COMMENCE VOYAGE

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know the Atlantic Ocean has a surface area of 41.1 million square miles? No reason.

...

There's something uneasy in the air as you come to.

Well, "come to" is an interesting word in this case. It implies waking up, which is not exactly what happens. None of you are in beds, nor are you really asleep in the traditional sense. One moment you're somewhere else, doing something else with your time, and the next? You're somewhere on board a massive cruise ship - maybe lounging on a deck chair by the pool, maybe getting some Gains in the exercise room, maybe enjoying the tasteful décor in the buffet - and you have no idea how you got here or how you might get back. This is not your beautiful house. If you have a beautiful wife, she isn't here.

What you do have, apart from 25 other unlucky souls, is a small smartphone-like device in your pocket with only a handful of things on it: a clock reading 11PM, a pdf of a ticket in your name on a special Atlantic Liners New Year's Eve Cruise, an app labeled Passenger Profiles with some basic information on your traveling companions, and a message:

Welcome aboard, passenger! Please feel free to partake of any of the facilities while you wait for the big event! Remember: when midnight comes, you better make your way to the theatre at the back of Level 1 for the main event! The Captain and the First Mate will be there to take care of you all personally, and to help you ring in the new year in style!

Well, that's a start. But what you do until then, it seems, is up to you!

Comments

[hypnowhip]

Sorry to add to the bafflement in this case, darling! But I really do appreciate the explanation.

[scythegun]

No, no, better to get this out there early, ja? It would be much worse to have to explain all this later!

[...okay, considering it's yeager, it really wouldn't be since he's always this laidback, but you know what he's getting at!!]

[hypnowhip]

I suppose there's no better time than now, since we're all just exploring! But still...I launched into questions about your world without even getting to know you first! I swear my manners are not usually this horrible.

[With a small bow,]

Who am I having the delight of speaking with?

[scythegun]

Think nothing of it! This situation truly has thrown us all off a bit, ja?

[But with a return bow:] Yeager, it's a pleasure to meet you.

[hypnowhip]

I'm glad you understand, darling. Still, I'm mortified!

[But there's no time like the present to rectify things! He's pleased that Yeager seems to be taking this all in stride as well though.]

The pleasure's all mine, Yeager! I'm Sylvando. You might've already formed a guess or two about what I do [from his talk of performances] but what's your story?

[scythegun]

[Between that and the outfit, he's got a pretty good guess, yeah.]

I'm the leader of a guild named Leviathan's Claw. [you'll probably need to read the profile to figure out what he just said, he absolutely butchers the name with that accent.] For the most part, I work as a businessman! My guild handles quite a few odd jobs as well, though.

[hypnowhip]

[Yeager please--]

A guild leader, how exciting! [Though with stuff like blastia in Yeager's world, Sylvando figures they must be a little different from the guilds he's familiar with.] What sort of business do you handle?

[scythegun]

Buying and selling blastia, primarily! I may not be a researcher, but I like to think I know enough to make a nice profit!

[..........let's not mention ruin's gate, that sounds good!!]

[hypnowhip]

Oh! Back to blastia!

[After thinking about it a moment more, he sends a wink Yeager’s way.]

Then were you just being modest with me earlier, Yeager darling?

[scythegun]

[That gets a laugh out of him, anyway!!]

A bit, perhaps. But I truly wouldn't know the first thing about fixing a blastia or any of that... [he pantomimes the equivalent of typing on a keyboard in the air. you know that weird thing the mages do with blastia sometimes.] "recalibrating" thing, I think it's called?

My knowledge is when and where to sell them and who will be looking for what, not what makes them tick!

[hypnowhip]

[The action gets a quizzical look from Sylvando. He sure as fuck does not know what that even signifies, but apparently recalibrating is involved in fixing a blastia, sure.]

I see, I see! So for you, the fun is in the trade! Is that what got you into the business in the first place?

[scythegun]

Ja, precisely! There's something very fun about getting to travel all over and see so much of Terca Lumireis... and of course, I can't claim I don't enjoy finding a good deal and making money!

[hypnowhip]

Finding fun in traveling is definitely something we have in common! It’s part of what I found so alluring about the circus life. There are so many different places and people to meet that you might not have otherwise!

Terca Lumireis though, eh...? It’s so strange to hear of a completely unknown world...but it does have a lovely ring to it!

[scythegun]

The circus! My, that sounds exciting. You'll have to tell me more about that - and those places and people! - at some point, it sounds like you've been having a great time!

[hypnowhip]

I’d be happy to!

[He suddenly claps.]

Oh! I know! We could trade stories of our travels! How fun would that be?

[scythegun]

Oh, yes, of course - that sounds wonderful! Would you care to start?

[hypnowhip]

Hehe, of course! Here's a little taste for when we really get into it later.

[Yggdrasil knows they're going to have plenty of time to share stories after the captain's...everything...]

One of my favorite places to visit is Gallopolis! It is a desert city with a thriving entertainment scene. The circus has a permanent location there, and I always try to sneak a performance in while I'm in town. But what Gallopolis is really famous for is its horse races! I've competed with my darling Margarita many times!

[All of this is spoken with utmost fondness in his voice. He really needs to get back there sometime...]

[scythegun]

My, that sounds delightful! For horse races, do you mean betting on which rider will be the fastest?

[The guilds don't have any sort of organized thing like that, but you can't tell me this has never been done in Terca Lumireis. We totally have horse races. (Also hopefully we will not have to get into "why are horses in Vesperia like that" today.)]

[hypnowhip]

[Oh my god, hopefully not...]

That's right! There are also competitions for racers to complete laps within a certain amount of time, and fabulous prizes at stake! It's a wonderful time for all!

[scythegun]

It certainly does sound like it! We don't have anything nearly that organized in Terca Lumireis; the closest we have is likely Nordopolica, though the entertainment there is more in the coliseum-style fights sort of way!

[hypnowhip]

Ahhh, the good old beat-'em-ups. [Sylvando sounds no less enthusiastic about it, though. What isn't there to enjoy about watching hot people fight??] You'd want to go to Octagonia for that sort of thing if you were to visit Erdrea.

All right, so question for you, then! What's one place that you're always excited to travel to on business?

[scythegun]

[see, you get it!!]

Well, Nordopolica is quite lovely, though it is dreadfully far away and the trip there is usually so dull... So I'd have to go with Dahngrest. It's home to the Guild Union - so I do spend quite a bit of time there! Dahngrest has quite the variety of people and sights - but the main attraction is certainly doing business and exchanging information with other guilds!

[And annoying Don Whitehorse used to be an attraction there as well, but unfortunately something terrible happened to him that was definitely not Yeager's fault at all.]

[hypnowhip]

[(unsure)]

Sounds like my kind of place! One of my favorite things about traveling is chatting with the locals, and if all the guilds gather there, I bet it's an amazing melting pot!

[scythegun]

It is, ja! There are all sorts of people there; guild members and merchants and those who have left the Empire for the freedom the guilds provide... It certainly is a very lively place!

Of course, many of the other cities are impressive as well, but I'll always have a soft spot for Dahngrest.

[hypnowhip]

The guilds and the Empire, eh...? Sounds like a story of its own! It's a shame we can't just sit and chat, but I'm sure they'll be summoning us any time now...

[And boy is that going to be a Time.]

Let's put a pin in this for now, okay darling?