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

[hatejakku]

I never met him. [ He says it absently, trying to put some of the remaining pieces together. ] So he's from another time. He's literally from thirty- forty years ago. [ Which is... kind of big.

Finn has no idea what to do with this information, but he knows that the ball is in his court. Later. Much later. ] Um. Thanks... Do you know if anyone else is here from his galaxy? He mentioned Skywalker.

Sorry, I'm... losing my mind. [ Calmly, at least. ]

[spaceforged]

It’s alright. This is the sort of situation most people will lose it for a little while. [He sure as hell politely lost it for a little bit. Most people he knows also danced on the edge. Shiro grins a little sheepishly.] You certainly wouldn’t be the first.

And I don’t know. I didn’t ask but I assume no. Not yet at least. At the rate things are happening it is possible that will change.

[He glances at Finn with a raised eyebrow. There are a lot of pieces to put together.] How about we move this talk to the hall or the lounge. We’re under way so no one will be coming or going on retrieval.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn's cool. He's totally cool. Well, he's holding it together, considering how badly he wants to sprint for the cockpit.

And oh, right. More people showed up today. More could come in the future. He doesn't know how to feel about that yet. ]

Um, yeah. That sounds good. [ There's a part in the back of his head that says being taken aside isn't good. He must be freaking out, right? He doesn't want to take Shiro away from anything. But he did offer. Honestly, Finn just doesn't even know anymore. He's going to follow Shiro's lead. ]

Anyone could come here. And no one knows why or how. [ Just putting it all in place. ]

[spaceforged]

That’s right. We only know we show up in the Dream Width. Us or objects from our realities. Our numbers of the past two months are unheard of.

[He leads the way to the door, pushing it open with one hand. The hallways are mostly clear for now. People coming and going don’t spare a glance their way. He figures they’re all having their own problems. Like they did.]

I was hoping this trip would give us a bit of an idea. It didn’t but we know now something is happening and it can’t be passed off as a fluke.

[hatejakku]

This hasn't always been going on? [ But it sounds like a pattern is trying to set itself. ] It can't be a natural phenomenon.

[ He's wondering if he's late or early, if that's good or bad. He kinda just wants to wake up now, mostly. ]

Okay, but- The man in the cockpit was the guy fighting in a war decades ago. He never... vanished. Do people at home not realize I'm gone? Am I not even gone at all? [ He's starting to like the idea of thinking about this whole thing as a very lucid dream. ]

[spaceforged]

My teammate is from the future ahead of me. I was still where I should be. I’m not sure what to make if it. But it seems like we’re here and there at the same time.

[Well at least they aren’t leaving their people without their presence. Except he has no idea what it means.]

We only have two groups to compare right now. My ship arrived a little bit ago. They retrieved it from the Dream Width just like we were rescued. Yet he says it never vanished either.

[hatejakku]

[ He doesn't like any of this. ]

Maybe this is the Force. Maybe someone's doing this to us. All of us.

[spaceforged]

Whatever it is, we're here for a reason. It just hasn't become clear yet.

[He checks the hallways to be sure he remembers which way to go and motions for Finn to follow him. He knows where to go. The lounge where he'd had a nap of exactly forty five minutes earlier.]

And whatever that Dream Width is in relation to space I'm familiar with...it disables technology. My armor's com unit and other features are offline. Yours is likely the same way.

[hatejakku]

[ He knows there's a reason. That's why he doesn't like it. He should be back on the Falcon. He should be with Rose and Rey and Poe. What's going on anymore?

Finn follows along almost blindly but likes the look of the lounge they walked to. Then he blinks at the explanation. ] The ship still runs in the Dream Width, right? It's just certain kinds of tech?

[spaceforged]

This ship does. I have a theory it has to do with whatever the Dream Width is and how these ships are run. They use crystal tech that's a mixture of magic and science called magitek. I'm not sure exactly how they combine. I'm just a pilot and still learning their systems. [He sets about putting on a pot for coffee and one for tea. People will be in and out anyway so making both doesn't hurt.]

