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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!

Helpful Links to Get Started

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Sadly in neither of them did I make it to anything like real waters. Which is frustrating. I grew up on an island," he admits. And he missed the smell of sea air. Siren, deep inside him, echoed his longing.

"Maybe I'll find something then, and insist on dinner," Nida muses as he moves next to some items on the walls to check behind them. "Nida. You can call me Nida."

“I can understand that frustration... I suppose Its part of why I’m so keen to figure out why the harbour district is in such a strange state first and foremost.” There was nothing like the familiar sound of waves on a shore and the smell of sea air. You noticed when it was absent, traveling to land locked places were so starkly different because of that.

Then there was the distant call, a reminder that the ocean waited for him to return to his kind. After all, the sea cared not for the work he did, it only cared that he was absent and to remind him where home was. Even here, even though it was a different sea... A surrogate of sorts. A substitute until he were sent back to his world.

Caelan couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea, “Maybe you will, Nida?” He tried the name out now that he had it, “I’d certainly not complain. Better to find something than nothing, I think. Then I’ll just be sure to return the favour next time.” If there were a next time, and if Nida was so reliable he found himself not minding if there were.

A moment later, fussing with the next grate, he added, “I’m Caelan, by the way.”

"Nice to meet you, Caelan by the way."

Yeah, this isn't the time for jokes but he's making them anyway. There's nothing behind the wall decorations and Nida gives a heavy sigh.

"I'm starting to feel like if there is something hidden here, it's a harder access slick than we're really got time to waste looking for. And we'd have to tear into stuff."

Luckily for Nida, Caelan can appreciate a joke. Making light on a day that was rather strange and left one feeling out of sorts was just the way to distract. “Ah, you needn’t refer to me by my whole name. Caelan will do, I think.” He responded with a little grin, rising from the next grate and considering the other man’s suggestion.

“I was about to ask if you thought this place seemed a touch too clean to you, so I would agree with that line of thought...” Disappointing if only because the impatient part of him really wanted to figure something useful out today. “As much as this coat can hold, I’m afraid I don’t currently have the tools or means to really tear into this place in such a fashion, and I doubt we’ll be so lucky to not attract the district watch if we did.”

No, he would have to go back to the drawing board and perhaps collect a little more information. ...Or let his impatience get the better of him. It was a toss up, really.

Jokes are lovely things, what else was he supposed to think of them? Bu no, Nida wasn't going to force more out, even if he was smiling at Caelan's playful acceptance.

"It could be there is nothing to be found. Perhaps it's honest and was cleared out when it wasn't used anymore," Nida suggests. But yes, he doesn't like how clean the place was.

Nida sighs and his fingers card through his hair as he heads toward the door.

"I'm about out. This place is starting to bore me. There is nothing to find."

“You could be right. The warehouses could have been repurposed long after this part of the harbour fell into disuse.” Caelan hummed with disappointment, a dramatic drawn out sound, as he put his knife away. He’d have to look elsewhere for answers... Or just break into the warehouses if nothing was discovered to say what was in them, but he’d at least try to figure out a little more first. “So I’m inclined to agree, there is nothing to be found. At least not here, not this night.”

He paused at the admission of boredom, head tilting with a little mock gasp. “But boredom? No, that certainly won't do. Best leave this dreary little building behind then, lest it get worse.”

"For all we know, the place is being used as a residence by homeless locals. I haven't been into the warehouse main structures. Yet."

The yet had a weight that said he was absolutely going to be changing that in his future. Still, the idea that the man might make another joke about the boredom makes Nida smirk in approval.

"If you're not bored, you're welcome to explore. My goal now is just to walk the water's edge. I miss the smell of it."

“I’ve looked at them prior to heading here in hopes of finding out what the story was on them since they’re locked up tight. If people are living in them, I don’t think they’re getting out.” He responded with a little shrug and the smallest of frowns at the idea. Too many questions, not enough answers. He supposed that was enough to keep him busy for a time, more digging to do.

Caelan definitely enjoyed a joke, and to banter with someone while he worked was a delight. It was a source of annoyance for some, but Nida’s clear appreciation for it scores him some points in the selkie’s book. Yes, he could be serious, but he liked to balance it out. “Oh I’m far from bored, trust me, you would know if I were bored.” He responded, “Though I would be willing to wager that my avoidance of boredom here is largely due in part to having an interesting individual to distract me from the lack of interesting things here.”

He wasn’t about to discourage a walk along the shore though, missing the waters edge wasn’t a trivial thing in his opinion. Caelan would have offered to join him, if he thought he’d be able to focus on the company and not his instincts or the pull of the water on top of what had been a very strange day. “But as a fellow shore dweller, I wouldn’t dream of keeping you from a chance to revisit it.”

"There is usually more than one entrance. Doors are just a suggestion," Nida offers, quite bemused at the idea that he may have only focused on doors, or perhaps doors and windows.

