melodiesofkupo | ( video ) Curti Center Employee AMA

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( video ) Curti Center Employee AMA

[ The feed starts with the image of a dark-haired young woman, brows furrowed in concentration as she seems to be fiddling with the slate. Following several seconds she pulls back, seemingly satisfied. ]

Steady… There, it’s started.

Hello everyone, I hope many of you are doing well. We are the employees of Curti Center charged with assisting outworlders and newcomers to Vaikuntha.

First, I want to extend our apologies in our failing to answer all questions from the start. We found ourselves overwhelmed by the number of people and severely understaffed for the endeavour. Though not an excuse, we are always ready and available to assist you to the best of our abilities.

That said, I do feel it is our responsibility to inform those who were guided by Sarah Cornelia that she has departed from the Center, and we wish the best for her. The rest of us will do our utmost to carry on in her stead, which brings us to…

[ Stare. Staring off-screen. Yo, new guy, that’s your cue unless someone else wants to take over this part. ]

You’ve made it sound like she died-- what, is it my turn already?

Yes, in fact it is!

[The new guy turns out to be a blond man, but he doesn’t appear onscreen until he’s done talking, everyone else moving to allow him to be the center of attention.]

Hey, I’m Gi. I’ve met some of you and talked to some of you. I just got hired at the Curti Center, so I don’t know a lot of what goes on there, but I can tell you anything you want to know about the rest of Vaikuntha!

[ This last sentence earns him a small nudge from the third companion - a stern-looking, brown-haired young man, who decides it’s time to switch before his newest coworker gets too carried away with his enthusiasm. ]

As long as they’re questions we’re capable of answering. Anything from school or employment applications to Asterisks and housing - we would be happy to fill you in on the knowledge required should you wish to blend in with the local community.

[ Well, simply speaking it’s kind of their responsibility. He takes a moment to adjust his glasses before resuming. ]

I’m aware that many of you have taken interest in discovering the secrets of Vaikuntha and what lies beyond it. While I could point you in the direction of books that cover the subject in more detail, the Dream Width in particular is subject to an on-going research, so that the accidents such as the one we’ve witnessed recently can be avoided. And, of course - perhaps this shouldn’t be left for last - we’re continuously searching for a way to get you all home safely.

It’ll--ah, hmm, nevermind.

Nevermind…? [ Sylvarie takes a moment to look politely confused, but shrugs afterward and continues with addressing their audience. Ah, why did the screen have to be this small? ]

I suppose if… you want to ask questions about ourselves, we can discuss that as well. We do reserve the right to not answer, but the truth of the matter is—we don’t want to be strangers.

[ Well, some of them didn’t, anyway. At least, not completely. However, in that instance it occurs to her that there is one important detail they have yet to bring up. ]

Wait, I haven’t introduced myself. Everyone, we may need to start over—

[ A small groan can be heard off-screen. ]

Just drop our contact details below, this is already taking longer than it should.

We can’t be that crude about it!

Say your name, then. Nothing crude about that.

S… Sylvarie Aila Jue, of the Royal City of Myste Aura…

[ Was there anything else she was meaning to say? Nobody will ever know, because upon hearing that, the man with glasses accepts defeat and leans in for a brief moment, awkwardly bumping against Sylvarie’s shoulder in the process. ]

Lean. From Min’To...-

Kweh!

[ Hold on, that didn’t sound like a person… ]

Machi? How did you enter—? Saku—? Machi, no!

[ Alas, the perpetrator seems to have a mind of its own as a ball of fluffy black feathers charges right toward the screen, chirping merrily as it begins pecking at the glass. Feel free to sit down and enjoy these precious seconds of rare Chocobo footage before the feed abruptly shuts off. ]

[ ooc note: this is a joint video post of the following Curti Center employees: Sylvarie (purple), Gi (orange) and Lean (green) - guest starring Machi the Chocobo. As such, the replies might come from any of them - this is a completely open post where all sorts of threadjacking are allowed. If you have any questions, feel free to PM any of the players or poke us on Discord!

IC-ly, this takes place after the event. ]

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You got it. And eh, it needed cut anyway.

[He never really got the chance to? Too busy with the whole 'saving the multiverse' thing. He laughs.]

I guess dealing with creepy possessed dolls was kind of my trial by fire. Or the fact that for some reason I remember cleaning a kid's room with toys randomly appearing and disappearing? [He shrugs.] That place was weird and not in a good way. Combat robot and lasers sounds like fun, though.

[... Yeah he might need to rethink his definition of "fun" but no creepy dolls is a plus in his book.]

Eight? Nine this fall? [He shrugs.] Lost about five years like the others on Crystallis, but...

[It's only after he says that when he realizes how weird that sounds when it's just a fact of life to him. Whoops.]

... I'm a replica. A clone of someone else.

