melodiesofeternity | Event || Worldwide Tourists

Event || Worldwide Tourists

Who: All New Arrivals and Curti Center Staff
When: April 15th-30th
Where: All over Vaikuntha, starting outside of the airship hanger
What: Ganeshan, the resident Job Expert, will be taking the new arrivals around the the various Guilds so they can collect their chosen Job Asterisks as noted in their applications.
Warnings/Notes: Guild prompts can be found here

Enter the Master

[Each new arrival's iMog buzzes with a message instructing them to gather for a worldwide adventure to obtain the power of Vaikuntha. If they follow the invitation's instructions, they will arrive at outside of the airship hanger on the morning of the 15th, with their meager belongings packed.

An Enterprise-Class airship, the Ragnarok, hovers outside of the Curti Center. There is a flash of light on the top of the ship.]

"WELCOME!"

[A figure, minuscule at this distance, launches itself off of the ship and hurtles toward the ground. As he draws closer to the ground, he starts to flip, landing with a flourish. An armored figure, sans helm, turns his toothy Zora grin to the crowd. With a shimmer, his armor transforms into a white mage's robe, and he sends a rush of wind through the crowd for dramatic effect.]

"I AM GANESHAN, THE JOB MASTER! GYA HA HA HA! TODAY, YOUR LIVES WILL CHANGE FOREVER."

[Ganeshan shimmers again, ruthlessly abusing the Chemist's Modifier skill to once again shift Job Classes so he can lower the airship's loading dock with a wave of his hand.]

"I BELIEVE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS THE ABILITY TO MASTER THE JOB CLASSES. SOME OF YOU MAY MASTER MANY, OTHERS WILL PURSUE THE PERFECT MASTERY OF JUST ONE. BUT EITHER WAY, YOU'LL BE INCREDIBLE!"

[Ganeshan gives everyone a big thumbs-up. The out-worlders who are not scared off by this booming speech can feel free to enter the airship and prepare for their ride around the world. Hopefully some of the Curti Center's newest hires can serve as ~~non-crazy~~ less exuberant tour guides for the new arrivals.]

Around the World

[The Ragnarok will be stopping at every major city in Vaikuntha, with the exception of those cut off by the Imperial border closing. Characters can create top levels to respond to the Guild prompts and explore the cities themselves as the ship makes its stops. Each Guild provides information sessions, free food and trinkets for potential applicants, and once you're ready to receive your Asterisk, all you have to do is take some introductory lessons and fill out forms. Characters can receive up to two asterisks. Time to get to know your new world!

Questions for Ganeshan can be directed to the Ganeshan top level post.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Danger was danger. He said it once himself. He wasn't about to die to some murderer to prove a point, but he wasn't about to get everyone killed either. If things were too much, run like hell. There was no shame in it.]

...Okay. I think the sound came from this way. Just- just don't stray too far, okay?

I'm not going anywhere.

[Because she really doesn't want to be here right now, but leaving Kanji alone was just a bad idea.]

[He nodded and proceeded on. He tried to ignore how every hair at his neck stood on end, prickling away, and thought of simply catching this creep in the act. Nobody else would die tonight.

Meanwhile, on the shoreline, a dark shape began to pull its way out of the water. It moved along sluggishly at first, coiling tentacles and clacking a beak, but once it felt the tendrils of its comrade coming up from behind, it knew the hunt was on. Two targets, two hunters. Plenty of meat for all.

The eerie sound echoed through the trees again, but it was now joined with the wet slap of multiple soaked limbs seeking purchase with the gore-soaked grass.]

[She knew her heart was hammering as they drew closer and she kept low, within arm's length of Kanji at least. There, rising from the water, came a form... but peering, even from this distance, something was wrong.]

[Like... the fact it wasn't the monster they were looking for wrong.]

... They're mimicking that sound?

Mimics? What?!

[He looked back to see glistening tentacles emerge in the pomlight, two pairs of eight lashing out at the two with hooked suckers. There was something wrong with them, something unlike what was normal for the species of monstrous octopus that lurked in the waters: Typically orange and more like the creatures of the depths, these ones were far from it and looked more like they were made of overstretched red flesh and glassy eyes.

