Test Drive - 004

[ateratmods]

TEST DRIVE 004

Welcome to Aterat!

Here is our forth Test Drive Meme! There are a lot of areas of the city to explore, so please have a look around! In case you need a little help getting started, I've included a few prompts below, or feel free to start your own! Exploration and player initiative are the names of the game here!

Helpful Links to Get Started

Arrival & General Information | Locations & Bestiary | Residences & Housing Info | Businesses | Rules & FAQ (ask questions here!)

A. Crash into Me

Not exactly, but close enough. You have just arrived and received a strange satchel from a tiny, strange little man and are left more or less to your own devices (more information on what to expect upon arrival can be found here)! Follow directions to the north and check out the housing, or maybe have a look around the Historium and try to get some information from that giant glowing ball, see what you can waste your meager starter coin on in the Market District, or maybe just meet the neighbors.

B. A Winter's Ball

What brand new ballroom would be complete without a fancy new winter's ball to break it in? Things are a little strange at the ballroom (check the prompts) with mistletoe that traps you for a kiss with a random passerby, strange gray meringue that makes you willing to overshare, not to mention the fact that one of your strange possible overlords funded the whole thing. What's the worst that could happen?

C. We're all hanging out at the park, right?

The park near the Complex has become a glittering expanse of show! Children and adults alike build snowmen and even sled down some of the higher hills in the area. There are stands around the park selling hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and cider, as well as sweets and wrapped snacks for the day in the park. Speckling the park at regular intervals are standing fire pits designed to ward away the cold and allow for gatherings and conversation.

The pond in the park has frozen over as well, affording the abilities to ice skate as the ever-industrious Raimon is renting skates, and maybe even challenge people to a hockey game. How hard could it be to find some makeshift pucks and other accoutrements in order to play a game?

Tell Phone

The Tell Phones everyone are provided when they arrive are capable of voice transmission and texting as well and photo texts!

NAVIGATION

Comments

a

[tessellatedflood]

[Noah watches the whole book-summoning process, transfixed in awe. Even Flood isn't capable of that kind of precision action at a distance! The level of technology in this world must surpass their own.

When she's retrieved the book, they applaud, politely but with enthusiasm.]

[weyetch]

[Witch starts a little in place, glancing about to see if she's missed something, before realizing that, oh, nope, we're excited about levitation.]

Thanks? Didn't think it was that much of a performance.

[tessellatedflood]

No no no, it was incredible! I'm equipped with cutting-edge technology and even I can't do something that delicate and precise. How does it work?

[weyetch]

It's a pretty basic levitation spell. [She brandishes her wand as she explains.] Crow up there helps locate the item, figure out exactly where it is, and channeling the magic through the wand helps focus it so you can make sure you're getting the whole book and nothin' but.

[tessellatedflood]

Wait, magic? Do you mean actual magic, or like the Arthur C. Clarke bit about sufficiently advanced technology?

[As far as they are aware, magic isn't real, but they can't disprove it, either, so they're cautiously open to the notion.]

[weyetch]

Oh, yeah, no, actual magic. [A little flick of her wand and purple sparks dance around the tip. Crow, meanwhile, flutters on down to roost on Witch's shoulder by her visible eye now that he's realized there's a conversation going on.] Spell casting, witchcraft, whatever you wanna call it is fine, really.

[tessellatedflood]

That's amazing! [They're practically sparkling.] I've never seen real magic before! I didn't even think it actually existed! Can you teach me a little magic, or do you need to be born with it?

[weyetch]

I mean— [hoo boy she can certainly respect the excitement but she was NOT ready for this level of enthusiasm] You sure aren't gonna pick it up in a day, but everything I know can be taught.

[tessellatedflood]

YES! Thank you! I forgot to introduce myself!

[Noah does their best to take it down a notch.]

Nice to meet you! My name is Noah. I'm an artificial intelligence!

[weyetch]

No shit? You weren't kidding about the cutting-edge technology, huh. [She might never be so openly excited about anything as Noah is about existence in general, apparently, but she can't help but perk up a little. Crow tilts his head and ruffles his feathers a little, just as curious.] I'm Witch. I'm a witch. Good to meet you, too. You new here?

[tessellatedflood]

I just appeared here today, but even beyond that, when it comes to life outside of the lab where I was raised, I still consider myself an amateur. I don't even really know what's exciting because it's unique to this place, or what's exciting because I just didn't know about it until now.

[weyetch]

Yeah? Well, welcome to the outside world, I guess. [She gives a lazy little jazz hand to accompany it. Really, though, so soon after rescuing the Homunculus, it's easy for her to look at this kid and think, oh shit, someone's gotta look out for them. It slowly dawns on her that that might mean her.] This is gonna be a weird introduction to it, I'm pretty sure, but beats being all cooped up, right?

[tessellatedflood]

Yes, exactly! My goal is to become more human every day, so it's a gift to finally be living among them! If magic is a part of that, I might as well see if I've got what it takes.

[weyetch]

[noncommittal wiggly hand motion and "eehhh" noise] I mean, probably just as many humans practicing magic as there are humans flippin' their lids 'cause it exists. Wouldn't really call it a part of living like us or anything.

[tessellatedflood]

Even so, it's a chance to experience something new, right? And whether or not an android can use magic at all sounds like an interesting question. Aren't you curious, too?

[weyetch]

Oh, like you wouldn't believe. [Well—she knows that, theoretically, the answer is yes; she's seen enough of it done in the Black Catalog, but no two androids are the same, and Noah gives every indication of being especially advanced. But this place is too new for her to decide how safe it is to speak of all that just yet.] Just wanted you to know what you were getting into. But hey, if you're still that jazzed about it, then I guess I'm taking on apprentices now.

[tessellatedflood]

Then I leave my education in your capable hands, my teacher.

[Noah gives a stately, somewhat exaggerated bow.]

What should I call you?

[weyetch]

[She snickers a little into her hand.]

Seriously, just "Witch" is fine. Don't work yourself up too much about the whole thing.