It sounds weird but, it will make more sense at the center.

[hatejakku]

Magic. [ Oh, that's a joy. Finn wishes Han were here because he's fairly certain that's not how the Force works.

He finds a spot and takes a seat, cradling his head. ] I gotta be honest, man. I'm not sure this place can make much more sense. [ But now he's just whining and he knows it. ]

[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.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn nods, really grateful for the help. This is all just... a really untimely adjustment. He looks up at Shiro. ]

I know most of us have to want to get home. Everyone has people or a situation or something that they need to get back to. How do you... try not to worry about that? How do you keep calm? I mean, yeah, I'm still technicially there, I guess, but-... I don't know.

[spaceforged]

[Shiro looks up from adjusting the coffee pot and taps the brew button. It's a reasonable question. He gives how to word his reply some thought. Nothing heavy handed.]

It's a little different for me. One of my team is here and he needs me to stay calm. I'm his leader. He looks to me to make the decisions that keeps us okay.

We can't do anything about what's going on at home. But we can shape what happens here. It's something to focus on and a way to keep moving. It doesn't entirely take away the worries. Nothing will.

You have to take each day as it comes and take mental breaks when you can.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn thinks about that and eventually nods. ]

You're right. Just gotta... keep moving forward. Work with what we have.

Thank you, Shiro.

[spaceforged]

And remember, [He makes an all encompassing gesture as if to include the entire airship around them.]

You're not alone. We're all right here with you. It helps we can freely travel about. There's a lot that will occupy your first few days.

[hatejakku]

[ He smiles at that one. ]

Staying busy sounds like a great plan... So long as I figure out how to talk to Antilles, maybe things will be fine.

[spaceforged]

Even if they aren't, we can work at it until they are. [He checks the tea and coffee makers, idly. They're doing their job. In a minute, he'll be able to snag a mug.]

...one thing. The center will want you to take a physical. They don't let you skip on that.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn freezes. Um- ] What kind of physical?

[ The Resistance's definitions and the Order's definitions were very different. Also, his back was still not in the best of conditions and... well, he knows how that would go in the Order. ] What happens to people who fail?

[spaceforged]

It's an assessment and if you have injuries they'll tend to them. [He keeps his voice level, watching his face. The freezing could be for any number of reasons.]

It's not a test. There's nothing to fail.

[hatejakku]

[ Well, he has no injuries, not really. Just peak condition isn't there right now.

So he nods, not wanting to give suspicion. At least he can understand why it would be necessary for a newcomer. ] And everyone takes it.

That's no problem. Thanks for telling me. [ Sort of a problem, but he can psyche himself up now. ]

[spaceforged]

Yes, everyone takes it. I didn't want to go through with it either. [For too many reasons to name. He turns checks the teapot and settles.]

But they really don't mean any harm by it. Which...I know doesn't help. That's about the only thing you needed to be warned for. ....well, I can warn you. Weird things happen here.

Note them and if they seem important, let people know. We're trying to chart and track anything slightly strange.

[hatejakku]

Slightly strange? Dude? [ All he does is raise his eyebrow. How is none of this strange? ] I'll try to look out for... weird things that stand out more than others.

[ He has no idea what kind of category that could possibly go in. ]

[spaceforged]

I wish I could be more specific. I know how it sounds, but...trust me. You'll notice when something is weirder than the strangeness of being here at all.

[He spreads his hands apart. There's not a lot else he can say on that subject.]

On the bright side, the Curti Center has maps, history, and all manner of books on their world. It's openly available to us if we want to learn.

[hatejakku]

[ Well, if anything, he is used to learning about new places. ] I'll be sure to check it out. Hopefully, nothing... weirder happens. [ That would suck, Shiro. Now you've jinxed him. ]