ateratooc | TD006

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test drive

TD006

Test Drive 006

WELCOME TO ATERAT

Here is our Fifth 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 | Setting & Bestiary | Locales & Businesses | Residences & Housing Info | Rules & FAQ (ask questions here!)

I. 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.

II. What Goes Bump in the Night

It looks like Aterat proper has a spirit problem. Maybe you're seeing specters, hearing disembodied voices, your windows rattle when there's no breeze outside. Maybe there are cold spots in your place of business (or your apartment, which is so much worse). Either way, you're 100% convinced you're haunted. Hopefully, someone else believes you, or maybe you're used to feeling crazy.

III. When the Carnival Came to Town?

Take a look at the prompts from our latest event and go to town (or the carnival).

IV. Try the Network

The Tell-Phone allows for text, video, and audio transmissions to everyone else who has one. Give it a whirl!

V. Wildcard

The above prompts are all options, and there's much more to the setting than what they provide. Do your best (or your worst)!

Navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He stood there and watched his pup just..was he really here? No he made sure he was awake and he walked over to the grinning Soldier. "I..can't believe you're here." In this weird world.

The last time he saw him..well it was on the battlefield which hadn't gone well. And he was on his way to go bring him to the Lifestream. Yet here Zack was standing in front of him.

"How is this possible?"

At least he wasn't called pup. He hadn't been called that for years, after all. After Angeal and Genesis had gone AWOL... No, it was better not to think about it.

"Yeah, gotta ask you that myself. Uh, quick question. Is this, like, what the Lifestream looks like? Because it's sorta not what I imagined. Or what I'd heard described."

Those questions had him take a good look at Zack. Several questions ran through his head but he shook it. "This isn't the Lifestream. I don't even know if this place has a name. But we're not home either. There's chocobos and Tonberries, but as far as anything else familiar that's about it."

He personally had no idea Cloud and Aerith were here.

"What was the last thing you remember before coming here?"

This was important.

Tonberries? Zack winces. That's not fun shit at all, and he didn't even have his sword. Angeal's sword. Cloud's now, he guessed.

"Uh... yeah, kinda remember some stuff. A long truck ride."

Such an understatement.

"A truck ride." And that's when it occurred to him to look.

"Did you forget your sword again Soldier?" Like that one time, but Angeal isn't sure he really wants the answer to this question.

Oh come on, Angeal, give him a break. Zack sighed, arms crossing over his chest like he's about to complain to his mentor while the guy tells him something he needs to improve upon for an upcoming mission.

"Didn't forget it. Just didn't exactly get a chance to pack up coming here. But it's okay. Guy I left it with, I know he's going to carry it well.

"So you gave it away." Angeal replied carefully. And he wondered, but it didn't really matter. Zack was here now and he'd look after him just as he always had.

His head shook. "Well I'm sure you've been assigned a place, by the looks of the satchel you've got. I can show you to it and we can grab a bite to eat if you're hungry. And there's someone I want you to meet."

"No," Zack said, his voice firm. He's had years to mature, and perhaps it's that more than anything that can let him meet Angeal's gaze without shame. He's grown, Angeal. He's not a pup anymore. Hell, as they stand here in this moment they're practically of an age.

Fuck, that hurt more than Zack knew how to deal with to face. If what he'd calculated after escaping Nibelheim was right...

Maybe it was the fate of the First Class to die young?

"You know me, I'm always down for a meal. Blame the mako infusions." Granted because of their infusions they could also go longer than most without a meal, but damn he got hungry. "Alright, show me around then. Not like there's much harm to it."

"I see." Angeal replied softly. Well at least Zack was here with him even if he should be home. "But alright. Let's get going and I'll show you around so you know where to go and how to get there."

He still had some of the coins from when he arrived and he knew it would be more than enough to get their meals out of the way.

"There's a tavern in town not too far from here, so we'll start there."

Weren't they both going to be shocked to find Cloud here and with their blade. That was going to be a whole thing. But for now, well, he's just glad to see his mentor again. Even if it makes him less certain about the whole 'not the Lifestream' thing.

He had theories, they seemed fair, and he hated them. But if the two people he cared about were safe, then he supposed he could deal with it.

"You buying? I'm fresh enough off the train that I don't have any work lined up yet."

Open your bag, Zack, geez.

"I offered right? That means I'm buying, so don't worry about it. Save what you have for a sword because if the rumours are true about the Tonberries you're going to need one. I have it on good authority there's a damn good weapon smith in town. But food first, and we can catch up while we eat."

