acatalepsy_ooc | test drive meme # 4

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test drive meme # 4

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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! ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ARRIVAL.

[ john groans, reaching out for the nearest surface to keep him upright when the vertigo kicks in hard. one second he was on the beach dealing the legends a lecture with a demon head and the next... what the hell is this place? ]

Who're you callin' darlin', darlin'?

[ did he really hear that? first thing's first, once he's confident his feet will stay under him he thrusts his arms out and stares up at the ceiling. they just defeated mallus and already there's another being hot on his heels. bloody typical. ]

Show yourself, witch! Though, first, I've gotta warn ya, luv, I'm one nasty piece of work.

[ welcome to john constantine, temple-goers. maybe you should tell him to stop being so dramatic. or just walk down the hall some to talk to astoria himself? ]

SPOOKY SKELETONS.

[ he begins to explore, giving that giant pumpkin a sideeye. maybe he'll check that one out in a bit, seems like a trap to him. the second he leaves the temple and the fog swirls in, all he can do is scoff as he pulls his zippo out and clicks it on. ]

It really does get tiring, you know. Being bloody right all the time!

[ and then there's... friends. the only kind he has anymore: dead ones. he pulls in a breath, half expecting one to turn into gary lester and start talking to him again. but the skeletons stay innocuous and silent, they're just following. which makes him think that someone's controlling them, papa midnite maybe? he hasn't seen that tosser in a dog's age. ]

Well, aren't you lot sweet? You come out just to show ol' John Constantine around? You must answer to that adorable witch. She fancies herself that way anyway, don't she?

[ he holds out a hand to shake bony fingers, lifting an eyebrow. when the pile of bones just tilts its head, he realizes it needs a command. not an intelligent haunting, then, only lending more credence to his theory. ]

Shake, boy. There you go. I know it's an honor, but you'll get over the initial shock of my celebrity eventually.

[ he shrugs and turns away and sure enough - three more circle in to follow him. another hypothesis proven. ]

Cute spell. Let's get to the bottom of it together, shall we?

FALL FEAST.

[ he eyes up the others at the table, standing over it with his hands in his pockets. john cants his head to the side, this place is really something else. ]

Never tastes as good as the real thing, do they? Not quite like grand-ma-ma's bread pudding when it's made of stardust. She's got you lot literally eating out of the palm of her hand.

[ john shakes his head, it's cute how she keeps saying she's too tired for tricks and yet every time he turns a bloody corner... ]

I'll give this Astoria credit where it's due, she's a brilliant actress if I've ever seen one. Can't wait to see her at the Academy.

NETWORK.

@j.constantine

Different worlds, different people. It's like the bloody cast of Cheers around here. And let me guess, no one knows nothin?

I know, when I'm good I'm good. Some real answers wouldn't totally suck though. Anyone have a nugget for a curious wizard? Or at least tell me there's real tea in this hellscape.

Oh good. The person with the actual magic expertise is here.

[You know who doesn't seem all that threatened by Constantine's threat about being a nasty piece of work? This girl. She just leans casually in the doorway to her and Sara's room and waits for him to get all his yelling out.]

Though I'm willing to guess your mojo is on the fritz?

[She had been wondering if there was a difference between magic vs. metahuman, since Astoria seemed to favor magic to begin with, but she hadn't really had a chance to test that theory, being of neither, aside from her totem.]

[ he shrugs a shoulder at her, slowly placing her face and voice. he had just seen her a moment ago, after all. the truth is he isn't sure which of his skills came with him here, but things around here feel... wrong, mostly in that he can't feel them at all. ]

Not to fear, luv, I've still got a few aces up my sleeve.

[ it's a good analogy bc he's bluffing. ]

Uh-huh.

[She sighs then jerks her head over her shoulder.]

C'mon. I'll fill you in while we find you a room.

[Because he's going to be stuck here a while, and it's probably good for Legends and Legends-adjacent to stick together.]

I'm flattered, luv, really I am, but I do think we should be working on the problem at hand, yeah?

[ oh wait she didn't mean it that way, did she? he blinks a few times. ]

Oh, I'm not staying here. Cute, but no. I'll be out by tea-time. You're welcome to tag along.

[There's a definite "ew" face when he thinks that she was trying to sleep with him because ... gross, but when he assumes that she's just been slacking, she just makes a giant "oh" face and turns around because this should be interesting.]

Oh. Okay. So you're trapped in an alternate world with no magic, no speedster and no Waverider - where should we start?

[ he didn't actually think she was hitting on him, and yet the words had come automatically. in the same vein... it should be obvious after only a few seconds that he has no idea where the bloody hell to start fixing this. ]

Well. What have we got so far?

Some chick named Astoria brought us here, but she also didn't at the same time? I've gotten some conflicting information there. Occasionally she'll throw us into another universe to help some people just for fun with zero warning or context, and then she'll bring us back here again to repeat the process.

[A beat.]

And sometimes we'll wind up with some kind of robot death flu. See the previous comment about warnings and context.

Sounds like a regular party, luv. And hosted by an inexperienced witch, no less. Now, those are just my kind of festivities.

I'm sure they are.

[She gestures to the hallway ahead of her.]

Still think you're going to need a room.

What? No offer to bunk in with the girls? I'm offended.

[ no, he isn't. in fact, he sounds bemused more than anything. ]

Suppose I ought to stay close though. Just in case something goes bump in the night.

[Zari rolls her eyes a bit, before poking her head in one of the rooms nearby to check and see if there was any stuff.]

Oh, there will be. Nothing in these places ever goes as smoothly as you would hope.

Alright, fine. We can be neighbors.

[ he says it like he's doing her a favor, edging into the room behind her to scope out his new digs. ]

But we've got to have a few ground rules. [ he was going to be a dick about this, but he's deflating already with a low sigh. sometimes, even he gets tired of being a pompous dickhead. ] Or mostly just that you understand I'm a bloody awful neighbor. You won't find any sugar to borrow from here.

JOHN CONSTANTINE | DCTV

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