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Test Drive - 001

TEST DRIVE 001

Welcome to Aterat!

Here is our first ever 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!

NOTE: While you do need an invite to apply to the game, you do NOT need one to tag or top level on the Test Drive!

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

A. Welcome to the Jungle

The URBAN jungle, that is. 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, see what you can waste your meager starter coin on in the Market District, or maybe just meet the neighbors.

B. We've Got Fun and Games

At least there's entertainment. In various parts of the city, there are street performers, slight of hand tricksters, and probably a game or two of poker in one tavern or another (there are several to be found, after all). Start up a game of darts, or just sit broodily in a corner and watch the others coming and going.

C. You can have anything you want but you better not take it for free

The Harbor District is a rough joint. There are pickpockets, swindlers, but also hardworking folk and more than a few buildings that seem to be locked. It sure would be a shame if someone were to go about performing some casual Breaking & Entering...you know, as long as you don't get caught. There are guards around, though not nearly as many here as in the other districts. It's almost as though they like to avoid the place. People talk about wererats in the shadows at night and it's not unheard of for the unaware to go missing when they're traveling around here after dark...

D. What's that smell?

As if being carted off to what looks like a city out of a video game weren't bad enough, there's an entire district to the northeast that seems to be walled off, warded, and in all ways inaccessible. According to the sign, it's the cemetery...and boy does it smell.

E. Speaking Crystal

You could always take a look at the instructions that came with your crystal and see who else is listening. Remember, though, these devices are Voice Only and cannot be filtered. If you speak, anyone with a crystal can and will hear you. Now, whether or not they choose to respond is another thing entirely.

If you have any questions at all about setting or what is or isn't acceptable, please submit it on the FAQ!

If you would like to explore any aspect of the setting more indepth, please PM the mod account OR comment here! All comments are screened!

» N A V I G A T I O N

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Yuna's expression fell, her lips pressing together in a thin line. "That wasn't what I was talking about." She didn't know why she was annoyed. Those gifted in the summoners arts were rare and it was entirely possible he didn't feel the weight of the souls in the way that she had.

Her eyes followed his movements curiously and she was nearly about to follow him when he dropped back down to the ground. He was silent but Yuna was getting the feeling that this man did everything for a reason.

"You don't know what kind? Maybe we can break it?" She placed her palm at her side and in a soft glow of silver light, summoned a twinbee gun into her palm. "If this doesn't work there might be a seal that we can break. I've seen old ruins with something similar." The mountains always had a strange mix of magic and machina. Maybe it was something like that...

A. Welcome to the Jungle

There's something oddly calm about Illyana's demeanor as she follows the gnome too the square. It's difficult to discern if it's truly calmness or just an overall lack of emotion. Perhaps it's a bit of both, or perhaps it's something else entirely. Regardless, she doesn't seem bothered by the situation in the slightest.

"Another day in the life," she says with a voice that holds a slight Russian accent. Unfortunately, the timing of her little abduction had been less than ideal and she's still not quite human. Everything from the torso up looks normal, aside from the fact that she's wearing full metallic body armor as if she's just come from some sort of large battle and she has curved ram horns atop her head. The torso down is a different story though with the oddities much more noticeable. Where legs should be there are instead goat like hooves covered in red fur and a long red tail covered in plating flicks around. The slightest hint of something that could be a smirk tugs at the edges of her mouth as she looks around at the people milling about around her.

"Well, these things never have good timing, do they?" Her expression doesn't change as she raises a hand and flicks her finger. Starting from the bottom up her appearance changes. Normal legs appear with blue jeans, the tail disappears, a red shirt replaces the armor, with a over-sized blue tank top appearing over the shirt. Finally the horns disappear and she puts her hands in the pockets of her jeans as though nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

B. We've got fun and games

Did someone say sit broodily in a corner? My, that happens to be something Illyana is quite good at. She's even got the outfit to match a brooding session: a long sleeve black shirt with white lace around the neck and cuffs and a skull and crossbones stitched into the center paired with a long black skirt tiered with panels of black lace. Her legs are crossed with large black combat boots tapping to the beat of the music playing in the background of the tavern.