Oh, that's cool. I don't think I know any clones. Weird, since it's space and aliens and crazy science. [ That's however many less years of stress and use on the body after all. Hunk figures if they can clone someone, they can probably patch up the body a bit too. ] If you're like eight, doesn't that mean you'll probably outlive the original?

And how about you just never tell me about your training stuff again. [ His eyes go wide, and he sounds pretty darn serious. ] It sounds terrifying and I don't want the nightmares.

The combat robot was great because we didn't know how to fight as a team. I think we got better. [ But sometimes he wonders. ] The lasers were from a flying castle and they weren't fun. It ended up being training for all the lasers that people would shoot at us later, though!

[ But then he veers back to the cool part of the conversation. ] What kinda crazy advanced world did you have if you had cloning tech?

Yeah. Don't really like talking about it, so... It's a deal. [Yet he shrugs.] Wouldn't wish that on anyone, really.

[He wouldn't wish a lot of things on anyone. Even his creator.]

I only knew of one other, personally. We were created by the same guy. And no idea. Probably?

[Except he does know, but that isn't a conversation for the network, or a relative stranger. Takeshi pauses, as if trying to think about it for a minute.]

You know, I'm not really sure. Most of the rooms felt like a maze, and I'm told they would take on the appearance of places from your memory. But, I can't say for sure. Most of those days are a blur.

[Both memory addling and the passage of time didn't help, there. He figures it's good he doesn't try to remember beyond a certain point.] But, we knew of other worlds out there. And I remember Riku going to several... How many of those memories are real or not, I don't know.

Were you both clones of the same guy? Was Riku a friend? [ Blink blink. Staring. ] Your world sounds like it was really complicated.

[ And then he raises an eyebrow at the comment about memories being real, because there's a lot of weird stuff his brain's clinging to. ] I wouldn't worry too much about your memories. Sometimes I forget if I ate breakfast, so I eat an extra meal later. If you're not sure if a memory's real, just go make a better one later.

[ He chuckles, wholly unaware of if the memories are a touchy spot too. ] We're in a crazy world with monsters and magic and underwater cities, may as well see the sights!

Nah. I was a clone of Riku. She was a clone of someone else.

[He raises an eyebrow at first, but then... he laughs. He can't help it; it's just so normal that it's absurd to him.]

Besides, [he says, once he calms down a bit.] -been doing that for the last seven years.

[Give or take five of those.]

Those might be a bit crazy for you, but for me? It's a bit on the normal side. Heck, the first guy I ended up friends with had a talking dog and duck for his friends.

I mean, I met a talking dog person right after I got here, and... that's not that weird compared to aliens. Aliens are real weird.

[ He hasn't met Riku, but Hunk's hoping the original is as cool as his clone. A talking duck seems fun! ]

But okay, you've seen lots of crazy stuff, so... what's weird for you? [ He's expecting something brain-breakingly horrible. Maybe. He's not sure. This is exciting, either way. ]

Careful. Technically we're the aliens, here.

[Even though they look a lot like a decent portion of the population here.]

Probably what everyone perceives as normal, really. [He rubs the back of his neck.] I didn't even have a name of my own for a while. "Takeshi" was just something a... friend gave me, when I awoke in another world.

Yeah, I'm used to being the alien. [ And then he laughs. Hunk's lost track of how many planets he's visited by now. ]

Well, Takeshi's a good name. Sounds cool. [ Is that partially because it makes him think of Shiro? Maybe! Almost definitely. ] But okay if names are weird for you, what about... shopping? Cooking? Going to school?

[ He can list things all day. Stop him. Please. ]

I looked it up once. Gotta say, it's... kind of fitting, for what the real thing wanted to do. [He shrugs, but then Takeshi just. Stares. Because that sure is a list. He holds up a hand, trying to get him to stop.]

Shopping I got used to because I worked at a doll shop. One I'm glad that not many visited, by the way. So many glass eyes following you wherever you went, begging to be picked up... [s h u d d e r] Also work at an item shop here. Cooking is a bit hit and miss. I remember dishes Riku and his folks made, so mostly fish...? Also, never been myself. But I have plenty of memories of Riku doing so. It's weird sorting those out.

No. Nononono. No, a doll shop doesn't count as shopping. [ Hunk actually shudders. ] That's so creepy! Shopping isn't supposed to be terrifying, Takeshi, and it doesn't count if you're on the other side of the counter!

[ He lets out a deep breath, trying not to have his voice get more and more shrieky. ] So... why not go to school here? You have some memories already and that means you might not have to work as hard! Or... you could pick up a new hobby! Something that's totally new to you and Riku.

[ And then he waits, expecting a "great idea!" because Hunk thinks it's a really great idea. ]

Fair enough. [He smirks.] Though I'd argue it does because I get the employee discount~

[Access to weapons and potions at discounted prices are wonderful. The inquiry, however, earns a raised eyebrow and a shrug.]

Never saw the use for it. I got programmed to know tech from home like a second language along top of it, so... [beat] What's a hobby?

