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ateratooc2020-06-24 03:41 pm
ateratmods) wrote in ateratooc2020-06-24 03:41 pm
Entry tags:
Test Drive - 001
TEST DRIVE 001
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!
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!
no subject
So snooping, and entertaining interesting people it was.
“We have that in common then.” He responded to the statement, before pausing and frowning a little in confusion. “The getting into places that people are meant to stay out of that is. I haven’t a clue what roller derby is?” Still, it wasn’t necessarily a bad idea... Having an extra set of eyes could be very useful, and she seemed curious enough to just continue to follow him regardless. As it was, she had already proven to being pretty good at not being seen. “I wouldn’t mind an extra set of eyes to watch for the more upstanding members of society that might have a bone to pick with us for snooping around where we don’t belong.”
no subject
What she also liked? The fact that he was not only open to her following him, but also letting her help. Usually adults just indulged her for a bit, hoping she'd get bored. Much to their disdain, she rarely did, although the whole 'obnoxious kid' schtick was one she used wisely. Keep it up until she could get a better idea of who she was dealing with.
This dude seemed pretty damn cool.
"Alrighty then, let's do some snoopin'- oh, well, first-" Sticking her hand out, she gave him a grin. "Holly Genovese. I'm kind've a big deal."
no subject
“Snooping then.” He turned back to the harbour master’s office, “So what do you make of this? The harbour district, that is. Any particularly startling revelations that you’ve had since arriving?” Caelan was curious after all, she seemed keen to help and boasted a sort of confidence that suggested she wasn’t exactly a novice. Plus? Children were generally far more observant than adults, and it would be interesting to see just what kinds of thoughts and opinions she had come up with since arriving.
no subject
'Cool accent' was on the tip of her tongue next, but she was quickly distracted by the question that followed; whether or not she'd seen anything noteworthy. The answer was....'no, not particularly', but running the risk of sounding like the most boring spy partner, Holly tried to focus on the bits that were a bit more thrilling.
"Mmm...the boats're all fucked. And there's a shitload of sea creatures and fish and stuff."
Nailed it.
"And people are dressed kinda weird, too - but I haven't been here that long. Just a couple'a hours ago, I'm still figurin' the place out too. Half the reason I was hangin' about when I saw you."
The other half was trying to single out someone she could lure away, but he didn't need to know that.
Poking her head around the corner, she nudged a bony elbow into his ribs, and nodded to the side. "C'mon, we're clear - let's go. Time's a wastin'."
no subject
“Thanks, I’ve gotten a bit attached to it.” He responded, before he fell silent to listen to her observations. They were... a little rough, but he’d expected as much. They also weren’t wrong, and it was better than some people might have offered. He was tempted ask her about the ‘shitload of sea creatures and fish and stuff’ if only because he wondered if she had actually tried going swimming already.
There were a lot of sea creatures and fish out there though, he could hear the sea as it was, and he had a vague sense of the beings that were in there that he could reach out to enchant if he needed. Big things too... He wanted a glimpse of those, but he was refraining from going for a dive with so many newcomers roaming about. “You’ve got that right, my clever gremlin friend.” He grinned, yes he had a name now but gremlin was sticking until he worked out a little more about her. “This is not a harbour as it should be.
“And what was the other half hangin’ about for then—” He breaks off as she elbowed him. Ouch, kid watch the ribs with those bony little elbows! He’s got very little blubber to protect them in this silly human form! He raised a brow a little before glancing around the corner himself, “Alright, come on. I’m getting a look at the outsides of these buildings tonight, harbour master’s office was a disappointment already I’m afraid.”
no subject
Definitely not hunger-driven murder.
The lack of infiltration to the main office is a little disheartening (surely that's where the treasure maps are kept? Or the strangely large, rusty keys to some mysterious pirate chest? A paperweight made from the heart of a Kraken??) but, Holly soldiered on. If there was really nothing interesting where the harbour master was concerned, they'd just have to find something that was.
One of the cool thing about vampires (and selkies, she'd wager, if she knew she was in the company of one) is their superior hearing; makes listening for guards just a wee bit easier. So when she pauses and hears nothing coming their way, Holly makes a break for it, not so much running as she is....wheeling.
Rolling?
