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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! ♥ |
no subject
[Even though the concept of magic is, quite frankly, outlandish to her. How does it work? Why does it work? Is there even a point to all of this? Hell if she knows. She's not any closer to understanding it, as frustrating as it is. That said, now that she's been interrupted... She gets up, wiping the dirt off her pants as her own skeleton army moves to do the same.]
Why they're programmed to imprint on the first person to make contact with them, however, is beyond me. It's impractical.
["Programmed." Because if there's anything North associates with being a mindless follower, it's being forced to obey by layers upon layers of coding. Do any of the skeletons have minds of their own? Are they doing this out of their own spooky volition? She's given it some thought, honestly.]
no subject
[ They already kind of are, given the way they knocked into each other when Makoto halted so suddenly, though she isn't exactly sure if that's what the girl means.
When North stands, Makoto offers her a polite little nod, though her expression remains somewhat guarded and careful. ]
By the way, my name is Makoto Niijima. Are you new around here as well?
no subject
I'm more concerned someone will make them do something reckless.
[... Is she pitying the skeletons? She is totally pitying the skeletons. It's hard not to, when they followed her suggestion to sit down without even the tiniest little annoyed rattle of their bones. End skeleton servitude 2k38!!]
North. [Might as well complete the circle of niceties. Hm.] I take it you didn't plan on ending up here, either.
no subject
It's a pleasure to meet you. [ Cordial as ever. Even if a different world, Makoto won't forget her manners with strangers. ] And no, I didn't. I would've happily come, if that witch had bothered to ask.
[ And once she had finished tying up some important business back home, of course. The timing was hardly ideal. ]
no subject
The word if gets North to huff out a humorless laugh. More of a superfluous puff of breath than anything else, given the fact that androids have little need for consuming oxygen.]
Why would she bother asking? It's clear all that witch wants are soldiers to fight her battles for her. She doesn't care if it's convenient for us.
[Unlike Makoto, there's no scenario where North would have happily fucked off to do charity work like this. She has enough to worry about back home, with the struggle to gain some semblance of freedom for her people. Jericho desperately needs all hands on deck now more than ever.]
no subject
With any luck, that is. ]
Pretty much...so, what will you do, then? Are you going to help the Circle?
[ Considering North doesn't exactly seem enthused about the cause. ]
no subject
[Protecting the universe. Saving it from some unknown threat. If Astoria is telling the truth, then it's in North's best interests to cooperate. There's no point in fighting for her people if there won't be any androids to liberate, in the end.]
But they're only kidding themselves if they think everyone is just going to fall in line without any proof to back up their claims.
[She wants a timeline, y'all. None of this sounds like an issue that can be resolved in a matter of weeks, much less months or years.]
no subject
She nods, and her army of skeletons follow suit. ]
For what it's worth, I have a few friends here who have been a part of the Circle since the beginning. According to them, they really have gone to other worlds to make improvements to them. I know it might seem farfetched, but their accounts line up with everything I've heard from Astoria.
[ Whether or not the witch has them fooled remains to be seen, but she trusts the other Thieves above all else. ]
no subject
[And this, for her, is the main hang up. Astoria could be telling the truth in many instances, but lying through her teeth in others. It's easy enough to obfuscate the truth when nobody else has the full picture.]
For all we know, she could plan to keep us in the Circle forever. There's no evidence that there's an end to this mission. All we have is her word.
[With that, she starts moving in direction of the Temple, her skeleton entourage trailing after her. Makoto is free to follow, of course.]
no subject
So she does follow, though at a bit of a distance, her skeletons marching behind her. They mimic her determined gait, even if they can't quite match the hard line in her expression. ]
In that case, what do you make of the people who have disappeared from the Circle?
[ Her tone isn't argumentative, but curious. She's heard those individuals go home, but where's the proof of that? ]
no subject
[It's true that people have disappeared from the Circle, according to what she's heard. However... North can't bring herself to think they've simply gone home. There's always going to be something in her that pushes her to doubt the goodness in people, forcing her to consider every worst case scenario. Who's to say that Astoria doesn't view them as disposable tools? Where's her guarantee that Astoria hasn't just fooled everyone into believing her by acting kind and benevolent? She's spent too long fearing for her own life to take things at face value.
People really need to be more suspicious about someone who's literally kidnapped them.]
You can take them as evidence in the witch's favor... If you want to be an optimist. [North isn't one, though.] But there's nothing to support that. For all we know, they could have been thrown away like yesterday's garbage. It's not like she has personal stakes in our lives beyond furthering her own goals.
no subject
It does seem a little too tidy, doesn't it? All these convenient excuses blamed on her magic that she can't seem to control...there's more to this. However, I don't think we'll get any conclusive answers out of her.
[ Not for the first time, she misses the convenience of the Nav on her phone. If Astoria had a Palace and needed a change of heart — well, that alone would tell them a lot. ]