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acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] acatalepsy_ooc2019-01-19 05:03 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #5.







test drive meme #5
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.

You fall flat on your face. It's bright, warm, and humid . . . for now. Weirdly, the weather seems to be entirely in flux. One moment, it is warm and humid, and within the next handful of hours, it is starting to snow. Whatever is going on with Astoria seems to be messing with the atmosphere of the Temple, and as a result, you are having something of a wild entrance to Acatalepsy.

It takes a few seconds for you to gain composure and catch your breath. 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.

Indeed, it seems as if you have fallen down the rabbit hole. A weird, mysterious, snowing-yet-humid rabbit hole.



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.



HAPPY UN-BIRTHDAY.
The kitchen has become overtaken with a flurry of activity. Vines have woven their way into the area of the Temple typically reserved for food, and there is a massive tea party! What a splendiferous thing -- surely this can't be all that bad.

There is such a massive array of food here that it almost seems impossible to know where to start . . . tea and cookies set out with messages that read “EAT/DRINK ME." Well, if you insist. However . . . certain foods and drinks have certain effects upon your person that are wholly unexpected. Well, drat.

If you taste the rosehip tea, you are suddenly infatuated with the first individual you lay eyes on. They are everything to you. You think you may even want to propose, immediately, right now. Weddings, I love weddings!

Tasting the ladyfingers will cause you to spill your deepest secrets to whoever is nearby. Have a secret crush? Not anymore! The entire room has to know about it, and you somehow can't seem to shut up about whatever you've been trying to keep quiet.

A sip of the chamomile tea will cause you to become ridiculously sleepy. That corner looks like a particularly delightful place to take a nap, doesn't it? Maybe someone else wants to nap too.

The Madeline cakes cause a ridiculously high spike in happiness. Nothing can get you down, not even the grumpiest of people. Smile, smile, smile! You need to spread this joy to everyone in your reach.

A nibble of the scones will prevent you from lying. . . and, in addition, you will be brutally honest on whatever question you're asked. Maybe now is a bad time to give an opinion on your friend's outfit or new haircut, hm?

And, finally, the Earl Grey tea will cause an enhancement of your Astoria given powers. Make sure you have that under control, or you may accidentally blow out a window, depending on what it is.




YOU'RE LATE, YOU'RE LATE.
The Unseen Servants will be a little, well, mad. Not that anyone will be able to see them, but there will seem to be things moving around the Temple at random, whether they be sheets, clothing, food, furniture, etc. with very little if any logical reason to it. It almost appears like the sheets and the like are moving throughout the air without any rhyme or reason to it . . . someone certainly isn't happy that the Temple is all astray.

In addition, the Unseen Servants may also be attempting to steal things off of you. After all, you are also new to their world, and they want to make sure everything is put into their proper place, so beware any silent mischievous Unseen Servants dipping hands into pockets.

Also . . . some of the rooms in the Temple are shifting around. Certain entryways could lead you to a select location at random. You may have thought you were entering your room, but it appears you’ve wound up in someone else’s. Or the bathhouse. Or the forest. Either way, you may find yourself lost for a bit...until the Temple decides to stop playing tricks on you. Keep track of your location, or you may wind up in the Forest of the Fey by mistake.


OFF WITH YOUR HEAD.
Should you approach the fighting ring, you’ll find that isn’t quite what you’d expect — there are no training dummies to be found, the rusted gates are colored a lavish gold, and the dirt ground has been replaced with a red and black checkered flooring. More notably, the ring itself seems to have expanded to make way for seating so that it’s become more of an arena than anything. There is an audience of spectators: many of them are typically known as the bestiary of this Temple. They are a bit more, er, refined and chatty today.

When you enter, the gates will shut behind you. They will not budge. You have now entered a makeshift Royal Court. Suddenly, a playing card manifests in your hand. It might be…
A Heart: A princess-like figure is displayed on this card. She appears to be singing.
A Diamond: A gallant knight-like figure is displayed on this card. He appears to be fighting.
A Queen: A refined queen-like figure is displayed on this card. She sits atop a throne, her finger pointed right at you.
A King: A triumphant-king like figure is displayed on this card. He stands on a podium for all to see.
A Joker: A jester-like figure is displayed on this card. He is dancing, laughing, and making a general fool of himself.
On the back reads a message that states “This card withholds your role. You’ll be permitted to leave once we are thoroughly entertained. Best of luck!” No further instruction is given. Those who have entered with you are in the same predicament. How will you interpret your card? Who are you stuck with and how will you satisfy the audience? Or are you a member of the audience instead? Either way, good luck getting out — it’s up to you!