"So, this is what we do for entertainment here?" she says with a bored expression as she sips on a drink the color of honey. Whether or not she's old enough to be drinking is probably debatable based on appearance alone. Age, and time itself, is something of a confusing factor for Illyana. It becomes a bit difficult to keep track of when one spends so much time traveling through time and pocket dimensions. On the bright side, her unique experiences mean she's not phased by being in this place. It's only a matter of time before she finds her way out, right? She's always found a way out in the past. For now all she can do is wait and see what she can find out about the others here. Perhaps she'll even find someone useful.

E. Speaking Crystal

[ The voice is that of a young woman with a slight Russian accent. There's something slightly off about the way she speaks that's difficult to pinpoint. Slightly sinister, perhaps? Or just slightly stiff? It's difficult to place, and yet it's there all the same. ]

Tell me about where you are from. [ There's a pause. ] I cannot help but be curious considering what information we have been given as to why we were brought here. There must be something special about each of you, right? Or about your worlds? [ Surely the people brought here must be unique in some way. Why else would a place want them specifically to help in their rebuilding efforts? And unique people might also equal useful allies. ] Or perhaps I am wrong and giving too much credit where no credit is due. [ She sounds vaguely amused now. ] I do hope I am wrong there.

"Little flower, isn't this a bit...dangerous for you?" Cassandra isn't making it an insult; her voice is full of concern. "What brings you here?"

Despite her ability to see the twists and turns of fate, it didn't give her a free reign to be aware of the unexpected. The other woman's presence was...not expected, and it made the Euthanatos frown. But to her, it meant she needed to protect this innocent.

Of course, the woman might be able to handle herself just fine, but Cass doesn't know this. And she's used to guarding people--the silent offer's there, but she won't be offended if it's declined, either.

"You have a reason to be here like this?"

Syeira hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't want the help but she had come here to help... someone... if she could? It was all very hazy but the closer that they came towards the moment that she'd seen, the clearer it became. "I saw something..." Her voice was soft, her gaze unfocused despite the fact that she was looking directly at Cassandra. Syeira wanted to explain but this wasn't something that she was really good at.

"It was dangerous and this is where it was centered." But she had never had a vision like this and then been alone.

"I don't know what to do..." The confession took something from Syeira, a certainty that she'd had when she'd first stepped into this strange and unfamiliar city.

You're asking a lot and giving... nothing. [ He sounds like he's bored, unimpressed. ]

I am from the Sol System, my home was a place called The Reef. It was located in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. [ His voice took a tone of condescension as he continued, it increasing as he listed his titles off. ] My sister was the Queen of the Reef, making me the Prince of the Reef, advisor to the queen, and master of intelligence.

[ There's a pause. He was sure he was special, but he couldn't speak for anyone else. ]

I am willing to share more after you share something about where you are from and yourself.

Edited (i'm not sure... how i lost a closing tag there) 2020-06-26 02:32 (UTC)

Noctis had been brought back and had no idea how or why. Both were pretty important because he'd been with Luna and now..he was somewhere he sure didn't recognize. He dusted his long dark shirt coat off (which somehow had been repaired along with the rest of his head to toe black clothing) and sighed. Dark blue eyes looked around and he stopped to kneel before one of the tombstones though it was a little hard to see with the fog that seemed to be everywhere.

As his fingers gently traced the nine pentacles that seemed to have been carved into the headstone, the king tried to make out the lettering that was above them. It was unfamiliar so he couldn't read it. But he found it ironic to be in a place like this.

He went to go stand and a huge black crow landed on top of the head stone letting out a very loud caw. The noise and presence startled him so much, it ended up knocking the king flat on his ass. He looked up bewilderingly at the bird with his hands flat on the cold earth beneath him. "Ow."

Noct sat up slowly and heard a woman asking if he was lost. Was he lost? And what was the Far Plane? Getting up slowly, his eyes rested on a lady with short brown hair and his dark head shook. Was she trying to go in that tomb?

"I..wouldn't go in there."

She'd tried to dodge, and ended up bumping into the taller man.

This isn't possible! her mind screamed at her, even as Cass glared up at him. "Why don't you?" she hissed, surprise giving her more bravado than she'd normally have. Instead of reaching for her knives, instead, her hand slipped into a pocket, readying her bone dice instead.

