As he held her close his mind was swept back to the first time he'd held her, fresh to the world and wailing like a beast twenty times her size. Just when he'd thought he knew how to hold a child, what with Gladiolus and Prince Noctis, she came along and made him feel like a giant who might break this precious gift. Once again he felt she was a fragile gift that might blow away in the wind or shatter and reveal itself to be an illusion any moment.

But she wasn't, and Clarus couldn't help but hold her all that much tighter, cradling her close like it was their first meeting all over again.]

I'm sorry, Iris... I never wanted to leave you. There was no other way. I'm so sorry.

[As the words came forth, so too did the tears that had been building in his eyes. For his daughter and son to have a future, for anyone to have a future, Regis and Clarus and countless lives in Insomnia had become the calculated price. One they hadn't hesitated to pay.]

[lordshield]

Yarrow stared at the other moogle blankly for a moment before just nodding like he wasn't sure what else to do.

"Noctis clued me in, yes," Clarus confirmed with a slight chuckle. If Gladio hadn't succeeded, or even worse had died, they would be having a very different conversation right now, one that would involve Cor being flat on the ground with a black eye at the very least and no trace of humor from the elder Shield.

His smile faded from his face and he nodded solemnly at his friend and subordinate. "Perhaps both. Perhaps neither. I won't apologize, and were he here neither would Regis. It was necessary."

[lordshield]

[The pull wasn't too strenuous, thanks to Hope being small and the nature of space, and so the old man felt the need to fill the silence in an effort to put the young man more at ease.]

My name is Clarus Amicitia, by the by.

[They were aboard the ship quickly enough, though. Despite his better judgment, Clarus hovered a bit to see that the boy was keeping his feet.]

[conniemaheswaran]

"I'm a Magitek Knight!" Connie proclaims proudly, then pauses. That... probably sounded completely ridiculous to somebody unfamiliar with the job and to spare Cornelia headaches, it was most likely best to elaborate. "By channeling crystalline energy through specialized technology, Magitek Knights are able to create unique effects similar to magic that can be improved upon and studied through experimentation," Connie explains. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Taking out her iMog Slate, Connie taps and swipes a few times, bringing out her job gear once again, and with a snap of her fingers a massive greatsword made out of purple force flashes into existence, even larger than the pink one she was practicing with earlier. She does a few practice slices with it, showing off a simple combo with Rose's blade, before dismissing the Moonlight Module and her gear. "I can do a lot of other stuff too, but I don't want to damage the gardens."

[spaceforged]

It can make more sense when everything is put into context. It overwhelmed me too at first. [Now he's adjusted...mostly. Some days are easier than others.]

The center has a great deal of books and maps you can study. Unfortunately not much about the Dream Width. But the general basics of their technology and society are pretty easy to find. I can point them out to you when we get there.

[doodlebuginette]

[Marinette had been proud of herself for working up the courage to walk over and say hello. And then he'd sort of stared at her for a second, which of course made her a little nervous. When he'd hugged her, though, she was completely unprepared and proceeded to flail her arms for a couple of seconds before finally managing to hug him back.

One day, she would be able to be around him without looking like a lunatic.]

I am! And so are you! It's great!

[modelcivilian]

[One day, but today wasn't going to be that day.]

It's awesome! This is awesome! Ah, wait, wait...! [Stepping back, he cleared his throat and then... bowed with an extended hand.] May I welcome you properly to Vaikuntha.

Max Caulfield | Life is Strange | OTA

[precognitive]

 

MEMORY

[ It seems like a simple school girl memory at first glance. Max enters what looks like a bathroom of a public area, likely a school due to the graffiti written over it such as "Rachel Amber is a bitch!" and "I hate Victoria Chase". She looks at the mirror above one of the sinks, a weird piece of graffiti drawn on it of a crown, glasses and moustache. She touches it, deep in thought about something. She then rinses her face before pulling out a polaroid photograph, looking at it for a few moments. ]

Fuck it!