[He's kidding, or is he? Nah, he's just kidding. Or is he?]

Wh-what. [ His eyes go wide. ] A hobby is a thing you do for fun! It has nothing to do with your job. Or your Jobs. [ A beat. He's thinking. ]

Back home, I cooked as a hobby. [ And to relieve stress. ] My best friend played video games. And I knew someone who cared for a couple space mice, and they'd put on little shows and stuff.

[ Another beat. ] So... what do you like to do for fun?

Huh. [He thinks on that for a moment, aaaand:] Sparring. And running, especially now.

[...Yeah he might have a Problem and that's even the real thing not having many hobbies.]

What? [ Eyebrow raise. Head tilt. ] No. No way, we fight monsters all the time anyway, that means it doesn't count. [ Running might, but. Tabling that for now. ]

Have you tried building something? Like a toy airplane. [ Then his eyes go wide. ] Or a garden! Gardening is fun, it's some work to take care of it, and you get free food!

[ He's staring expectantly at you, Takeshi. ]

Hey, it can be fun! [Hunk. Why you gotta.]

Nope, and- [Wait.] nope.

[Considering he was made to fight this is still kinda... new? Going against that kind of programming with healing magic? Baby steps.]

So give it a shot! You never know, you might have fun. [ And then there's a mischievous glint in his eyes. ] Or...

You could try cooking. Not like super basic survivalist cooking. [ There is a wide grin. ] Gourmet cooking. There's fancy knives, and you can do things like punch dough! It's basically fighting on behalf of your stomach.

... Punching. dough.

[Oh no he's actually considering it. Despite knowing what Gourmand is and does and this guy has that asterisk.]

Yep! And chopping through some stuff is actually really cathartic. Vegetables and meat don't try to kill you unless you mess up, and you just get sick.

[ That might've been all the enabling Hunk needed. ] So what's the fanciest thing you've ever cooked? Especially if it's not fish, since that reminds you of Riku.

Hm, maybe. [Though now that he thinks about it, he kind of... wants to try making something? Just in general.]

All I know are fish recipes, and it doesn't bother me. [...Oddly enough, he kind of misses the real thing. They'd gotten close as brothers, once. In another world.]

Ok, well fish get hard to cook if you're not near any fish. What if you're in a desert? What are you gonna cook then? [ He raises an eyebrow and gives Takeshi a look. Tell him he's wrong, dude. You can't. ]

So what I'm thinking is one of these days, I'll call you over to help me out with cooking some new stuff that you haven't had before. And then you can try out cooking and new food! [ He's smiling at you, pal. Hunk's looking right at you through that video feed and smiling. Don't shoot him down. ] What do you say? Sound like fun?

[ You don't know what fun or hobbies are, Takeshi, just go along with it!!! ]

Considering I'll be moving up north because Miu here can't stand the heat... [Kweh! ...Yep, that sure is a white chocobo friend who decided to butt her head against Takeshi's back and then look over his shoulder at the device in his hands.]

So long as you don't slam your back against another electrified fence to short circuit a bomb again, sure.

[Nope. You're never living it down, Hunk.]

Woohoo! [ Hunk cheers into the video feed. Loudly. ] It's gonna be fun, Takeshi, I promise!

[ And then he raises an eyebrow and starts to talk in a snarky, singsong kinda way. ] Y'know... I wouldn't have slammed my back against an electric fence if you hadn't used that Protect spell. [ And then he wags a finger. Being good at being a White Mage means your party can be a little crazier! Right? Isn't that how this works? He doesn't know what it's like to fight alongside a healer at all. ]

We'll see about that. [Don't worry, Hunk. It's only a joke. Judging by the grin on his face.

One that quickly fades to slight annoyance because w o w.]

That's not an excuse to be so reckless! If it had been any higher voltage, or the other two hadn't pinned that moogle down, it could have been far worse!

Have you ever slammed into an electric fence before? [ The words are sudden and... surprisingly serious. ] I... actually have. And then I climbed right over it. [ For a pie, but still. ] There wasn't any weird magic or anything back home, either.

[ But then he looks sheepish and awkward and... a little sad. ] I know it could've been worse, that I could've died. It was stupid and crazy and we needed to do something about it, but we also had to stop that moogle, so... I did it anyway.

[ And then he cracks a smile. ] Besides, it's no world-devouring space worm, that was way worse!

No, but I'm sensing a story or two here. [Maybe three. He's not sure yet.] Had to deal with a giant space whale and its "friends" once. That was... interesting.

[The anger and annoyance subsides slightly, at least.] Little more warning next time? Though I kinda hope that was the last electric fence we have to deal with for a while.

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chefbayardee - 2018-08-01 05:05 (UTC) - Expand

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acceptedlife - 2018-08-01 06:43 (UTC) - Expand

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( video ) Curti Center Employee AMA

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