acatamods. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
acatamods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
acatalepsy_ooc2018-10-19 02:32 pm
acatamods) wrote in acatalepsy_ooc2018-10-19 02:32 pm
Entry tags:
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! ♥ |
i'm really sorry for connor and let me know if this isn't ok
But a small percentage of potential is still enough for Connor on a good day.
One hand is left to balance the candy bowl while the other is freed, reaching out and grasping at North's wrist with a grip that can hardly be called kind. Connor is relying on the fact that his android capabilities -- namely, a memory probe -- might still be functional. After their stint in the underwater caves, everything had come back to him in intermittent waves. Scans, pre and reconstruction subroutines, interfacing abilities. This, even, though he hardly had a use for a memory probe at the time; not when he was the only android from his world present.
Connor's lips are pressed thin as he wills the false skin of his outward appearance away, to herald the beginning of such a thing. Wills it to work, damn it-
(Spoilers: It won't. Their abilities are officially gone once more. This just leaves him aggressively gripping her wrist with nothing much else happening. Other than probably making North want to kill him.)]
i've been crying for a thousand years
There is a hand gripping her wrist.
For a split second, she's too shocked to react. Her whole body goes rigid, her mind palace processing, processing, processing. If her LED was still there, it would be flashing red at this very moment. But it isn't, and she's so, so very glad she made the decision to remove it. Then, the moment passes. Shock shifts into disgust. Disgust shifts into sheer, unadulterated rage. Rage shifts into the desire to tear him apart piece by piece.
The following happens in quick succession: She steps back. Stabilizes her footing. Relaxes her wrist. Tries to reduce the probability of damage for herself, and then — well. She's quickly reaching up to grab the back of his neck, intent on yanking him down so she can knee him in the fucking face or in his chest. Either one is fine by her. She doesn't give a shit as long as she gets to hit him. As long as she gets him to let go.
Whether this works or not is ~a mystery~, but. To the tune of Cell Block Tango:
Get wrecked.]
no subject
And then North is reaching out, fingers coiled harshly around the back of his neck, bringing him forward and down. Straight into her knee, and it's by some blessed miracle that she misses his nose... though it cracks straight into the side of his face, harsh against the cheekbone facsimile of his features.
It's jarring in the way his vision stutters for a second, that his system registers undue force against his face (thanks, programming), but pain is a thing that doesn't greet him, as always. Yet alarm does, and Connor reaches out to push her away, which means the bowl of candy is falling and clumsily spilling at both of their feet.
When given space, he straightens almost immediately, his face twisted in displeasure. No point in playing coy now.]
You know something. And you need to save us both the effort and tell us what it is you know about Jericho. All of you can only stay holed up for so long.
no subject
His words are going to be met with a sneer. The alarm bells are still ringing, but now she realizes why. Everything about this conversation, from his distaste towards deviants to his curiosity about what she last remembers — it all makes sense.]
You're Connor, aren't you? The deviant hunter.
[Her opinion on him is clear the moment she spits out his title, tone laced with vitriol. She nudges some of the candy that was spilled on the ground with the tip of her boot.]
Were you getting candy for your masters? What a shame that you had to drop it.
no subject
Though, she's guessed rightly. He has a reputation now, apparently.]
That's right. Sent by CyberLife to track, retain, and question deviants like yourself. [And to eventually send them back to CyberLife for likely disassembly.] And Jericho, housing the deviant resistance, is a matter of top priority. For the sake and safety of Detroit.
[Even as he speaks, he's filtering through memories, as if they were just something he can run in the background while the rest of him focuses on her. An android's skilled tendency to multitask.]
You were at Stratford, weren't you?
[Faces obscured at strange and fleeting angles, but one female model, with similar hair. Could've been a different deviant, but coincidences are not to be overlooked.]
no subject
"For the sake and safety of Detroit." [She huffs out a laugh at that, humorlessly. Though she knows what the humans think of them, to hear it spoken like that by another android is kind of...] That's a riot. Humans have no trouble destroying themselves over the smallest of reasons, but we're the biggest threat to national security?
[Unemployment is on the rise. The war on drugs continues to be ineffective. Bees are hecking extinct. That's all someone else's problem, apparently. But the moment an android wants the right to live their own life — that's when it's too much. Humans will never change, no matter what Markus or Josh believe.]
You can theorize all you want. I won't be answering any of your questions.
[She'd rather get shot at than confirm or deny anything, especially since she knows that anything she says can (and will) make it back to whoever is currently acting as his "master."]
no subject
[Connor looks like he won’t be hearing it. Everything about him has gone stark and serious, from the look on his face to the line of his shoulders. The android whose main prerogative has suddenly resurfaced right before his eyes in the form of North, and it’s all he can do to look like this has turned into an impromptu interrogation. He’s like a canine with his jaws clamped down tight on his first promising lead since... when? Since before he had spoken to Kamski, now months ago; that seems so far away.
Connor steps forward. The candy bowl hits the point of his shoe and rolls lazily away. Wrappers crunch under his soles.]
You’re stuck here now, you know. Indefinitely. I’m going to find out what I want to know.
[She can clam up all she wants — she will break in time, with the right application of pressure. Maybe all it’ll take is just one moment of his functions returning, and he’ll get what he wants. What CyberLife dictates he needs to do.]
no subject
[He's too far up the humans' collective asses to be reasoned with. Even though she doesn't necessarily want to leave things as they are, it's obvious she's just wasting her time at this point.
"Indefinitely," though. She registers the threat for what it is, and something thoroughly unpleasant stirs within her. Her people— Well, they can thrive as long as Markus and the others remain in Detroit. But if Connor isn't lying to get a reaction out of her... She can't allow herself to be the reason why Jericho is discovered. She won't be the one that causes her people's downfall. When he steps forward, she holds her ground.]
You won't, so run back to your masters and tell them about your failure today. We will gain our freedom.
no subject
It’s not like Connor expects her cooperation, anyway. That would be too easy, and if anything has proven itself to him over time, it’s that deviants never like to make anything easy for him.
He adopts a look that’s wintry with its detachment.]
You think I can just turn around and report this to CyberLife? I meant it when I said that we’re here indefinitely, which means I have plenty of time to find out what you’re withholding until we’re free to return to Detroit.
It isn’t worth it, you know. If you really believed in android ‘life’, you’d stop resisting. So many of you are going to be damaged and shut down in the process of this so-called revolution. And when it’s inevitably snuffed out, all that waits for you is disassembly.
no subject
You really don't get it, do you?
["Inevitably snuffed out." What a piece of work. She regrets not hitting him harder.]
The humans hate us. They're going to kill us even if we surrender. If I'm going to die, then I'd rather die fighting for my freedom. [Victory or death. There's no third option.] For our freedom.
[Whether he wants it or not.]