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! ♥
insubordination: (027.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-22 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ missed the snow . . . from a more tropical or arid climate, then. roy dusts off his hands from the snow, and he shrugs a shoulder. ]

The Circle is what we are; this is the Temple of Beginnings, or so our benevolent captor claims. We have no idea what it's actually called. [ helpful, right? right. ] We usually don't have snow here, either, but it seems the Temple has decided otherwise.

[ he pauses, before he extends his hand in greeting, for a shake. ]

Roy Mustang. You are?
blindfoster: (human09)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-22 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Technically he's from Toronto, but he's been shuttled off to San Francisco for the past five years. So he's in winter withdrawal, honestly.

But yeah all thoughts of snow and the like vanish at what Roy says. Quentin had been willing to believe he'd just gotten pulled somewhere unexpected in the Summerlands -- weirder things happen in Faerie on a daily basis -- so to hear that explanation is jarring. His entire demeanor changes as reflex kick in. Shoulders straighten and every bit of his training as courtier and squire take the forefront.]


Captor? Are we being held here?

[That is A Problem. For multiple reasons. The biggest reason is one he's not allowed to talk about, given that he's supposed to keep his identity as crown prince to the high kingdom of Faerie in North America a secret. But if he's been kidnapped and it gets back to his parents, it'll be a situation. He doesn't need a situation. But okay. Deep breath.]

Quentin. [He'll shake the offered hand because. Humans. Charming, honestly. He doesn't offer a last name.] And I'm confused... by all of this.
insubordination: (66.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-22 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ no last name is something roy picks up on, and he considers it silently to himself. a lack of trust, or maybe he has no actual last name . . . but a name like quentin leads itself to a surname. ah well. he can keep his name to himself, if he so chooses. ]

We can't leave, and we were brought here by a witch named Astoria. She claims benevolence, and I'm mostly inclined to believe her. [ mostly. ] But we've been drafted into her war to save the universe.

[ they recently failed miserably at said task. but roy will keep that to himself. ]

It takes some getting used to, but this isn't your world, nor any world you've potentially been to before. It's a hidden pocket in the universe that no one can access except her.

[ he pauses, at that, before roy shrugs. ]

None of this exists in my world. I tend to accept it with a grain of salt in order to avoid spending my entire time here asking irrelevant questions.
blindfoster: (Default)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-22 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[No last name, and he didn't think throwing his title of foster of Sylvester Torquill Duke of Shadowed Hills and Squire to Sir October Daye, Knight of Lost Words would help matters anyway. Not with anyone human.

For now though Quentin is frowning, brow knitting a worried furrow in between his eyebrows.]


Mostly?

[Super reassuring. Also "war to save the universe" sounds like a bad movie.]

Okay, so. Now I'm more confused. For one thing my... [Words. What sounds the least strange? Knight? Fake-Aunt? Toby?] ...guardian is going to freak out that I've just disappeared. And for another thing, you seem really relaxed about all this. It sounds like magic.

[Humans don't have or even generally believe in magic. This is the rule.] For another thing... this sounds like a bad sci-fi fantasy movie. For another another thing... what sort of questions are irrelevant? Because I've got a lot of questions.
insubordination: (027.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-22 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Annoyingly enough, it seems to be magic, and I'm only relaxed about it because I've been forced to accept the unacceptable in order to get anything of value done.

[ still. the last comment causes his lips to twitch, because that is true . . . there are no irrelevant questions, and roy lets out a breath before he inclines his head, indictating that quentin can follow him. ]

Come on. I can show you to somewhere warmer, and answer whatever questions you have. But it seems that when we're taken here, no one seems to notice that we're gone at home, for better or for worse. Your guardian won't worry.
Edited 2019-01-22 20:40 (UTC)
blindfoster: (Default)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-22 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
...and you're okay with magic being a thing? [He's seen the effect that learning about Faerie has on humans. It's not always a good outcome. Lots of broken brains.] You are human, right?

[Okay it's a weird question, but this whole thing is weird so he's not going to worry about it for now. He is going to follow Roy anyway, because this guy seems to have a handle on this place.]

How does that work? Like time travel?

[Because why not time travel. He sighs, but honestly if that is true, he's a little put at ease. If Toby and the others don't notice he's gone, they won't have to tell his parents, there won't be some huge Fae nobility scandal, his blind fosterage won't have to be blown wide open, and when he gets back he won't have to leave the life he's been living.]
insubordination: (082.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-23 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ if roy looks surprised by the question of whether or not he's human, he doesn't show it -- instead, he laughs, and says: ]

The last I checked, yes. And magic isn't real, in my own universe, but I've had a hard time disproving it in this one. [ annoyingly. ] And I have no idea how it works. This place has been described as a "pocket universe" by quite a few people, but there's no real evidence to support it either way.

