melodiesofeternity | FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS || INTRODUCTION LOG

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FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS || INTRODUCTION LOG

Who: All characters (New Arrivals and Native OCs)
When: April 11th
Where: The Dream Width (Airship), the Curti Center, and the Housing District
What: For the first time in 10 years, outworlders have been found the Dream Width. This unprecedented number of new arrivals are rescued and brought to Vaikuntha, and must now try to start adjusting to their new home.
Warnings/Notes: All players can put up a toplevel. Please post to the NPC toplevel if you have an IC question for them.

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. The makeshift infirmary is becoming uncomfortably warm, packed to its capacity with people.

Stepping out, there is a lobby space that bears the signs of having once held some furniture, now cleared away to make space. Even with the sparse accommodations, the space quickly fills to standing-room only.

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 to play again. ]

’Welcome travelers’…

CURTI CENTER

[ Finally after hours of flight, you arrive at the Curti Center. The other NPCs await you along with the Native OCs. 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 today. Indeed, here you are. No one knows why such a large number of people has been found at once, but the Curti Center is a place dedicated to piercing the Dream Width's secrets.

Cid also introduces the other ones: his assistant Jessie, Claire, the woman looking at the group in horror upon being pointe 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 despairs at the pile of paperwork she must complete by the end of the week), 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 specifically during this introduction, please respond to the toplevel with the name of the NPC in the subject header. The mods will try to reply at least once a day for each NPC. ]

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. ]

A BAD OMEN

[ Wandering around, you may stumble upon an old and tired-looking moogle wearing what can only be described as a decrepit fortune-teller attire. Upon seeing you, or any of the new arrivals for that matter, he will slowly approach and tell you all the exact same speech. ]

If you stay here, you're doomed. She will find you and make you suffer hell. [At which point his eyes will grow exorbitant.] This world is cursed. You will die and never be free. [And finally he'll fly right into your face.] Never!

[ Then he will leave and go say his speech to someone else, without doing anything but repeating different variations of his warning if asked for details. Should you ask your assigned Moogle, Biggs or Wedge, they will mention this crazy moogle can't be reasoned with and sometimes stick around the center, even though he's always chased away. He never says anything besides doomsday predictions. For unknown reasons, he's always been particularly nasty with Biggs and Wedge... And with you as well now, it seems. ]

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 the sudden and unexpected number of 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?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't even know what that means. Yellow eyes aren't really a thing.

[But he feels stupid for not getting it, so there's a bit of frustration in his voice. He continues to glare, thinking about what barb to send out next when Hunk mentions the tufts of fur beneath his ears.

The last remnant of when he wasn't a monster.

He reaches up and idly runs clawed fingers through one of the tufts, straightening it. Ordinarily, he'd ignore them. But these days? He's afraid of losing them. He practically deflates at Hunk's question, eyes casting downward at the ground.]

It's not any of your business. But it's fur.

[Damn it.]

You have yellow eyes.

[ And Hunk watches the guy's hands. Claws. They go through the hair. Fur. And at the tail. Scales. And then the eyes. Yellow. And looking down.

He may have won their little staring contest, but... ]

I didn't realize it was a sore spot. S-sorry.

[ At what cost? ]

They're golden. And I meant they aren't...whatever you were trying to say. Are you always this confusing?

[Semantics, semantics. Dylas stretches out his body so that his arms are resting against the edge of the bed and he rests his head there, laying his torso flat. Without the snake tail, it'd look like he was laying down.

Look, it's not his fault. It's a little chilly in here. And it's a lot easier to lounge than it is to hold himself up for no reason.]

It's not a sore spot. It's just...a weird question to ask. Yeah.

[ Hunk watches the guy shift around and stretch. He looks askance as Dylas speaks, piecing together his words, until- ]

It's weird for me to ask you about the fur on your head, but not about the giant snake tail. [ Hunk narrows his eyes into a stare. ] Why? I've never seen a snake with fur before.

[ He's also never seen a snake with the upper body of a human before. But he's not as sure how he can bring that one up, when there's already no option other than the awkwardly direct for this conversation. ]

It's weird that you're talking to me at all.

[Now that he's made himself comfortable, he can't help but stretch and yawn. Ever since his untimely transition from undead deer monster to "way too long" snake monster, he's been sleepy...all of the time.]

Do you treat everyone you're stuck in a room with like this, or am I just special?

[He watches Hunk from his resting place. He's probably the 'can't stop talking when nervous' type.]

[ Hunk sighs at the fuzzy-snake's remarks. Not a sigh that relieves any tension, but... ]

If I don't keep myself occupied when I'm nervous then I start freaking out.