But the sound wasn't coming from them... an eerie hissing was as they continued their assault.]

Hm...

[This was curious. Moving to put some distance between herself and the octopi, she had her gun drawn and loaded quick. Why did everything want to interrupt them right now? Their investigation was still underway.]

Seems like we'll have to deal with them as well.

[She backed off and he pulled forward, getting a harsh knock against the armor by a trio of tentacles among the two octopi. The hits were solid, thumping against chain and driving out a grunt of discomfort from him.]

Shit! These ones hit harder than those fish bastards!

[He retaliated with a solid swing with the hammer. Damn it, if only he could hit more than one at a time...! But he could already feel the Asterisk humming into his mind. If he just let himself get angry, there's be nothing left of these tentacled freaks... just let himself get angry...]

That's not good...

[She could take a fair amount of damage, but if this lasted too long, they would both go down. Following Kanji's attack, she took aim and fired at the second octopi to buy him some more time.]

[2v2. That was fine. This was just fine, so long as they were careful. They knew their limits back home, but he had a feeling they may have bitten off more than they could chew.

He just had to bite back.

The second octopus, struck, hissed and moved to advance on Naoto. If the little human wanted to run, she would learn that it was much faster than-]

The hell're you goin'!?

[The octopus was stopped as a metal boot came down on a tentacle, giving it a temporary leash. But Kanji had turned his back to do so, and suffered a full assault, courtesy of the octopus' friend. The red bled into the edges of his vision, and an odd red aura began to ooze like smoke from between the hinges of his armor. There was a heat all through his head, a heady, addictive sort of feeling that he knew only bursts of growing up. When he spoke, that red mist had even begun streaming from the corners of his mouth.]

We ain't done.

[She saw the Octopus coming in her direction, but she had some time to aim her next attack. However, the first one did take the opportunity to attack Kanji from behind. Not the best idea... not with the way the red aura started coming out.]

[And that tone... That would be the true ability of a berserk coming out.]

[Not the time to calm him. Instead, she fired her next shot at the first Octopus.]

[The octopus gave a screech, tentacles lashing as it was subjected to another gunslinger shot. Incensed, it began its move around its friend and the berserker to attack Naoto directly.

The second octopus was a little preoccupied with a hammer coming down on the base of the stepped-on tentacle, smashing clean through it and severing it from its body. As a dark fluid began to build and soak the grass, the tentacle thrashing its last upon the ground, attention was quickly turned to the monster's face. With a roar more beast than human, he raised the hammer again. He'll cave its face in next! Just hold still for a second!]

[She saw the first one coming towards her, but she could see that Kanji was going for the kill on the second. He just needed it to hold still.]

...

[Raising her gun, she pulled the trigger on the second to make it more compliable to Kanji's assault while trying to move back from the first, but she's not going to be able to escape it forever.]

[A hole was torn clean through the second octopus' mantle, spraying an odd fluid. The creature shuddered as the large head sack pulsated, but it wasn't given the chance to recover. Its face was bashed in, as promised, by the hammer. With a bellow that wavered and weakened into a grunt, the octopus fell, twitching in the grass.

The first clicked its beak in glee and it snatched out with all eight of its tentacles, grabbing for the Gunslinger.]

[Well, she can't say this was unexpected. As the octopus grabbed her, she struggled to get away, but she wasn't going to get very far between her limbs and its several arms. She needed her gun free...]

[Fortunately, looked like the still berserk Kanji needed a new target.]

Kanji-kun...!

[One down, and he sighed, albeit in dissatisfaction. Still angry... so angry, and there'd be nothing left but to keep beating this octopus into paste.

But his head lifted. He knew that name. That was his name. When he turned, the passively burning gaze focused. A new target was always nice, but the gaze turned to steel. When he slammed the hammer down to the ground, it embedded far deeply than the norm from the sheer force of it. That's because he didn't need it right now.

