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acatalepsy_ooc2018-10-19 02:32 pm
acatamods) wrote in acatalepsy_ooc2018-10-19 02:32 pm
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test drive meme # 4
 test drive meme #4 It happens in the blink of an eye. One moment, you are home. Perhaps you are with your family, perhaps you are at work. It's a completely normal day . . . and then, suddenly, your stomach drops. You are overcome with a sudden sense of vertigo. You cannot see up, or down, or where you are. All you hear is a voice -- light, bubbly, warm, soothing, in your ear: Don't worry, darling. This won't hurt a bit~ ♥ For those who recognize the voice, it will sound a bit strained. Possibly tired. But the moment happens so quickly it's hard to pin down, and once that moment is over, you fall flat on your face. It's bright, warm, and humid. It takes a few seconds for you to gain composure and catch your breath. You think, for half a moment, that a hand is on your back, rubbing between your shoulder blades in comfort, but when you open your eyes, no one is there. You are surrounded by ancient stone buildings, with carvings you do not recognize etched into the stone. There's a sense of nausea, overwhelming and sudden, when you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore. Even worse, it looks like Astoria has started to feel a bit festive, maybe even a little spooky.  THE TEMPLE OF BEGINNINGS. Welcome to the "Home Base" of Astoria's Circle. What the actual name of the base is called is lost to the ages, and there's no sense of where you could find it, unless you started asking around. At any rate, this is a central hub of the Circle, a place of powerful magic and mysterious energy. It is a scattering of ancient stone buildings and for the most part, it looks abandoned . . . except for what seems to be a few items, some rooms taken, items moved or organized, even a small garden planted. These are just the smallest hints that there are people here that have been here before you arrived. Overall, it's fairly beautiful. However, it is definitely not modern. Upon exploration, you find that the buildings are kept up by some kind of magic. Some of the rooms have items, things from other Circle members already settled, and others appear to be unclaimed. Pick your rooms, explore the grounds, see the beauty and wonder all around you in such a magical place. However, be careful -- there is some additional movement around the Temple that seems specific to the time of year. THE GREAT PUMPKIN.  Fall has certainly arrived in the Circle . . . rich colors adorn the leaves, a crisp breeze is in the air . . . and in the center of the Temple itself appears to be a massive pumpkin. And, really, the word massive doesn't appear to do the gourd justice. It is nearly twelve feet tall and twelve feet wide, round and bulbous in nature. But what is even more bizarre is that the entire structure seems hollow . . . and the front of it, in a Jack-O'-Lantern facade, has a large grinning face.No one says you have to go inside it, but if you're so inclined to scale through the mouth of the massive Jack-O'-Lantern, you will find a couple of things inside! One, the thing seems to be full of bowls of candy. Some candy might look familiar, but most of it looks a little weird. Two, there are floating candles spread throughout the pumpkin, creating odd shadows that cast about as the sun goes down. Three, the pumpkin changes expressions throughout the day. When you aren't looking, it goes from grimacing to smiling -- and it never seems to happen when you look! Have fun celebrating the holiday, Circle. Astoria is just getting started. SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS.  If the pumpkin wasn't quite enough of a giveaway that Astoria has become spookily inspired to welcome her new guests, then this will have to do. Because right along the outside of the Temple of Beginnings, there seems to be a somewhat constant and fairly thick fog. It's the kind of fog that makes you think there's something there. And with some exploration, you'll find...there is. Right in the distance there is movement, unnatural and sporadic. Any further investigation into the movement will involve you moving further and further into the fog. But be careful, because this fog is thick enough to lose sight of where you've come from. With enough time, you can catch up with the movement, to find that what you've heard and seen just beyond your peripheral, are...skeletons. Animated skeletons. They're humanoid, almost cartoon, and are moving with little to no direction. They just seem to be shambling in whatever direction they can, with no purpose or reason. They are entirely harmless. Except that if you get too curious, and get close enough to touch them, their heads will jerk towards you. They won't do much more, until you try and step away. It seems that by touching the skeletons, you've attracted their attention, and as you try to move away from them they will follow. And as they follow, they will attract the attention of other skeletons, and others, and others. If you're not careful, you'll collect an army. They will not follow you across the boundary around the Temple of Beginnings, but everywhere else you wander, you will have an entourage. Depending on how long you spend with your skeletons friends, you might even find out that they will answer simple commands. Like dance. FALL FEAST.  No matter how Astoria's thoughts on holiday cheer, she seems to have at least gotten one fall related item down- because on one of the days, you will wake up and find that in the middle of the Temple of Beginnings, where there is usually some green space and open grass, is now a very large table, extravagantly decorated. It seems to go on forever in each direction, which feels...a little impossible (but what isn't impossible here?) with plenty of chairs. The table has been decorated with fall ornaments (anyone familiar with the American 'Thanksgiving' will find quite a few similarities) with the only difference instead being the wide variety of food available. Astoria is not limited to Turkey and Stuffing on this day - but rather, almost any kind of food or drink (minus any kind of magical abilities it may contain) is here on this table. Food and snacks from every reach of every world and galaxy is on display. Maybe you're going to spend some time searching out your favorite from home, or maybe you're feeling adventurous and want to try a piece of whatever is in front of you - you think it might be some kind of potatoes? If potatoes were slightly bioluminescent? Also, did that side dish move just now? COMMUNICATIONS.  Upon arriving, you will notice on whichever is your non-dominant hand, you will have a fairly simply screen. A smart watch, if you will. Upon exploration, you will find that it has a directory of all those here with you at the Temple of Beginnings- names, and access to a direct message to them. The watch also has video, audio, and text capabilities, as well as what looks like a collection of messages sent to everyone who wishes to open them. This is your 'network', and also how Astoria can reach out and communicate with you. There is nothing keeping you from removing and/or losing your watch! But remember that you will not have access to this network without it. OOC: Also feel free to join us and other possible players on our discord server! enjoy! ♥ |
buckles up for the pain train.
