Event || Worldwide Tourists

[eternitymods]

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.]

Comments

[warpstriking]

[Noctis leans in, face completely serious.] Do you really wanna find out?

[He knows he wouldn't. He got enough kidney stabs he had to heal with potions as it is!! Maybe it's just a once bitten, twice shy kinda deal, but it's still not something he even thinks about being a possibility.]

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just shrugs awkwardly at Noct's question. He had a real good point. ] No. No, I do not.

[ But then he sighs, shoulders slumping just a bit. ] I just wanna run into a monster that doesn't want to kill us, y'know? Why is that so much to ask for?

[warpstriking]

[Good plan. But if they actually do meet a nice Tonberry, then his mind might be a bit b l o w n. . .]

You and me both. It'd be a nice change of pace.

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk takes a moment to nod, clearly enabled by Noct's words. ] I mean, seriously.

[ He rolls his eyes. ] It took a while, but we found aliens that didn't want to kill us, so where are the monsters like that?

[warpstriking]

[Blink. Aliens, huh. (Was now a bad time to point out they're technically all aliens to those on this planet?)]

Your guess is as good as mine.

[chefbayardee]

W-wait. [ Hunk's eyes go wide again. His eyelids might be the strongest muscles in his body. ] Do chocobos count as monsters? They can kill you, and the Cavalier thing has them do weird stuff, but they're really friendly...

[ Hunk looks very, very conflicted over this notion. Chocobos are too cute to be monsters, right? Right?! ]

[warpstriking]

No, they don't count. They're companion animals, and some of the most stalwart of allies when trained well.

[chefbayardee]

So they're like dogs. Awesome! [ He sighs, and just starts smiling. He doesn't need to worry about evil chocobos, thank goodness. ] You... you do know what a dog is, right, Noct?

[ People don't know what pizza is sometimes. He can't assume anything! ]

[warpstriking]

[Only because there (hopefully) aren't and red chocobos. Rest in pieces if there are.]

Yeah, kinda. [He pauses, then smiles.] Of course. My fiancee had two. More of a cat person myself, but Umbra and Pryna were the best.

[Uh oh. You got him started on cute animals. Hope you're happy, Hunk.]

Umbra passed along messages between us for twelve years. Pryna never really visited after someone hurt her when she tried to see me.

[chefbayardee]

[ See, Hunk was all-in to talk about cute animals, but then Noct mentioned Pryna getting hurt, and the mood shifted immediately to gloom. Noct... ]

Was... was she okay? [ But then he gets a little smile. He knows how to take them out of this dark place! ] Did you get her a guard dog afterwards?

[ Dogs all the way down. Dogs on dogs on dogs on dogs. ]

[warpstriking]

Yeah, she was. Apparently some nerd who likes taking photos of animals found her and helped her out.

[There is a hint of fondness in his tone, far from any sense of gloom. Well, for him anyway.]

Pryna never really left Luna’s side after that, far as I know. Umbra was dead set on not letting her deliver messages after that. He’s a bit protective of his sister.

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just gasped at Noct's words. Not just because a wildlife photographer found Pryna, but because she had a brother! ] I'm glad everything worked out okay in the end.

So, wait, if Pryna got hurt, wouldn't Umbra be in danger when he was delivering those messages? Or is Umbra part wolf or something?

[ The last question sounded just a bit sarcastic, but not so much to indicate Hunk was entirely joking. ]

And why didn't you just, like, send a text message?

[warpstriking]

Ditto. I'd started getting worried, myself.

[Because he kind of loves those dog Messengers. Umbra is practically his bro, just like Carbuncle. Especially now, that-

...

Noctis looks away as Hunk continues the tirade of questions, making sure to pick up the tonberry doll and securing it in his pack before he stands.]

She didn't have a phone, and even if she did... it wouldn't have been safe for her to contact me with it.

[...]

We're gonna be late.

[For the airship, that is. He doesn't even wait for a response before slinging the pack over his shoulder and taking the first steps to the exit. Part of him is grateful that his ambient magic is so cut off by the world itself, because if it wasn't... it likely have dropped ten degrees back there.]

[chefbayardee]

[ It wouldn't have been safe? That wasn't the turn he expected things to take. Nor was Noct's sudden departure. As much as he wanted to ask about it, to pry into the issue, Hunk knew that wasn't a good idea- he literally just met this guy, and their casual conversation just crumbled. Probing this would be weird.

So he won't. He can't, without feeling bad about it. And so he just packs up his own belongings, namely tossing the last of his food into a baggie hiding in his backpack. After a moment of further pause, Hunk follows.

Poking a sore spot was uncomfortable, but getting left behind in an unknown city would be so much worse, so he hurried after Noct, if only so he'd have someone with him. ...Hunk might've forgotten how to get back to the airship. ]

[warpstriking]

[Probably a smart move on Hunk's part, but if he thought about it hard enough, how Noct worded a lot of things in their casual conversation, he might be able to piece some things together. 'Cuz he sure did use a lot of past tense.

He doesn't show it all that much, but he breathes a little easier with footsteps behind him. Especially when he glances behind him and realizes it's just his new acquaintance. His food buddy.

Good. It's... good he didn't accidentally singe that bridge like the lettuce leaf earlier. He just sucks at talking about things he's emotionally tied to that aren't, well, happy. There's too much sadness in his world and he's far too used to keeping his own bottled up until it, well, explodes.]

...Sorry. [He says, once they leave the guild hall. Mostly for being so curt back there.] You OK?

[Because that was kinda scalding. And sudden.]

[chefbayardee]

Are you okay? [ Hunk might've picked up on the past tense, but they were also in a whole different chunk of timespace with no idea if they're going back. So. He never dwelled. ] You just up and left, it was weird.

[ And then he tilts his head a bit, shooting the guy a cheeky, condescending sort of look. ] Y'know, if you left without me I probably would've gotten stuck here. [ A chuckle! He's making a joke. And smiling! Defuse the awkward! ] Thanks for waiting up.