[ She says as she rips it in two and throws it on the floor. As she does, a bright blue butterfly appears through a small open window, landing on a bucket at the side of the last cubicle out of view. Max follows it, pulling out her camera before taking a shot and smiling. The moment is interrupted by a clearly upset young man muttering to himself while Max is hidden from view. "Don't be scared... You own this school... If I wanted I could blow it up... You're the Boss..." he's saying as he's pacing round. A blue haired girl, dressed in a punk style walks in. She's blackmailing the boy for "hella cash" and things get heated when he pulls a gun out. There's a struggle as he fires it, seemingly unintentionally as the girl falls and Max comes out of hiding, her hand point up. ]

No!

[ And everything seems to go in slow motion then speeds up but BACKWARDS for a few seconds before the scene changes to Max sitting in her chair in class. She's looking very confused right now. As one of the girls in the class' phone rings Max is startled and her camera hits the floor, breaking. After a few moments she holds out her hand again and the camera reverses back into place, perfectly in tact on her desk.

She then takes a photo of herself, which catches the teachers attention on her. He asks her a question. ]

I need to use the bathroom.

[ It seems Max really wants to get to the bathroom, possibly related to earlier parts of the memory. It doesn't work as the teacher asks her to stay behind after class, then another student answers the question correctly while giving a smug retort to Max. Again everything goes backwards to when the teacher asked the question. Max then gives the correct answer, preventing herself from being kept behind in class. After class there's another few instances of this rewind to try and save as much time before Max is darting off through the hall and back into the bathroom. This time her actions are less natural and more like she's trying to imitate what happened earlier. The scene begins to unfold in the same way but before the girl is shot, Max manages to break the glass protecting the fire alarm button and presses it. This startles the boy and the girl kicks him before leaving and he follows.

As Max leaves the bathroom, a look of panic and disbelief on her face, the memory begins again with her now entering the bathroom. ]

PRETTY SIGHTS: CAFETERIA

[ This was an adventure in and of itself. The queue had indeed been long and Max's anxiety was high, but she managed to overcome it (due to being pretty hungry) and get some food. Laughing with and taking a photo of the jovial Hypello who was more than happy to pose for her, much to the disgruntlement of people behind her. ]

S-sorry!

[ She said as she rushed the iMog onto her tray and quickly moved away for others. Almost stumbling over and losing the lot and breaking it. That would be just like Max. She was fortunate this time. Looking for a seat and spotting a lone seat surrounded by quite a few others. ]

Is this seat taken?

[ Whether she gets this seat or has to find another, when Max is sat and eating, she's scrolling through her iMog slate at some of her photos. Smiling as she does so. ]

PRETTY SIGHTS: GARDENS

[ Max was drawn to the garden's particularly the butterfly section. She really wanted to find one similar to the blue butterfly she'd taken a photo of back home. Some small comfort perhaps? Still, these butterflies were very different to ones she'd seen back home. ]

Oh wow.

[ She gets a little distracted at a pair dancing around each other, as they leave a sparkly sort of trail that twists in time with their dancing. It's really quite beautiful. She takes the shot. ]

HOUSING

[ Max has qcquired some essentials from the donation supply. Brush, toothpaste and toothbrush, a few towels, a blanket. It was quite a lot to carry at once and she drops the brush on the floor, then when going to pick it up drops the toothbrush which goes on for a few seconds until she manages to get everything back in her hands again with a heavy sigh. Now she just needed to find where she'd be living. ]

E-excuse me, do you know where B-10 is?

CONTINUING FROM THE TDM

[precognitive]

GUILD THREAD WITH FINN

[precognitive]

( continued from here )

[ When she thinks about it, she wonders if Chloe would also choose Chemist. She was aways really good at science, when she applied herself at least. That or she'd make some reference to drugs and make some TV reference joke and dismiss it for something "cooler". She gives Finn an affirming nod. ]

I bet it'd work really well with Gunslinger too. Keep at a distance while also being able to help others. Sounds like a good tactic.