He shouldn't have been able to do that! The Euthanatos only gritted her teeth and glared, moonstone-grey eyes narrowing. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

Probably the same thing as her, really, but it might serve to defuse a fight before it happened.

Probably not.

"There is something dangerous here." And for once, Cassandra wasn't talking about herself, though in truth, she prided herself on her skill. Outside of her own magick--though she had been well trained then, too.

"Not certain if there's an explosion coming from this warehouse, or if they're just planning to distribute." Her vision just didn't extend that far--days instead of hours. All she knew was that there were explosives inside this building. That, and if she could get to them, she could make them inert.

"We're in this together, now. I know what I'd like to do. Were you thinking of anything?" She kept an ear out for footsteps, now, considering she was being a distraction to her new companion. No need to have a tangle in the threads of fate this late in the game.

Having been in wherever this place was a little while, Noctis had wandered around a little bit. People seemed friendly enough so he moved at a normal pace among them. The king was on the lookout for certain friends of course, but so far nothing. And that's when he heard something sizzling to rouse him out of those thoughts.

Coming upon a group of people, Noctis moved in between them much as he'd done in Altissia to go see Luna. Curiously he stopped and watched the show in progress. Even as one who could wield the power of the element of Fire himself, the king was impressed. There was a deadly grace and beauty to the show and the king's blue eyes didn't miss a moment of it.

After the crowd thinned out quite a bit, luckily the lady was still there and he nodded. "That was some show."

1. The Jungle - Historium and Markets

This... was not what he'd expected. Then again, it wasn't the first time he'd been led around like a chocobo on a lead when being kidnapped to yet another world. In fact, it was getting to be a bit of a headache. That being said, he had no intention of just following behind the person who gave him the satchel, or the 'gifts' within it. Instead he headed straight to find what information he could about what was going on. The last places hadn't been forthcoming.

So it was that Nida found himself in the wonder of the Historium, and damn, but his jaw was on the floor to see it.

"I've never seen this many books in one place in my life," he observed, perhaps a bit too loud for a library setting. And almost immediately he was moving to a bookshelf to look at spines.

Later on, once he was able to pull himself away from the wonder of so many books he found himself exploring the open-air markets. While spices and produce caught and held his fancy, there was something about the jeweler that froze him in his tracks. His eyes caught on a ring, and he couldn't help the tears that stung at his eyes.

"Who were you?" he asks quietly of the people around him, and considered the weight of the coins in his pouch. Could he... could he afford something?

2. Fun and Games - Square

Street performers were probably the coolest thing ever. Nida smiled as he stood back, watching the show one was putting on, entertaining people all around with beautiful slight of hand tricks. Of course, as someone trained in such things, he always caught what the trick was, but he still smiled to watch it, pouch kept close at hand to protect it from potential thieves.

"Do they do this every day?" he asks of the person next to him, assuming they have been here longer than he has. "Because I think I could watch this all the time."

IT was great to see people good at their craft after all.

3. Repowered - Noble District

After a bit of exploring Nida found himself wandering away from the populated and intact regions and into the an area a bit more rundown area of town. It reminded him almost immediately of the wealthier parts of Galbadia, and at last he moved into the yard of a clearly once high-end manor. Once there he sat down, cross-legged, and closed his eyes. He could feel it there, a presence that had been missing so long, so much a part of him that the lack of it had been... breaking. Magic. He had his magic back.

Nida held his hands out before him, meditating as he delved into his own mind and felt her slide right into place, a proud smile curving at his lips as with the spirit the spells came. And he rose a hand, thrusting it forward, and a light moved forward from his hand, two bright blue rings bursting forth from his hand and then curling back over him, settling close to his skin in a protective shield. Nida laughed and jumped to his feet then, putting his hand close to his chest and calling to the spirit inside of him. Orbs of light danced around him, centering on the hand at his chest before he thrust his hand above him and she came to his call. And Siren answers. The woman, beautiful, ethereal, towering over him with her feathered hips and sides and the wings sprouting from her head comes, harp in hand. But with no enemies to direct her to, the attack does not come with her, and after a half a moment and her blowing him a kiss, the Guardian Force fades away.