[ But then he cracks a bit of a smirk. What he didn't say is that sometimes he copes with his nerves in meaner ways. ]

Imagine if I just started crying! [ He chuckles, but in a threatening "I'll do it" kind of way... mixed with a tinge of embarrassment. Because he wants to cry a lot, given how rough this day is. ]

But you're not that bad to talk to. [ The vast majority of his team has been a bit much every once in a while, so this is... not that bad for him. ]

Yeah? What's making you nervous?

[Is it how Dylas keeps staring at him, going through great effort not to blink (does he blink) while also extending his body towards him? Look, if he can make Hunk more nervous, he's--

--going to cry? Dylas deflates, pulling back against the bed at that, the fire gone from his eyes (did he blink yet? who knows).]

I don't want to think about you crying. You look like you'd get your tears everywhere and be obnoxious about it. But if you did, it wouldn't be my fault.

[ Hunk pouts a bit at the guy's deflection about crying. It would totally be his fault, because he's the one in a conversation with him, and, well... ]

Everything is making me nervous. [ He sighs and looks toward the ground, the fear and negativity overtaking him. ]

I got ripped away from my friends as soon as everything started looking good for us. I don't know how or why I'm here, or anyone else, and the fact that I'm here at all pretty much defies all scientific knowledge.

[ He sighs. Sure, Shiro disappeared once, but not into another dimension, right? And sure, they went into another dimension, but they made it back and it wasn't that different, right? So why is this so... weird? So... wholly illogical? ]

And we barely even know what's going on.

[oh gods why is this kid still thinking about crying, Dylas isn't equipped to have feelings right now.

He should tell this kid everything should be okay, right? There's definitely a way home? They arrived in a ship after all, it's not like they were magically teleported here or dropped in the waves like a bunch of corpses or something.

The tip of his tail slowly moves back and forth while he tries to find the right words for the situation. And finally, he opens his mouth.]

These things happen.

[Did he nail it?]

Do they?

[ Hunk's reply is curt, pointed, and almost immediate. His eyes are glaring daggers at the snake-man, and there are tears forming in the corners of his eyes. ]

Do they really?

[ Despite the sarcastic tone and the anger lashing out through his voice, Hunk's eyes are serious, maybe even pleading for an answer. Something needs to make sense for him today, and he'll force a shred of logic from this fuzzy-snake-human if he has to. ]

Hey.

[That's all he has to add to that snark added in there on the end. Dylas is torn between not clarifying, leaving the room, sleeping, and answering. In the end, answering wins out, but he likes to entertain the thought that he didn't have to answer.]

It's happened to me before. So...you're not special.

[ This happened to him. This happened to the fuzzy snake man. Realization lights up his face, that means- ]

But you're okay. So we'll... we'll be fine.

[ He needs to hear that they're all gonna be okay. That pleading is still there in his eyes, but it's more confident. Insistent. ]

We'll be fine, right?

Yeah. I'm okay, so I'll be fine.

[Time will tell whether or not this human kid will grow a tail or three still. Dylas has a feeling he doesn't really have the stomach for human flesh or souls.]

And you probably will be, too. I guess.

P-probably?! [ And his eyes go wide. You know what's in the corners of those eyes, Dylas? Tears. ]

You don't sound too sure... [ It's all well and good that this guy is fine, but Hunk wants to be okay, too! He needed that reassurance so much that he never noticed something very obvious. ]

...I just realized we don't know each other's names.

H-hey. Don't...do that. I was only....you're going to be fine, alright? Trust me, people are capable of some pretty heavy shit when they have to be.

[The first 'probably' had just been another attempt at bullying Hunk, so definitely don't trust Dylas. But now he's being honest. He's seen people younger than him, from more sheltered backgrounds than him (probably) eat people, so...

...you know.]

It's Dylasss.

[His tongue flicks out a little before he can stop it. He reaches up and slaps his mouth to stop it, then grunts.]

Dylas.

[ Dylas probably didn't expect his words to have impact, but they did. See, Hunk found himself remembering everything he's done, everything his friends have done. People are crazy. ]

I'm Hunk. Nice to meet you, Dylas. [ And he smiles. Not bright, not friendly, but cordial. At least until something registers in his mind, and he stifles a giggle. ]

Was that a sssslip of the tongue? Or... [ Then his eyes grow just a little wide, and he does actually seem concerned. ] Do you need to get that checked out?

[ They are in the infirmary, after all. ]

Edited 2018-05-27 00:24 (UTC)

[As long as his words are enough to get Hunk to stop crying, he's fine with them carrying some weight. He can only handle so much emotion before he melts into a pile of scales and goo and indecision.]

It's...nice to meet me? Do they need to check your head, too?