there's a reactive anger, at the fact that she doesn't recognize him -- which isn't her fault, lotor rationalizes to himself. she's clearly from before -- before the madness, before zarkon ruined their lives, and before lotor was even born. but it dredges up old memories, old fury, and lotor has to carefully compartmentalize that away with a quick bite to the inside of his cheek before he speaks again. ]
You have never been to a pocket universe?
[ testing the waters. curious, speaking with a familiarity with the term, as if arriving here had been of no surprise to him. and it wasn't, really -- after oriande, after the rift, nothing surprises lotor anymore. the constant quest and thirst for knowledge drives him, but true shock? not since allura and he tumbled into the abyss, and met the white lion. this place was nothing compared to that.
but honerva wouldn't know any of that. not yet, anyway. ]
They aren't necessarily common, but they exist. Trapped outside of space and time. [ much like the quintessence field that destroyed their entire family. ] This place is of a unique type, though, in that the woman Astoria seems to have exclusive control over it. Or so she says.
[ finally, lotor releases his hand from the hilt of his sword, and inclines his head, in a slight bow of formal greeting, to her. a hand over his chest. vrepit sa, and all that. he may be regretting his decision to speak with her, but lotor is nothing but an excellent liar. he won't tell her what she doesn't need to know. ]
Lotor. You are?
this'll be fine
Nothing she's ever experienced herself.]
No, this is entirely new to me.
[She wonders what it would be like, to have explored one before coming here. Would she feel less out of her depth? Would she be less confused?
Probably, if this one is unique, though she thinks of the crater on Daibazaal regardless. It's possible, but she hasn't gone that far yet. She will, soon, once she returns, but she can't know yet. She can't know how her research, how her experiments, will twist.
She won't know how trying to figure out that energy will do so much - to her. To Zarkon. To the child she doesn't know about, hasn't considered. She knows less than nothing about what everything means, what everyone knows about her, and she must live with it for now.
Ignorance is bliss, and Honerva is proof of that.]
Honerva. [She bows her head in return, and it all feels so formal. Almost stuffily so.] Freshly arrived, though... I imagine that much is obvious.
[There's a small smile, a small laugh at her own joke - if you could call it one - and the skeletons around them rattle cheerily.]
no subject
You aren’t the first, and certainly will not be the last. Arriving here is disorienting at best, and nauseating at worst. [ it’s meant to be reassuring, though something in lotor’s tone indicates frustration, with their predicament. no one should be trapped here. ] New arrivals tend to arrive in waves, but keeping track of time here is . . . difficult. We tend to travel, and not every planet has the same day cycle as others.
[ he nearly says daibazaal, to test the waters further, and to better understand when honerva is from, but that planet is so far removed from who he is as a person that he keeps it to himself. Lotor has studied the planet extensively, and he knows his culture, but he won’t be able to respond quickly concerning exact details without giving up the proverbial ghost.
but he does look back at her, eyes scanning her face quickly before continuing. ]
You are not alone, though. There are other Alteans here.
no subject
He relaxes, and it gets Honerva to smile even brighter.]
Did you have a rough time of it? [She catches that frustration, and she wonders. There's nothing she can do for this stranger, but it makes her curious.
Perhaps she shouldn't be so curious, because it's not her right to know anything, it's not her place, even if she wants to learn what she can.
And this man is more like kin than any of the Earthlings could be.]
Other Alteans? [She perks up, eyes going bright.] Like who?
[It's possible it's Alfor - or maybe Coran, or Alfor's wife? There's hundreds of people she could be, and maybe it's silly but...It would be nice, to have a friend here.]