"Welcome home, Siren," Nida says, not aware that he may have been watched.

4. Memories - Housing Square

Evening approaches falls and Nida returns to the place he's been told is his home now. Once there he sits down in view of the door and... waits. Watches. The people there are strangers, and he frowns as they walk by. Frowns and turns his attention skyward, reaching up toward the stars.

"They're different," he observes pointlessly. Different from his world, different from the Iteration, different from the City. Lost, again. Lost somewhere in the multiverse, but this time, something's different.

Something's missing. He's missing.

"Hyne take this place," he curses angrily, fist moving down to hit the ground. "Giving me freedom and a chance, but did you have to take all the rest of it away?"

Because the longer that he'd been here, the more and more Nida realized something was missing. Memories were missing. Had Siren eaten them away already, making up for lost time? Or was something else wrong here, had something about his arrival gone wrong? What had this place stolen from him, what had it chosen to take and did that mean that the last places had stolen things as well?

"What is the point in stealing them from me? What does it even serve?"

Edited 2020-06-26 04:17 (UTC)

Vincent was accustomed to dangerous places. Even the streets of most cities and town on Gaia were clogged with criminals, and this city, for all its 'reconstruction' and 'need for help' and 'promise' was more of the same. He kept to the rooftops as night fell, leaping from building to building with the grace and speed exceeding what could be expected of normal humans. If his deathly pall and crimson eyes were any indication, he could no longer be counted as one.

He moved to a lower balcony, having sighted the same building, and it ended with the two of them on the landing at the same time. He leveled his slightly glowing eyes on her, sizing her up even has his crimson cape settles around his form, obscuring his face.

There's not much to say, really. [Much like Illyana, his voice carries a slight accent, though this one is south of London, but he also sounds like he's been in the States a while.] Though I guess a lot of people would say that about their worlds, huh? It's normal, so nothing special.

[He has an ability, sure, but he doesn't really think it's something that special, either.] I'm from Detroit, if that means anything to you.

I did not know anyone would be curious about me. [ But she finds it amusing that someone is. ]

Do you expect to be called Prince? [ There's just a hint of amusement in her tone. ]

I'm from a Earth. I was born in Ust-Ordynsky, Russia.

Vincent hadn't expected to see other people he recognized here. It marked the third time he was pulled from his world and thrust into another, but the first in which he didn't awaken with something in his head transmitting his thoughts or restricting his abilities. He'd decided, ultimately, to take a walk around this new world, to clear his head and better understand the surroundings. The architecture was varied enough to get across the point the strange greeters put forth: that they were rebuilding a world from parts.

When he found himself in the open air market, he kept to himself, observing more than interacting, and taking stock of the types of things being sold. That was, until he rounded a corner and saw a face he recognized, not from home, but oddly from another world. This couldn't be coincidence. He stood a jeweler, distracted by rings, but there was a more important topic to be discussed.

Vincent was not usually one to approach first, and his lack of tact made that evident. The tattered crimson cape and metal-clad boots were likely a dead giveaway, if the man know his face.

"Do you have a moment?" His voice was rough, nearly hoarse, deep and though quiet, carried over the collected din of the crowd.

Well, most of that face WAS obscured at the moment, but when Nida turned to the voice, there was a moment, a flash of recognition. And a touch of shock. Like he hadn't expected Vincent. Except it was actually that he hadn't expected to know Vincent. But he did. There had been a meeting, he thought. In a quiet diner. Connections that he didn't remember or understand.

"Something tells me I have an overwhelming number of moments," he answered, trying to be cautious here. After all, the passing familiarity might not be enough. Could be Nida didn't know this version of this man, or this man didn't know Nida as he was now. There were many mysteries of this place.

He tore his eyes away from the rings and the ache they left in his chest, and moved to follow the man away from the stall.

Edited 2020-06-26 04:38 (UTC)

Vincent followed the strange little man dutifully enough, for no other reason than there was little else to do. He'd been ferried to housing before, and as he walked, he began to wonder is most world were like this one, collecting individuals from various realities for one purpose or another. He wasn't alone in the thought, either, it seemed, as he overheard the girl commentary. After what he's seen of other peoples from other worlds, though, her transformation didn't come as a shock. Still, the ability and what it might imply was still worth noting.

