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

[gadaboutdetective]

“Half a year... A substantial length of time, then.” He murmured thoughtfully. Not the longest he’d heard (or experience himself) as far as being pulled from one world to another was concerned. But it was longer than a lot that he’d seen. 

Llewellyn hummed a little though, something she said sticking out to him. “So you’re from uh— another planet other than earth...?” But her sister lived on Earth, or a version of earth... That was interesting. He had a vague knowledge of there being worlds where life existed beyond earth at least, thanks to his time in the last world. So he’s not entirely surprised by the news, but he wouldn’t be who he was if he wasn’t curious. 

Tucking his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the building as he continued to look up. “Mm... If you don’t mind me asking, how have you found your half a year here?”

[kree_soldieress]

Was it? Lauri-Ell supposed so. It had felt like less.

"Indeed I am. Kree are not native to the planet Earth. Why would we be?"

Surely that was logical. Had he ever seen a blue-person on Earth?

"It has been nice. I have learned of snow and hot chocolate and smithing."

[gadaboutdetective]

No, Lauri-Ell, he certainly had not.

Her response does give him an idea that it seemed like a very logical thing, to know of very tall, strong, blue people from other planets. Admittedly, George Crabtree probably would have had something to say, and he would be delighted to know he was right about people from other planets... Still, as far as Llewellyn knew, they might not in his world. “I uh— I guess that’s probably true. I only ask because I’ve learned a little about other worlds, and some of them seem so different. I’m... a curious person, I guess.” He rubbed the back of his neck lightly, “On my earth, I’m either from an era before anything concerning people on other planets has been discovered, or there is nothing.” 

Llewellyn was usually in the ‘anything is possible’ category, but he liked to find proof just the same. 

Lauri-Ell’s response to his question gets a lighter smile though, because usually people had rather bad things to say when they were in a situation like this. Starting with the doom and gloom, but that she had particularly good points actually settled his nerves a bit. It was a refreshing response, really. “I admit, I’ve only gotten to see snow once in the last year. Which was rather odd for me, it’ll be nice to see the weather change again?” Even winter, the season he was least fond of given the days were so short, would be nice to see. 

... After all, Rhy had been so delighted by the sight of snow at the Sphere that one time. 

“And I quite like hot chocolate myself, It’s definitely a good place to start if you’re trying new things.” Something he couldn’t say much about, he wasn’t exactly the sturdiest of men, but he could certainly see how it would suit someone like her.

[kree_soldieress]

"Before television then," Lauri-Ell asked, frowning. She liked television. She did miss it. But the library was a very good distraction, one she quite happily welcomed.

But she was truly confused over the idea of weather not having changed. She did not think that Earth had a lot of mass-scale climate manipulation like the Kree did.

"One must have something to take their time. I have had friends that did many things."

[gadaboutdetective]

That was an interesting way to measure time, but it was a good one, he supposed. He’d never really gotten much into television himself, if only because the sphere had been so limited in what there was. He... really hadn’t understood a lot of the movies that they’d been shown. Someone had wanted to help him find some that he might find more entertaining, but they’d never gotten around to it.

But at least knew of modern television and movies. “Yes, I suppose that would be accurate. There were moving pictures in my original world, but they’re quite outdated compared to what you’re probably accustomed to.” Black and white, very little sound, although an inventor friend of his colleague had recently proposed expanding on that... Well, recent-ish... It’s been a while since he’d been in his world, now that he thought about it.

He smiled a little then, “You’re right, I’m probably going to have to set to finding things to take my time here now. Ah... and new friends too, I suppose.” It was a little strange to think he’d be starting over when it came to that, but maybe this was a chance at doing some things differently...

[kree_soldieress]

Oh, new friends? Lauri-Ell grinned and extended a hand to him. Yes, this would work.

"I will be your friend. I can show you things. Normally people show me things, and teach me, but I can show you and teach you."

[gadaboutdetective]

His comment had been more of an observation than anything, but he couldn’t help but smile a little at the offer. “Oh— Thank you, that’s very kind of you.” He responded, taking her hand to shake it in agreement. “I’m Llewellyn Watts-Maresh. I... don’t actually know your name yet, miss?”

Perhaps friends should know one another’s names before they actually became friends, but Llewellyn isn’t particularly bothered with those sorts of technicalities.

[kree_soldieress]

Oh yes, friendship should have names. She pumped his hand once, trying not to squeeze his hand too much.

"I am Lauri-Ell. It is a pleasure to meet you Llewe-llyn," she answered. It sounded Kree to her.

[gadaboutdetective]

The attempt at not squeezing his hand too hard was much appreciated, considering he was pretty sure the woman could break his hand easily. The way she pronounced his name got a small rise of his brows, but he’d had worse pronunciations and had certainly been called worse things. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Lauri-Ell.”

His hand returned, he tucked them both in his pockets and offered a look around. “So uh— on the matter of teaching... Is there anything beyond hot chocolate and the weather that you think I should know about?”

[kree_soldieress]

Other things he should know about.

"Well, if the Captain of the guard tells you to stay in at night, you should obey. I hear there was a thing with a very unkind Bear."

[gadaboutdetective]

“An unkind bear? Mm... They do tend to wander though if they’re hungry, I suppose. I’ll be sure to listen for the warning from the guard.” He was thinking of a very normal bear doing normal bear things, as they were prone to doing in his world.

“It’s good to know that they’re sensible enough to let citizens know, I suppose.” He added thoughtfully, sorting that away to revisit later. He might have to introduce himself to them, if they needed someone to investigate any strange situations around the city... He did need a job, and offering consults like he had in the last world might be a good start.

[kree_soldieress]

"This one was supposed to create fear, from what was whispered in the streets," Lauri-Ell answered, frowning. This wasn't something she remembered well, not personally.

"Caelan knew more, but he is gone."

[gadaboutdetective]

“Not the normal kind of bear, then…” He frowned himself, a deeper expression and definitely troubled. Something that generated fear where it went? Sounded uncomfortably similar to the unfortunate ‘nightmares’ that took place in the last world he was in.

A pity his ‘Caelan’ was gone. He would have liked to ask for more details… But perhaps he could find someone else in time that did know more. “I presume the bear isn’t a problem now? As in it left or uh…?” Had it disappeared at the end of a month as other things he’d seen had, or had it been driven away? He wished he had an empty notebook to start jotting things down.

[kree_soldieress]

"I do not know what the normal sort of bear is, but yes, I imagine that would be true."

She didn't like his frown, but she stayed quiet as he clearly caught himself up in thinking.

"IT was hunted down, by some very talented fighters I understand."

[gadaboutdetective]

“They’re still not really safe to approach, but uh… they definitely don’t do what it sounds like this bear did.” He responded with a little awkward shrug, realizing that perhaps he’d gotten a little too lost in thought. It was important, though, to know what they might be dealing with here… If they should be ready for things like the last world, Llewellyn wanted to know sooner rather than later.

The fact that it’d had to be hunted down, dealt with rather than it just disappearing at the end of the month, was actually rather good to know. Sure, it still wasn’t ideal… But at least it was a sign that it was different. “Well, that’s good… I’m glad to hear that there are people here who know how to handle such things.”