[ Her eyes widen. ] Oh so you can choose what you want to wear anyway? I thought it was like, "You have to wear clothes fitting for this job" kinda thing? I suppose there are worse excuses for choosing a job. It's not like I have an amazing sense of style anyway.

[ She laughs again. The word tactic had stuck in her mind during that though. ] You know, I'm kinda leaning towards Tactician. It might work really well for me, maybe...

AIRSHIP THREAD WITH NOCTIS

[precognitive]

( continued from here )

Housing

[sullenstallion]

[On the last attempt to get all of her items back in her hand, a clawed hand snatches up the toothbrush before she can get it. Dylas hadn't even planned on stopping by the Curti Center and the surrounding area, but new arrivals are a thing. He's curious as to what might show up, so he's been stopping by to lounge on the couches and pretend he's not interested in anything that's going.

Unfortunately for Max (and contrary to his icons), the man snatching up her toothbrush is man on the top half and all snake where legs should be. More fortunately, he's here to offer some sage advice as he hands it to her.]

I couldn't watch anymore.

[He saw everything. All the dropping and struggling.]

[twomeals]

[That answer gets a thoughtful hum. A questioning hum? He's still staring curiously, though he tries a friendly smile.]

...Well, even if you are dangerous, we can still be friends, right? If you'll try not to hurt me, I'll do my best not to hurt you either.

[Mutual non-dangerousness! This totally makes sense.]

[theirshield]

"Well... it was Earth?" Brigitte shrugged. Without knowing what other worlds were like just yet, it was hard to be sure how to compare. "We'd just come out of a war against om- against robots, and now things were still getting back on their feet. I helped my godfather on his quest to better the world."

After a moment of pause, she realized Hana had mispronounced her name. "It's Bri-gi-te, not Brid-gitte. No 'd' at all." Perhaps it was her accent that made it hard to understand, or perhaps Hana had just misheard her and expected the more common name.

[righthandstand]

Huh.

[Younger kid. Not too young, but enough that Okuyasu has to be a responsible senior.]

We might not be taking any of the same classes. So didja see the rest of the city?

<3

[regisrex]

"Ah. Good."

And the relief is pretty clear in Regis's voice and body. He's... he has a lot of questions, but he does need a few moments to get his wits together. Not that he expects that he'll have much time to do so - he rarely does.

Tea is very good, though.

Even if... "It tastes a little strange."

It does!

... <3

[warpstriking]

That's fine. Regis can take all the time he needs to collect his wits. Noctis isn't really in that much of a rush to dive right back in after, well, technically seeing his grandmother for the first time outside of photographs and paintings. So, he kind of needs a moment, himself.

He smiles at the odd comment, though. "Well, we are in space. And far from home." It should be pretty obvious that they won't have the exact same things here, except... "Only thing I've seen food-wise that's exactly like home is Ebony-brand canned coffee. Though there are a lot of similar dishes. My adviser's been having a field day filling up a new recipe book."

[regisrex]

"Sure, let's head back that way. I think they got the impression that I needed a bit of time to think things through before getting further along with the process, so they sent me over here for the check-up."

After a bit of consideration.

"You're all choosing skills that are like what you can already do? Not exploring new options?"

He's given that information some consideration, and he knows that it'd be next to impossible, at last with the current system, to come even close to his skills set from home.

But also... knowing where that leads, he's not sure he should try.

[melodiouspacifist]

Oh, huh. Yeah, when I got here was my first time flying in anything and it was pretty cool. [He smiles.]

Most of the worlds I've been to aren't as advanced, you know?

[melodiouspacifist]

"Yeah, it's an instrument." He nodded his encouragement, because most people didn't know that and he'd had to explain over the course of his life, what a sitar was.

"Well, here the music is like magic and casts spells. But I can't hit things with it. At home, I used it to control water. Like an element guy." He meant elementalist, that was close enough.

"And I used it to hit things."

[regisrex]

Yeah, it can be!

How about some distraction, then, until your turn comes?