[Video]-- Level 4-- First step to equipping materia: Press the start button...
[the feed opens innocuously where one(1) chocobo-haired ex-delivery boy-- that is, Cloud Strife, apparently deep in the middle of a conversation with one(1) ... purple biker aka Richezza. HOW THE HELL DID THE GUIDE JUST OPEN? Well-- it might have to do with Cloud tinkering with it recently, but that's neither here nor there.]
--wait, so it... like, clones itself when you max it out, or something?
I guess. Materia just grows on its own the more you use it. Not sure how it works on the ship.
...Huh. Okay. I'll keep that in mind. ...By the way, what's it look like?
They're round crystals. Different kinds of magic get different colours.
Aaaand you're from Gaia, right?
...Yeah. Why?
...Oh. No reason. It's not like I saw some guy with a sign that said 'Debris from Gaia for Sale,' and it's not like I saw him selling materia or anything.
-- What?
Do you want me to take you or not? [[Stupid grin and folding his arms]]
... Alright. Show me. If it's really materia, I'll know.
[AND THEN CROWD AND RICKSHAW WENT ON AN ADVENTURE WHERE RICHEZZA DROVE CLOUD TO THE GUY WHO WAS SELLING IT and oh look there they are at a stand with shiny round marbles and tennis balls because what is size consistency in a final fantasy game]
See? These things. Aren't these materia?
[Cloud takes one in his hand] ...Yeah. They feel like materia, too.
...Feel?
IF YOU AREN'T BUYIN', I'D APPRECIATE YOU TWO MOVING ALONG.
-- How much?
[INSERT STUPIDLY HIGH PRICE HERE]
...How about this? What if I told you I could borrow this gem for a while, and then come back with another one of the same current value, but the original's price skyrocketed?
...What're you playing at?
[pretend there is an explanation that almost makes sense here coming from Richezza with Cloud adding in at points]
Hng. Well, let me hold on to some collateral for a while. Your bike, for example.
No way!
Then no deal.
[CLOUD CUTS IN this nice debacle] I can pay for the materia.
...You're sure? [[FEELS BAD, MAN]]
[shrugs] It's fine. I don't really use my credits a lot. [PLUS we can just master a bunch and start our own materia selling gig and MAKE MONEY <= can sometimes have a businessman mindset thank you time spent being party leader]
...Okay. Which one should I buy? [[RICHEZZA HOLDS UP THE THUNDER MATERIA]] This one?
That's Thunder.
...Like the sound?
... No.
Then what is it?
Lightning bolts.
[[immediately]] I want this one!
[Cloud is visibly starting to regret this decision, though Richezza is smiling so hard you guys so hard. CLOUD BUYS IT with a sigh and shrug, as if WHAT CAN YA DO, ignoring that collateral damage will be on him. Then he buys himself a basic set of fire/cure/thunder/ice, because damn it HE CAN. CLOUD IS NOW POOR.]
--wait, so it... like, clones itself when you max it out, or something?
I guess. Materia just grows on its own the more you use it. Not sure how it works on the ship.
...Huh. Okay. I'll keep that in mind. ...By the way, what's it look like?
They're round crystals. Different kinds of magic get different colours.
Aaaand you're from Gaia, right?
...Yeah. Why?
...Oh. No reason. It's not like I saw some guy with a sign that said 'Debris from Gaia for Sale,' and it's not like I saw him selling materia or anything.
-- What?
Do you want me to take you or not? [[Stupid grin and folding his arms]]
... Alright. Show me. If it's really materia, I'll know.
[AND THEN CROWD AND RICKSHAW WENT ON AN ADVENTURE WHERE RICHEZZA DROVE CLOUD TO THE GUY WHO WAS SELLING IT and oh look there they are at a stand with shiny round marbles and tennis balls because what is size consistency in a final fantasy game]
See? These things. Aren't these materia?
[Cloud takes one in his hand] ...Yeah. They feel like materia, too.
...Feel?
IF YOU AREN'T BUYIN', I'D APPRECIATE YOU TWO MOVING ALONG.
-- How much?
[INSERT STUPIDLY HIGH PRICE HERE]
...How about this? What if I told you I could borrow this gem for a while, and then come back with another one of the same current value, but the original's price skyrocketed?
...What're you playing at?
[pretend there is an explanation that almost makes sense here coming from Richezza with Cloud adding in at points]
Hng. Well, let me hold on to some collateral for a while. Your bike, for example.
No way!
Then no deal.
[CLOUD CUTS IN this nice debacle] I can pay for the materia.
...You're sure? [[FEELS BAD, MAN]]
[shrugs] It's fine. I don't really use my credits a lot. [PLUS we can just master a bunch and start our own materia selling gig and MAKE MONEY <= can sometimes have a businessman mindset thank you time spent being party leader]
...Okay. Which one should I buy? [[RICHEZZA HOLDS UP THE THUNDER MATERIA]] This one?
That's Thunder.
...Like the sound?
... No.
Then what is it?
Lightning bolts.
[[immediately]] I want this one!
[Cloud is visibly starting to regret this decision, though Richezza is smiling so hard you guys so hard. CLOUD BUYS IT with a sigh and shrug, as if WHAT CAN YA DO, ignoring that collateral damage will be on him. Then he buys himself a basic set of fire/cure/thunder/ice, because damn it HE CAN. CLOUD IS NOW POOR.]