[Any smile that would have come with his joke is nullified by the words that follow. He clicks his tongue, making that typical 'tch' sound that loser loners like him always make.]

I'll let you make that joke once. That's it. You had your fun, you kept your fingers.

[He wouldn't actually eat Hunk's fingers for another hissing joke, but, you know.]

[ Hunk smiles brighter because while this guy might be weird, he at least reacted to the pun like anyone else would. Humor is great. ]

I mean... people have made worse first impressions and still ended up as friends. [ That awkward moment when he can think of multiple such persons- you haven't even tried to kill him yet! So he just shrugs. ]

[A long silence, and then, just because he's not sure how to handle this optimism? He twists the knife again.]

I don't know. You made a pretty horrible first impression.

[He'll put all the blame on Hunk instead.]

[ Hunk was not expecting that, and he just gasps, and then starts stammering and stumbling over his words as his eyes get wider, and he looks sad. ]

I'm confused and terrified! [ Now he's pouting just a bit. ] You said you went through this before, I bet you weren't doing well then, either!

[ Let's just casually disregard that you went through this once before in your own world, Hunk. Yep, sweep that right under the rug to try and save face. ]

[Truth be told, it's his third time. The first time around, Ventuswill had stolen his memories—waking up not knowing who or where you are isn't much different than waking up in a new world.

But...]

I don't have time to talk about that.

[He scoffs. He didn't have the luxury to feel threatened. Everyone else was put to work, but because he looked different he was turned away. He almost starved and froze to death those first few nights.]

But if you're comparing yourself to me, that's your first problem.

I- Argh. [ Hunk just facepalms for a moment, before just sighing. ] I'm not comparing myself to you- [ And then for a moment he's grumbling under his breath as he glares out of the spaces between his fingers. ] that'd be like calzones vs escargot- or asking you to talk about stuff, just to remember.

[ But then the hand falls away and returns to his side. Hunk looks visibly annoyed. ] This can't have been easy for you the first time, and it's definitely not easy for me now. So just... have a heart, y'know? [ And he's smiling as he says those words, but it quickly sours back into a bit of a scowl. ]

Unless your cold blood froze it over? [ Have some more glaring, Dylas. ]

You just were. I heard you.

[He's not going to let it drop. Feeling restless again, he shifts his coils on the bed that he's been stuck with. It creaks beneath his weight, which makes him tense before he relaxes again. He hangs off the edge, now watching Hunk upside down, his hair falling around him messily.]

I do remember. It was cold and wet, and they wouldn't let me work for my own food because I wasn't human. [He closes his eyes. He still remembers that village. He'd been mostly human back then save for his tail and ears...he closes his eyes. For a moment, he looks thoughtful.] I would've died if I didn't steal what I needed. Help didn't come for days.

[It wasn't like this, not like the Curti Center. He was shunned by the natives from the beginning, long before his blood stopped running and congealed within his body, hunger blossoming to compensate.]

But you're right. My blood's ice cold. I don't need my heart anymore.

I... [ That was not what Hunk expected to hear. The glare softens and his shoulders slump- he's got a big appetite, but starving in the cold? Cast aside by the people around him? That's terrible. ]

I'm sorry. [ He's not often one to apologize, but this is... a unique circumstance. On so many levels. He felt like a jerk, and the snide remark he'd made was used against him like a punch in the gut. Speaking of guts, after moments of being unable to even look at Dylas, Hunk's eyes meet his and the human is just smiling. ]

But that's nothing we can't fix with a nice, warm, home-cooked meal. [ Everyone loves food, and Hunk loves to cook! ] If you wanted, I could cook something up for you later.

[ But that raised another question. ] What do you even eat? [ And, of course, how does he use a bathroom? Did they have bathrooms where he came from? ]

...What? No. Don't...don't start doing that. I'm not looking for any pity. I've had hundreds of home-cooked meals since then, and I'm a damn good chef.

[You have to be when you're a wendigo. Sure, he's snek now, but he remembers all too well that feeling of being hungry every second of every minute of every hour of ever...so on and so on.

He only knows how to cook bread, fish, and human, though.]

I eat people, Hunk.

[But this time, for the first time ever in his life? He's telling it as a joke. He wants to see the look on Hunk's face when he freaks out! But he's not so cruel as to let that hang in the air.]

What do you think I eat? I eat the same things everyone else eats...but nothing sweet. ...Why am I even telling you that?

[He takes his coffee bitter and with no sugar or cream because he's a monster who doesn't know how to have fun.]

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chefbayardee - 2018-06-17 19:45 (UTC) - Expand

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sullenstallion - 2018-06-18 20:34 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS || INTRODUCTION LOG

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