These things never have good timing do they, she'd said? She was familiar with other worlds also, then. That was even more worthy of note. As he moved closer to her, he offered a slight shake of his head in response to the question that was clearly addressed to no one in particular.

"No. They don't."

As if by habit his hands moved to steady her even as he pulled away, though he in no way gripped her. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene on his first day here. He wasn't exactly forgettable. Glowing orange eyes didn't miss her hand slipping into her pocket, and his left hand curled back, ready to grab something from behind his back if she drew a weapon.

His eyes didn't leave her despite the desire for him to check to see if anyone noticed this event. His voice was low, his composure regained. "Even the guards seem to dislike this place - have you noticed? It's not so hard to avoid them if you don't mind the dark."

He was only here to scout things out, but the way she was being defensive suggested she might be here for something more. He could probably help with that.

I am surprised you thought you would get information for free. [ He was less than impressed. She may get the feeling that it's less because of her and more at the situation they're in. ]

Did you live in the City under the Tower, or out in the wilds?

[ There's a moment of silence as Jagger's words hang with no response, but he's eventually rewarded with a rather sardonic tone. ]

Based on the technology here, I imagine we're supposed to buy it all, though I'm less inclined to believe there are few expectations of us. [ There's a pause, then he continues a little bit more quietly. ] I also wonder what it is that we get out of all of this.

"You know, where I come from, we haven't needed one in several hundred years to go to a graveyard."

Her choice of wording caught his attention, though, and he turned to face her more fully, taking more careful stock of her. It wasn't his abilities telling him there was something different about this woman, that she was decidedly dangerous. That was pure, unadulterated instinct screaming at him to run.

It was probably smart to listen to his gut, but he'd never been particularly good at it. "You can excise the dead?" He had absolutely no reason to believe that undead wandered on the other side of this wall, but the stench coupled with the fact that he'd just been teleported to another world had opened his mind up a little bit.

"Were going to"?

[Haven't they?]

Right...what's your name?

There really was no better way to get to know the new and completely unbelievable situation you've found yourself in like wandering around aimlessly. More than anything he'd found himself wishing he'd paid more attention to video games rather than watching his roommate play them, because the more he wandered this place the more it felt like he'd stepped into one. None of the buildings felt as though they belonged together, everything felt strange, when he came to near to them, an unfortunate side-effect of psychometry. This area was less populated that he'd wandered into and for that he was thankful.

The lights of Nida' summon reflected in a window nearby caught his eye, forced him to turn and watch over the low retaining wall as the strange winged creature came into being. Siren? Had he called it Siren? Like the creatures that lured men to their deaths?

He spoke before the fact he may startle the guy into attacking even occurred to him.

"Hey, mate. You okay?"

"Well, if it's all the same, miss Yuna, I've never even thought about what another world might actually look like." He frowned, looking around, disconcerted. "Stuff like this happens in...stories, you know? It's not real." Or maybe it was just that they hadn't expected it to be real.

Then he turned, confused, tilting his head to the side as he regarded this woman. "You know, I don't even know how to start talking about Earth."

As had he. He'd seen stranger than a woman summoning a weapon to her hand as well, and all he did was reach for his own. His palm rested on the grip of the Cerberus at his hip while the other, clad in a brass claw, flexed as he prepared for whatever might come.

He shook his head slightly to answer her question and allowed her to proceed. It seemed as though her mind was already made up.

What? The attention definitely earns motion from Nida, on his feet immediately, a metal rod sliding down into his hand from up his sleeve. And, once he sees the stranger, he sighs and relaxes some.

Not everything is danger, he has to remind himself.

"Sorry. Bit jumpy."

But he's not even addressing the other question.

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Page 2 of 25

Test Drive - 001

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Illyana Rasputina || Marvel 616

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E. Speaking Crystal

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Fun & games

Nida | Final Fantasy 8 CRAU (Dualis/6i) | OTA

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E. Speaking Crystal

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1. Open Air Market

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A. Welcome to the Jungle

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E. Speaking Crystal

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E. Speaking Crystal

3. Noble District

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