Whatever it is heelies allow you to do, that was what she was doing. Decidedly at a faster pace than your usual preteen rolling down the street, and with much more confidence that she wasn't gonna go flying, but she was going nonetheless.
Only when they reached the closest building and slipped into the shadows all sneaky-like did Holly turn to look at Caelan again, this time keeping her voice down to a regular, respectable whisper.
"So, tell me; what d'ya do back home? Like for a livin'?"
no subject
What?
Gliding maybe?
No, there was the faint sound of wheels. Caelan cast a little glance at her feet again, curious as they came to a halt around the side of another building. Her shoes had tiny roller skate wheels! That was brilliant! He’d never seen such a thing before in his own world and time. The selkie was about to ask about those next, when she beat him to the punch. “I live up to the title of ‘A thorn in many sides,’ of course.” Is he a spy? A thief? A particularly annoying gardener? Who knows? Keep asking questions, Holly.
He gestured down to her feet a moment later, “What, might I ask, are your shoes? They have wheels.”
no subject
The fact that her own answer wasn't exactly specific is entirely besides the point, thank you very much.
"C'mon- I bet you are a spy, you've gotta be. Spies are real super vague about what they do, and also super weird about how they like their drinks, like James Bond? The whole 'shaken not stirred' thing is a legiterally dumb way to drink, the ice just waters everything down way faster that way-"
She did stop for breath at some in there, especially when she realised that she still hadn't answered his second question - and just like that, with her trail of thought entirely derailed, she looked down at her feet and then grinned at him.
"Ohh, my Heelies! Yeah, they're new actually, my old pair were totally geriatric. And wait, check this out."
Using her toes to click the wheels back into the shoe, she did a little jump on the spot - not hard enough to make any noise, but enough to make the soles of the shoes start to flash multicoloured light.
Was this slightly more attention-grabbing in a rapidly darkening harbour? Possibly. But she figured it'd be fine - the flashing only lasted fifteen seconds or so, and there wasn't anyone around to notice, so she just grinned again as she flipped the little wheels back out.
"Pretty cool, right?"
no subject
He finally shook his head, “Not a spy though, and I’m not sure who James Bond is but you’re quite right. Watering down a perfectly good alcohol seems rather silly to me.” He added with a little frown, “Only the cheap taverns’d try nonsense like that, and they’re the ones that end up cursed.” Caelan shrugged lightly, “You’ll have to keep guessing, I’m afraid.” It wasn’t like there was much left to guess, and he should be discouraging these lines of questioning, but it was fun. Caelan needed a little fun today.
“Heelies,” He parroted the word back, looking a little more closely. They were very strange shoes, but he couldn’t deny that they were very intriguing. “Never heard tell of such a thing before, but I admit they seem like a brilliant improvement on usual shoes.” Even if they were... rather odd looking in style compared to his own.
Now, when she jumped at they started flashing? That was even more impressive, if a little startling. His eyes darted around once on reflex, just to make sure they were indeed still alone. “Now that’s not as good for sneaking, but still impressive. How do they do that? Is that some sort of enchantment?”
Look, Holly. Now the secretive man has questions of his own to ask.
no subject
She didn't know if Caelan was lying, but she did think he was maybe a little kooky. Enchantments? Curses?
Okay boomer."Uh, no, nothin' like that - It's lil'LED lights in the soles! Sucks when the batteries die, but until then they're super cool. And they're kinda heavy, but they're pretty comfy once you get used to 'em. I'd suggest you get some, but I don't know any grown ups that wear 'em. Unfortunate, but true - seems like time ravages not only your youth but also y'taste in footwear."
no subject
Excuse you, Holly. He’s older than a boomer! He’s pre-boomer!Caelan can’t help but tilt his head and give Holly a slightly confused look. “I’m getting the distinct feeling that your world is very different from mine. Not sure what an LED light is, and batteries where I’m from are not small enough to fit in shoes.” He’d seen batteries, and they were both large and uncommon enough at the moment. Very promising, as far as human invention went, but not like what Holly described at all.
“Is that a fact? Well... I can’t argue that, once someone becomes a ‘proper adult’ they do get fairly boring of taste.” Caelan chuckled a little, everyone keeps telling him to start acting like one. He wasn’t falling for that trap though! “Seems to me that the adults where you’re from are missing out.” Even if they could probably stand to look a little more stylish, they definitely had some fun chaos potential.