He was so used to taking care of Zack it was almost second nature. Even if he was unsure as to how his pup had made it here.

Well he won't say no to a meal. It would be nice actually. And the added benefit of not being the big gun in town would be pleasant too. Well, not hun. He's be happy to never have to snipe again in his life.

"And I'm guessing they aren't the sort of Tonberries you can befriend."

Angeal shook his head. "I haven't run into any myself but I'm sure that's a bad idea Zack. And truth be told, I really only got here a week or two ago myself. But I was told that this place wants you to exist and go about your life. That's kind of a tall order when you've only been Soldier pretty much all of it."

He really had no idea what to do with it.

"It's not that bad of an idea," Zack insisted. "I definitely made friends with one once. So it'd come sometimes when I was in trouble and stab things for me."

Let it never be said that Zack's limit break was in any form sane. Being able to copy other people's techniques when in high stress situations was a very odd thing indeed.

"A week or two is more time than I've had I guess. And it's not like you've got that much on me. I did leave home a decade ago, Angeal."

Though he had spent some years in a test tube.

Angeal just rolled his eyes sideways at Zack and sighed. "I really don't think they're to be trusted here." He was just as cautious as ever but it made him smile because Zack hadn't changed.

The former First looked over at his pup and had to laugh a little even as he mentally did the math presented to him. "Let's just focus on getting food. When was the last time you even ate?"

"Maybe you just don't know how to befriend them," Zack countered. "Maybe they have their own sense of honor."

Still, he wanted to roll his eyes at not being taken seriously. Oh well. Angeal would never get it.

"Uh... days ago probably. Was saving the supplies for Spike."

Angeal shook his head. "Whatever you say pup."

There was a sigh as he got the report about saving supplies. And he briefly thought about how if the person Zack was referring to meant the young blonde infantryman that he had knocked him down, just enough to knock the breath out of him. He was pretty sure that was the kid.

Saying nothing about that, he just kept walking. "Just make sure you don't go away hungry." Because he'd gotten here, the only one to cook for was the puppy and since he was so small, he didn't eat much as of yet.

and having cooked for three grown Soldiers, he ended up making too much food.

Yeah, Cloud was a fucking amazing kid, and Zack knew he'd be important some day. As more than just Zack, and therefore Angeal's, legacy. He would save the world. Zack just didn't know how yet.

"Oh come on, you know me. I love to eat. Guess I gotta find work here so I can eat my fill. Like, seriously. Think people will be down for some sorta handyman?"

There was an amused glance over at Zack with the eating thing. Angeal definitely knew the guy could eat which to him was more than fine because if for whatever reason Zack hadn't been a big eater, that would've been another issue.

However there was no issue.

But as far as a handyman went, Angeal had to smile. "There are a lot of places that need fixed up in certain areas. And there are people moving into housing, so I don't see why they couldn't use an extra set of hands."

"Good, I've got a pair," Zack said, trying to keep himself positive. Because yeah, it was taking some work.

He had so many unanswered questions in his head. So many things he wanted to explain to Angeal. So many more he wanted the man to explain to him. But... but this wasn't the time, and he had learned something about keeping things to a time and place.

Angeal slid a look over to Zack and just smiled. It was weird having the pup here with him and even if he wouldn't ever wish anyone to come here and be trapped, Zack was good company.

But they got to the tavern and Angeal grabbed the door first. The smell of the food got to him and fortunately his stomach didn't growl like he thought it might.

This made him wonder if it was a perk to being deceased.

"Let's get some food, Soldier."

Good company because he hasn't started prying yet. He slips through the door and damn his stomach is totally growling. Loudly. He hasn't eaten in SO long.

"You dont' have to tell me twice. Or, well, not three times at least."

Angeal slid the other menu to Zack and had a feeling that there was something different about Zack. And the thought kept nagging at him and no matter how long he looked at the menu he couldn't shake it.

So finally he lowered the menu and looked at his pup.

"Is everything alright Zack?"

Of course something's different. it's been so long.

"No, Angeal. Not... It's been so long and looking at you I'm so confused. You're... you're okay. You look fine. Better than when I last saw you. And I don't get it."

Mako blue eyes blinked at Zack as he described what was going on. And so he then took a breath, figuring what the pup must've seen the last time he saw him.

He now bore physical scars of their fight, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was Zack. "The Lifestream has a way of mending things."

And Angeal wasn't sure he should get into how he was on his way to go pick Zack up and bring him there after that fight with the Shinra troops.

So he didn't.

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