He moves to the door and considers the other, only to pause at the suggestion that he was an 'interesting individual'. Which was, of course, against his training to be. He was supposed to be, well, non-descript. Then again, this was someone that he was working with on a trespassing situation so he supposed that meant he didn't have to feel as bad about giving up some of the goods. But the goofy, charming normal guy routine wasn't going to work here.

"I wasn't a shore dweller. Just raised on an island. Larger one, but island anyway. My home was thirty minutes from the beach and a small fishing village. So I guess I came here out of nostalgia."

“Is there? Why I never would have guessed.” He responded with a particular tone that would suggest the opposite, he’s not offended so much as vaguely curious at the fact that Nida seemed to be under the impression that he might be new at this. Then again, they hardly knew one another, and he was used to being underestimated. His light attitude made it hard to take him seriously, after all. Usually that was by design, sometimes it just happened.

“Ah, my mistake. I lived much closer before arriving here, and there is nothing like waking up to the sound of the waves in the morning.” Much closer meant much closer quite literally sometimes, but that was beside the point. “Still, nostalgia and the lack of chance to see it as often is more than enough reason to enjoy it now. I know I’ll have a hard time staying away from it.” An amusing understatement.

Oh what a lovely idea. Reversing the situation. But no, guess away, it's not worth it. But closer probably isn't hard. Nida lived a good bit of his life near the water but never actually there. Being at the sea was rare.

"Why stay away from something you love?"

“Oh, I never said that I would actually succeed.” He responded with a little tilt of his head, “But there is much to figure out about this place, and I believe to let myself get too distracted from that would be a mistake for the moment.” And the sea? She was very distracting in general when there was a constant pull he felt drawing that way, a call to return that got stronger the longer he was away.

Although the waters here definitely merited some of that focus, if only to see if there were anything secrets in their depths or oddities to be found. “Undoubtedly I’ll be visiting the docks frequently enough to do a little fishing anyway.”

"Well, good luck with that. Don't know if there are any fish in these waters. Though I guess I miss eating fresh fish curry," Nida sighs. Yes, he's had fish curry. It's weird, but it suits him.

“If there’s not then I’ve got some questions for the fishmonger and where on earth they get their stock.” He’s not paying for food if he can get it himself, especially if it weren’t already prepared and in the company of humans. That would be absurd.

“Fish curry?” Now that’s something he’d never had, and he’s enjoyed a lot of fish dishes over the years. “What’s that?” It’s said with genuine curiosity, definitely not in a tone to suggest it sounded weird.

It's exactly what it sounds like and Nida is left staring at Caelen like he can't understand the other not getting the implication. Does he not know about curry?

"It's curry. With fish. Usually some form of meat fish, like sailfish."

Now the selkie definitely wants to know what it is if it’s such an obvious food, not knowing things that were apparently basic human dishes were important for blending. Not knowing about a dish, a subject, or a social cue was a bit awkward for a sea fae trying to blend on land.

“Never had it before, is it like a chowder or?” Caelan responded as he folded his arms, expecting some form of explanation beyond ‘it’s curry. With fish.’

"Chowder is that milky-sorta-soup, right? No, it's not like that."

He doesn't even know how to describe it beyond tasty.

"Sorry, I don't really cook myself."

How disappointing, he’d really like to know what it was. Of course, Caelan chuckled a little at that. “Ah, well I don’t either, never really had to learn.” Could mean he was raised in privilege, could mean something else.

“I suppose I’ll just have to see if I can find a place that serves it here, so I can see if it’s as good as it sounds.”

Privilege wasn't exactly correct for Nida. He was just used to cafeteria workers mostly providing for him. But he could grill on an open fire.

"We shall have to see indeed. If they do, I'll find you to share."

Hmm... He likes the sound of that, with a playful little grin he responded. “Alright, maybe whoever finds a place that serves it first gets treated by the one who didn’t. We’ll make a game of it, since neither of us found anything here.”

"I do so like scavenger hunts," NIda muses as he heads for the door and waits by it. Got to be careful about getting out. He closes his eyes and puts his ear to the door, listening, as he lets Siren's awareness overlap his.

Her hearing was so much better after all.

“Then I believe we have a fun arrangement ahead.” Caelan moved away from where he was, supposing now was as good a time as any to leave himself. He waited though, letting Nida listen for sounds at the door. Rather than ask the silly question ‘is anyone out there?’ He lets the man listen in silence, his next actions would be answer enough after all.

After a long moment of silence Nida nods to himself and opens the door, just as a guard is disappearing around a far corner. See? Good stuff.

"Until next time, Caelan By-The-Way."

He grinned a little, that was very good hearing indeed.

Caelan finally offered a dramatic little bow in parting, keeping his tone quiet. “Indeed, until next time then, Nida.” And then he departed, presumably to do more snooping elsewhere. He definitely would be keeping an eye out for this interesting man in the future.

Nida chuckles and moves to scale up the building, because an eagle eye viewpoint was always welcome.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive - 001

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