ateratooc | Test Drive

Entry tags:

test drive

Test Drive - 004

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well enjoy Tommy cursing quietly in the background. He was just jealous, okay?]

I'm glad for you, man.

Er- thank you.

[He didn't blame Tommy for being jealous, he would have been himself if the roles were reversed. The guy could curse away as much as he needed, it wasn't like Llewellyn forgot how he'd gotten when Wanda disappeared.

All he could do now was focus on helping his friend out with this whole situation. He can't bring people here, but he could try to be there for him.]

Where about are you now, by the way? And did you mention something needing a flower shop?

[Losing Wanda had been brutal on him, and this was clearly going to keep being a pain for him.]

Some colorful place with stalls. A market I figure. And yeah. Speedy came with me. Need to feed the kid.

Speedy arrived with you? Really? I'm glad to hear that.

[Now that was... interesting news. He was glad that, if anything, the little sloth had arrived with Tommy. That was at least a small positive among the very large negatives for his friend.]

But! Yes, that does sound like the market. I might be able to help you with feeding Speedy, though. I actually work part time at a flower shop. I can take you to it if you like.

[Well, unlike Watts the little guy is with him at all times.]

Oh, you do? Fuck man, that's pretty cool. I guess I'm going to have to get a job now. Ugh.

Yeah, it's been a nice change of pace to have something a little different from my usual work on the side. [And he'd be glad that it could help Tommy out now.

But the job thing was an unfortunate truth.]

Yes, we're provided with living accommodations here, but everything else we do need to work for. Though we're given enough to start off, at least I hope you received one of those coloured bags, like we did when arriving.

[Where does someone make the sort of money needed to support Tommy's metabolism?]

You are given enough to start off with. Me? I need a job, like, yesterday. That pays well. Maybe seven jobs. I guess good thing I only sleep four hours because I'm probably going to need to get a night job as a tavern wench or something.

I could totally look good in those dresses though.

[Damn, he'd almost forgotten about that. That was a rather large concern...]

Alright, that's something I confess I'd forgotten. There are quite a few businesses that are probably willing to hire though, if I can find a couple jobs surely we can find some that suit you? This place is, more or less, trying to get itself 'rebuilt' and there's a lot of services that probably still need to be filled.

[And he's darn well going to make sure he gets his friend something to snack on NOW as much as he's going to make sure Speedy has access to some tasty flowers.] What's the stall nearest to you in the market look like, for reference?

[And it's not like TOmmy can't fill a lot of services. It's just he has to find a balance between spending energy on getting food, and getting enough money for food. Geez. He needed some scientist genius to help him figure this out.]

Uh, there's a place selling meat turnover sorts of things, and another one that smells like wet dog.

[Meat turnovers and... wet dog. Lovely...]

Ah, I think I know the place, then.

[But he at least knows where that is, and so (while certainly not as fast as Tommy would be) he walks around a corner from one of his usual shortcuts and out into the market. Takes one wrong turn, of course, before turning back towards the stand with a grin.]

There you both are!

[Yeah, Speedy isn't pleased over the whole scent here. But Tommy just soldiers on. But once he sees the skating nerd he laughs and saves. It takes no effort at all to speed between people and being right at Llewellyn's side.]

Still suited, I see.

[One day Llewellyn might get used to how fast Tommy was, but that day was not today. Stopping a few steps later as he'd been on his way over, blinking, and turning slightly to look at the man now standing beside him.

Of course, it would be weird if he wasn't suited! He liked his suits. They were stylish, and his had many pockets. So practical, too.]

Well, yes, I suppose I am? [And he looked to Speedy, with a grin.] And Speedy is still a cute little fellow, so some things endure, hm?

[The sloth, clinging happily to the strap of Tommy's bag, made loud noises. Tommy just stroked the little one's back.],/small>

So, you wanted to see me?

[So darn cute, too darn cute.

He looked back to Tommy a moment later, though.]

I did, yes. It has been a few months, and all. Also, since I'm not sure how long you've been here today, when was the last time that either of you actually ate?

[Responsible-friend-mode had already been activated, it just needed the reminder after sloth distractions.]

I haven't eaten in a few hours. Speedy, he can go days without food. His cute little belly is all full on leaves. Ain't that right, kiddo?

[Another loud noise and Tommy smiled, stroking the creature's back.]

[One stomach to take care of then, he can work with that.]

Then Speedy can wait for later and join us while we find you something to eat. I can fill you in on some of the better places to stop in while we go and uh- maybe get you caught up on how this place works and the important details.

Sounds fair. Just keep it to important points. I hate slow boring briefings.

[And maybe he's just a tiny bit angry and hurt and upset and life played out in a way that screwed him over and he hated it.]

Yes, I do seem to recall that.

[Llewellyn gestured for them to start walking, leading the way to one of the taverns that he usually stopped at when he was more than a little hungry. Tommy needed the calories more than he did, and he wasn't sure what would be best.]

Basics, there doesn't appear to be anything that gets in our heads and shows off our pasts. Our hosts are more open to conversation than the one in the last world, though I caution you that sometimes it's just as frustrating. There are dangerous things here, some are constant and other's... seem to come and go once the Aspects or someone else takes care of them.

[He tapped the points off on his finger, giving the basics and if Tommy caught on to something he wanted more details on, Llewellyn would explain.]

Nothing so dangerous as to bother me.

[After all, Tommy didn't intend to die again. He walked with Llewellyn, taking deliberately slow steps. He just wants to race and explore. Too bad it could not be that simple.]

Aspects, can we trust them? Because the Sphere sure made a fucking game of our lives.

From what I've seen so far? No, I think you shouldn't have a problem with much in that area.

[Something would have to catch him, and he hadn't seen anything nearly so fast.]

The aspects are... Well, they seem different from the Sphere...? But they’re also floundering a bit without much guidance. There was another entity, some sort of creator, but it seems to have up and left them. Most of the things they try to do to help seem to cause more problems for us before they work something out. Sometimes it feels like they know about as much as we do.

So I’m not sure I uh- trust their capabilities with running things, even if they mean well and try to communicate more regularly with us all.

[Tommy wants to sigh. Because of course the powers that be here are fucking shit up, a lot even.]

So basically they're children with power and fuck shit up a lot."

[He wished there were a better way to put it, but he's still more than a little annoyed with Athony's response to his questions concerning their most recent mistake.]

Unfortunately? Yes, that sums it up well. They seem to have an accident... once every few months, starting from when they apparently broke the portal that controls people coming and going.

[Tommy just groans. This is a mess, a mess and a half, seven hundred percent mess.]

So our lives are again dancing at whims.

[It is a mess, and he wished he could say someone had come up with something other than the suggestion of 'stop letting the Aspects do things.']

Yup... On the bright side, we're doing so above sea-level and don't have to worry about some systems shutting down at the bottom of the ocean.

I noticed.

[His hand waves to take in the air above them.]

Trust me, I noticed that part.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject