Story Reader / Event Story / Stellar Narratives / Story
You expected the arcade to be popular, but this is beyond anything you imagined.
Countless people crowd around a strength-testing punching machine. Who knew these pre-Golden Age arcade games could be so popular? Among the crowd, you notice familiar bright red hair.
I strongly protest the destructive behavior of this Babylonia Construct in Constellia!
Driven by curiosity, you squeeze through the crowd and see a punching machine warped and broken from excessive force. The furious vendor curses angrily at Noctis, who stands there without a care.
Destructive behavior? Please. These salvaged Golden Age antiques are just too fragile. I barely touched it and it broke on its own.
Dissatisfied: Unacceptable behavior! This is complete circuit spaghetti! Conveying demand: Construct Noctis must repair the damage and provide compensation.
Circuit spaghetti? Now that actually sounds kind of tasty. Repair it? Not really my specialty. Want me to try punching it in reverse with the same force instead?
Seriously doubting Noctis' idea of "fixing it with a punch" would end well, you quickly stop him.
[player name]? Commandant! Perfect timing!
Noctis grabs you like you're his savior and prepares to introduce you grandly.
(Whispers) Help me out here, Commandant. I really don't know how to fix stuff!
Vendor, do you know who this is? It's [player name], Gray Raven's Commandant, the hero of humanity! If anyone can fix it, it's [player name]!
Identity confirmed: Commandant [player name]. Requesting compensation from Babylonia.
How about this, [player name]? Help me sort out this mess, and I'll take you somewhere amazing. I promise it's an experience you've never had before!
You take out your terminal and make some quick calls. Soon, the Engineering Force agrees to send someone to handle the repairs.
After giving the repair team's contact info to the vendor, the arcade incident is finally settled. To thank you, Noctis hands you a large cup of freshly squeezed juice.
All sorted? I knew you'd handle it. This one's yours.
Heh, you'll see. It's gonna blow your mind.
You're now standing at the top of a towering windmill, high above Constellia. Noctis is in front of you, wearing something that can only be described as a ridiculous custom wingsuit. He spreads his arms theatrically.
Well? Ever seen anything like this?
What, you already know about it? Man, I've been holding back this whole time so I could surprise you.
Wait, you've tried it before, haven't you? Beat me to it? Seriously, does F.O.S. teach you everything?
Extreme sport? I always thought it was some high-stakes infiltration technique. Well, either way, if you haven't done it, I'm taking you now.
I figured you'd say that. That's why I came prepared.
As if to prove his skill, Noctis pulls out his terminal and shows you a video of himself flying through the sky. In the footage, Noctis flows with ease, gliding through the air like a bird.
Noctis expertly straps you in front of him. Despite his usual loud personality, he's surprisingly careful as he checks every buckle and strap. Even his voice lowers a bit as he explains safety measures.
Alright, [player name], you ready? We're about to conquer the sky.
Far below, the festival still buzzes with life. But up here, no one notices as two figures, like birds, leap from the top of the windmill tower and dive into open air.
Woohoo! How does it feel, [player name]?
The wind screams past your ears. Gravity pulls, steady and strong. You fall slower than you imagined, but your heart pounds like a drum. Every logical thought is stripped away by the rush of air...
With Noctis holding firm and the wingsuit fully deployed, the two of you glide like a single bird cutting through the sky.
The air is crisp and cold, but the warmth of his chest against your back keeps you grounded.
Don't look down, [player name]. Look ahead. There, see? You're flying, Commandant!
His words yank your thoughts back into focus. You shift your gaze forward and finally see it.
The horizon curves gently. The sky stretches endlessly. A pale blue canopy above. A battered planet below.
As you glide farther, new sights slowly rise from beyond the horizon. The beauty of it loosens every last knot of tension.
Watching Constellia grow smaller below, one very important question finally comes to mind—one that Noctis never addressed.
What?
The good news: you didn't land too far from Constellia. The bad news: neither of you has any way to get back.
So? [player name], I bet this was the most exciting part of the festival for you, right?
Then it's time for something even more exciting: award ceremony!
Noctis pulls out a crudely made certificate from who-knows-where and hands it to you. Your name, [player name], is already written on it. Looks like he planned this all along.
Awarded personally by the great Noctis, the first wingsuit flight certificate since the Golden Age.
I know you're probably gonna say something like "The view was reward enough," or whatever. But that doesn't fly with me!
Now we're the only two people in the world with flight certificates. Next time we fly, we do it together again. Deal?
What is it?
Huh? I don't know! It just sounded cool, okay?! Let's just go already!
