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acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] 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! ♥
punshots: (✘ sierra.)

ii!

[personal profile] punshots 2018-10-21 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Iiiii wouldn't eat that if I were you.

[ Prompto can appreciate the variety that Astoria has prepare for them here, and there's definitely some good stuff on the table he hasn't had for ages, but...there is also a lot of...weird stuff. Like that squirming pink thing the girl seated next to him picks up. Like, that can't be edible, can it? Food shouldn't...move on its own.

It should never move on its own.

Tentatively, he reaches out to poke a finger into the pink thing's rubbery surface, his brows drawing together in concern. ]


Yeah, better stick to good, ol' mashed potatoes and gravy.

[ Unless the gravy has an attitude, too. ]
babelicious: (✦ ɪɪɪ)

[personal profile] babelicious 2018-10-23 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Is it supposed to be food?

[ i mean, it wouldn't be on the table otherwise, right?? she's seen all number of strange delicacies in the world, and this one is new to her but i mean, the multiverse is a strange, enormous place..

the mashed potatoes look good at all, but instead, she thrusts the pink squirmy thing right beneath his own. ]


Would you like to try it instead?
punshots: (✘ tint.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-10-25 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
[ Whoa, now, hey, he may look like a sucker - and yes, he is a sucker - but he is not going to put that thing in his mouth. He is not a guinea pig!

Prompto puts both his hands up defensively, palms facing out. ]


Noooooo thank you! I think that privilege is all yours. I'll, uh, have one of these instead!

[ He picks up what appears to be a pretty ordinary peach. ]
babelicious: (✦ xɪɪ)

[personal profile] babelicious 2018-10-26 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ that is not an ordinary peach, is it..

and yeah, he definitely looks like a sucker. he just has that kind of face. she looks mildly disappointed that he's too much of a wuss to try the wriggling, toothy eel as a snack, but alas. she sets it back down with its.. siblings?? ]


Oh, no, it smells terrible.

[ she doesn't want to eat it!! but it's fun to play with.. ]
punshots: (✘ inkwell.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-10-27 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It sure isn't an ordinary peach! Not that Prompto knows that. It looks completely ordinary to him. ]

No? Can't blame ya! That thing looks like it came out of a swamp—

[ He takes a bite out of the peach, chews a moment, and then freezes, the color draining his face. ]
babelicious: (✦ ɪ)

[personal profile] babelicious 2018-10-31 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ all right, well, with the squirmy, smelly thing back down on the plate, garnet takes a few moments to peruse the tabletop for anything that looks remotely familiar, but his silence soon becomes noticeable. her gaze soon flickers back up to his face. ]

Oh no! Is something wrong?

[ she sounds concerned, but she's also leaning over the table toward him wearing a look of clear curiosity.. what horror is about to befall him?? ]
punshots: (✘ linear.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-11-03 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Something is very wrong. For a moment, Prompto does nothing. He doesn't chew, he doesn't swallow. He seems to have gone into a state of shock, really, though after a handful of moments, things begin to happen very quickly. Prompto puts up a finger to give himself a moment, stands up, and...

...goes to find the nearest garbage can to spit his mouthful of "peach" into.

He then returns to his seat, ghostly pale but acting otherwise normal. Well...normal for him, anyway. ]


Soooooo, don't try the peaches.

[ Now let them never speak of them again. ]