[ roy is a man of science, and this place defies all expectations of reality. ]

I take it magic isn't commonplace in your world, either?
blindfoster: (fae34)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-23 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Human, who believes there's no such thing as magic where he's from. That checks out. In Quentins experience, except for Chelsea's mom, most humans are not ready to believe in magic at all.]

That still sounds like a sci-fi movie.

[But okay. Pocket universe. Sure. He hesitates at the question, not sure whether he should do what he's thinking about doing. Ultimately he seems to decide and takes a breath before answering,]

Not as far as humans know. [If he winds up getting himself burned at the stake he's going to be annoyed. But in the next moment he releases the illusion anyway, and the magic that had been cloaking him in a veneer of humanity shimmers away. He's still recognizably the same person -- but his ears now taper to sharp and obvious points, his features all angle a little too sharply, eyes shine too bright blue to be normal, and his hair looks less dark blond and more metallic bronze in its color.] But that's what we want them to think. Or the torches and pitchforks come out, and everyone has a bad time.
insubordination: (057.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-24 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ . . . well, then. roy pauses, his eyes scanning Quentin's features quickly before pursing his lips together. ]

I see.

[ how is magic so ridiculously common everywhere else but amestris?? ]

Do humans use magic, then, or is it just . . . [ roy pauses, the pause deliberate. ] I don't want to offend you, but I don't really know what to call you.
blindfoster: (fae43)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-24 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Humans from his world would ask the same question, Roy! Maybe the Fae of Amestris are just good at keeping their secrets? Though in his world, alchemy is the realm of Fae practitioners too, so.

Quentin watches Roy for his reaction, and when it at least isn't fear or aggression, his shoulders relax, a little. He shakes his head at the question.]


Humans don't have any magic -- if they're fully human. As far as they're concerned, that's all fairy tales and there's no such thing as magic, these days at least. And I'm Daoine Sidhe. [He pauses before adding, to clarify.] I'm Fae.

[A grin that he's trying to swallow back.] And just so you know, we're a pretty easily offended bunch. [He's kidding, but he's also definitely not kidding at all.]
insubordination: (014.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-25 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he sees the relaxation in Quentin's shoulders, at roy's reaction, and he waits until Quentin is finished before he says: ]

Enough wars have been started, and finished, because people hate what other people look like, or do. I have no interest in continuing the practice.

[ it's meant as reassurance, but. you know. he's not going to shoot you bro chill out. ]

Though my world does not have magic. Most of what is considered "magic" can be explained by science, though we still have people who argue otherwise.
blindfoster: (fae49)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-26 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, they have.

[Quentin agrees. They've come to the brink of war too often recently. Usually for terrible political reasons. But that's Faerie.

Anyway, Quentin will relax a little. Just a little. He considers though.]


Sometimes magic and science go together. The best alchemist I know is also a chemistry professor.
insubordination: (063.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-01-30 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ there's a pause, at that, and roy sighs quietly to himself. ]

I am an alchemist.

[ in a long-suffering tone, as someone who has undoubtedly had to explain this a million times. ]

It isn't magic; it's a science, revolving around the concept of equivalent exchange . . . but apparently, everywhere else, it's the opposite.

[ ROY SPENT A LONG TIME LEARNING CHEMISTRY TO BECOME AN ALCHEMIST, QUENTIN. A LONG TIME. IN THE WOODS. WITH THE WORLD'S LEAST FUN TEACHER. ]
blindfoster: (fae48)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-01-31 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
Huh.

[Interesting. ...and Quentin recognizes that tone. That's Etienne's tone like 95% of the time. Though this guy doesn't seem quite so fussed by propriety as Etienne does.]

Yeah back home, it's definitely magic. So... humans can do alchemy in your world?

[Crazy. But kind of interesting.

THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE ROY. Quentin didn't even particularly like his chemistry classes in high school.]
insubordination: (072.)

[personal profile] insubordination 2019-02-01 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Humans are the only people who can perform alchemy, in our world.

[ chimeras cannot, and the homunculi . . . well, it's complicated, and roy will leave discussion of them out of it. ]

We are scientists, with an understanding of the elements of the earth. We manipulate said elements into something else, such as expanding hydrogen and oxygen to create the perfect formula for flame, if you add a spark.

[ just. an example, obviously. ]

Others can manipulate iron, or water. But all of it is based on science, not in magic.
blindfoster: (fae21)

[personal profile] blindfoster 2019-02-04 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
I've seen alchemy do a lot of pretty impressive things back home, but I don't understand a lot of the complexities of it. I've never studied it. I'm Daoine Sidhe, so my magic isn't the best suited for it. But it's all definitely based on magic.

[But that's definitely interesting. So humans can do alchemy, and they approach it with science. Yeah, that sounds about as human as he can possibly think of.]

Walther would probably love talking to you.