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

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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.

Does it? Does that mean, when his soul returns to it, he can be whole, for even a moment? Or is that why he had only woken up with scars instead of, well, everything else?

"Then... Why did you leave?"

It hurts, he doesn't know how to even talk about it.

This question had him wondering and he searched the other's face for a minute. "You mean why I left Soldier?" Or, Zack was asking why Angeal had left him and for a minute the serious face dropped.

And he looked at the table, unsure how to communicate that. There was also that punch to the gut that he'd given Zack, ending up in the other meeting the Ancient in the church. There was an unspoken apology for that too, along with so many other unsaid things and so many regrets.

So the former Soldier sighed with a shake of his head. "There was so much going on. I wasn't...myself."

You know what, both questions are valid. So he just keeps looking at Angeal, trying to get him to answer.

"Like Sephiroth was sorta... fucked up in Nibelheim? Genesis made it worse, so much worse."

He blinked and looked up at Zack. Those two definitely had a talent for fucking things up. It was why he'd gone to look for a young soldier, someone he could dote on and forget all about the figurative cock waving and one upmanship that Sephiroth and Genesis did. Angeal had tired of their childish behaviour and had quit playing Mom and referee.

And then he turned and abandoned the one who needed him the most.

Guilt wracked through him but he couldn't really show that because he'd always been strong for Zack, or at least tried to show that sort of thing even if he felt that he was failing at it right about now.

So he nodded almost miserably. "I know, I saw the damage."

They'd all needed Angeal. But if Angeal hadn't left, maybe Sephiroth would have stood firm. Who knew what would have happened if Sephiroth's only friends hadn't run. If Sephiroth hadn't put Zack in the position of killing the man he had looked up to.

"How did you see that?"

"You can still see what's happening and check up on people." Angeal then gave Zack a direct look, wondering if the pup remembered the copy in the church protecting Aerith. And then there was the time he went to see Zack while he was being experimented on.

Well, that's something of a relief. He can watch over Spike. He'll do his best to watch over Spike when he goes home.

"I thought I saw you sometimes. Turned out to just be Lazard. But... I'm glad you were still considering me."

"Lazard.." Angeal grimaced. "We couldn't be more different." Unless..well that's what Zack had to be referring to.

Double ugh.

"You think you just up and forget about people once you're in the Lifestream?"

"Last I saw him, Lazard looked identical to you, except for the, you know, clothes."

Still, he's caught up in what Angeal said. Angeal had said he was watching.

"I don't know, Angeal. I sorta only just died. I've got no clue how it works."

It took him a moment, but he remembered. "Lazard came to the Lifestream and he told me." The conversation had been odd and then Angeal had been called away by his mother so they hadn't had much of a chance to talk.

Of course Zack then had his full attention with the admission. "I came and got you..but maybe I didn't get there yet in your time."

This place was just so strange.

Had he? Zack... doesn't remember that.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. I just... I remember giving Spike the sword, and our legacy. And then..."

Then he was here. He knew he was dead. There was no coming back from that. But fuck it's annoying to have a gap in his memory.

Angeal shook his head and spoke low. "It's alright Zack."

It had pained him to see Zack fall and he'd wished he hadn't gone and done something stupid like get killed. He should've been at his pup's side for that battle and it had rained while Zack died. Angeal liked to think it matched his mood.

Angeal should have been there at Zack's side for a lot of things. He should have tried to stand tall and help his friends. He should have done a lot of things.

"No, none of it's alright. I don't even know if Cloud will make it."

He sighed. "You gave him your sword. I'm sure that he'll be fine once he can lift it." The boy wasn't First Class and his scrawny tail had a long way to go yet. But if the pup had faith in him, Angeal had faith in Zack.

So that was how the logic went since he saw how protective Zack had been of the infantry boy.

"He can lift it," Zack promised Angeal. He's certain of it. Firm in that certainty. "He's got more mako infused in him than any second normally got. Hell, probably more than most firsts beyond you three."

Angeal of course would know who 'you three' were. And even then, Zack wasn't sure it was true.

Angeal smiled. "I guess that's going to be a conversation for when we get back home then." Maybe time would elapse and the blonde that he'd regrettably pushed down would be able to lift the Buster sword.

He of course knew who the 'you three' were that Zack was referring to. But he would still reserve judgement and have to wait and see.

Back home. Man, who even knew if they COULD talk when they got back home. Lifestream and all that was weird.

"I guess we will. But I believe in him. I wouldn't make him my legacy, and yours by extension, if I didn't believe in him."

Angeal had to laugh just slightly and shake his head. Leave it to Zack to come up with the thoughts that he did. "No. He'd be your legacy, just as you were mine."

An affectionate smile showed on the former First's face, and then the waitress came up to the table and so the moment vanished. However, he nodded at the pup.

"What are you ordering?"

"As much as I can get," Zack laughed.

IT had been so long since he'd felt full. He was going to eat.

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TD006

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gonna close this given zack's in now