Kanji climbed onto the undulating octopus, and once perched upon its head, the red steam seeping between bared teeth, he thrust a fist into the right eye of the monster. With a spray of fluid, the octopus had started to shudder and scream. The grip was loosening, the unoccupied tentacles lashing and grabbing at anything it could for balance.]

Ya think you're real fuckin' slick. GIVE HER BACK.

[That had been quite more effective than she anticipated. For a moment, she was concerned about him leaving the hammer behind, but he doesn't need it - he really doesn't need it as he just pushed its eye, spraying both of them down with viscous fluids as it burst.]

[More than enough to be released from its hold, she briefly adjusted her cap and decided not to waste anymore time. She took aim and fired at the octopus's other, still in-tact eye.]

[It felt something slip free and had forgotten completely, so wracked with surprise and pain over the right side going dark. But the weight atop it was enough to know that this needed to stop and the source was there. Kanji grit his teeth and endured multiple strikes over his body, but kept his hold tight.

Then, with a bang, the left side of the octopus went dark. Its entire body thrashed about, and it felt around in the grass. It was time to run and save itself, even with a pair of Berserker fists pounding against its mantle with steadily-increasing ferocity. It felt itself waning as it turned, went by the scent of the lake... had to get there... had to...

But all it could smell was gunsmoke and all it could hear right now was the roar of some sort of animal. It didn't have much more in it.]

[It was struggling to escape now, but it had decided to attack then. It could've stayed in the lake, it didn't have to attack on sight, but it did.]

[So, while Kanji continued his attack and the octopus attempted a retreat, Naoto raised her gun again, pointing it at the octopus, and pulled the trigger.]

[Could it sense anything? Could it hear anything through his fists slamming against its head over and over? It staggered, fought to bring itself into the comfort of the waters, even while enduring that pummeling. Though the berserker was strong, the fists weren't the same as a hammer-

But a Gunslinger's shots were simply effective. With a shriek the octopus felt something tear through its core, severing more than a few important connections to muscle and sinew. As it slumped and rattled, the berserker didn't seem to be finished, picking up the sagging octopus' body and slamming it against the ground repeatedly.

Suzette sighed.]

800 gil received and takoyaki obtained, kupopo... what a mess! I-I vote that we're done here, kupo! Without a healer you can't persist! What if he shows up now and cuts you up into pieces, kupo!?

Tsk. He's not even listen-- oooh, okay, dear, that's- that's enough, you can stop now...!

[Panting, Naoto nodded with Suzette's assessment. It wouldn't do for them to stay here as they were now. Two battles successful, but they shouldn't risk attempting a third - or even encountering the Killer.]

[Taking a deep breath to help compose herself quickly, she looked over at Kanji.]

... Kanji-kun, it's dead. That's enough.

[He wasn't listening. Instead, when he stood and his armor was covered in octopus gore, he went to get his hammer instead. What his hands couldn't achieve, the hammer could provide.

Stringing colorful swears under his seething breath, he began bringing the hammerhead down on the corpse, the broken eyes, the mantle, the tentacles.]

Stupid slobbering slimy piece of shit, you don't touch ANYBODY THAT'S MINE-

[... Excuse her? What did he just say?]

Kanji-kun!

[She'd ask later. Right now, he needed the tea.]

[One more pound of the hammer against the gore and mush of the octopus, and the called name had him snap to attention. He was visibly breathless in the dark, oozing red, and as he lifted the now-dripping hammer to wield it one-handed, he raised it high in triumph.]

First, the octopus fuckers... next, the slasher!

[He tapped the flat of the hammer into his hand and looked around, something like a wild animal in search for the next hunt.]

I'll make my rounds near the cabins... hunt the hunter... get him with his own weapon, see how he likes it!

After you get some rest. We're going back to the group...

[Cheer, hoot, and make proclamations all he wanted, but they were going back before another confrontation. He might think he could do anything right now, but he couldn't. Canister out, she opened to lid and began to pour some barley tea for him.]

[He began to slowly pace the area, perhaps seeking the slasher. If there was some way to call it out that didn't involve being a camp counselor... or being a frisky teen.]

Don't need rest. Ready to go now! SLASHER! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YA!?

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