TEST DRIVE MEME #5.

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players 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! ♥

Comments

Ritsu Kageyama | Mob Psycho 100

[guiltycharge]

[A: kitchen // un-birthday]

[Ritsu does not trust the aesthetic of those neatly laid-out refreshments. Not one bit. Of all the rooms he's poked his head into so far, this is by far the most cursed. Still, there's something he wants to confirm before buying into anything else he's heard today. For that, he needs a spoon.

...Okay, he doesn't really need a spoon. But there's one right here, sitting next to an unattended teacup, so he may as well help himself. At least, that's his train of thought before he finally notices somebody approaching and looks up.]

Oh. ...Did you want this?

[The flatness in his voice suggests that he isn't keen on the idea. There are spoons to go around, you know.]


[B: outside // you're late]

Get back here!

[That cry is the only warning forthcoming before its source, a messy-haired teenage boy, hurtles on by through the untamed grass. He's covering ground at a decent clip, too. Within moments, he catches up to his quarry, draws his fist back, and throws a punch -

- through the misty-white midriff of the Unseen Servant he was chasing, achieving absolutely nothing.

The Servant contrives to look startled for a moment, but recovers soon enough and drifts away in the direction of the kitchens. A sharp eye might notice a single spoon clutched in its cloudy hand as it leaves. Meanwhile, the boy shoots a glance down at his own hand, frowning a little but clearly not yet deterred.

This looks like it could go on for some time if nobody steps in. Then again, that might be sufficient reason not to...]


[C: fighting ring]

[After reading the back of the card, Ritsu flips it back over, narrowing his eyes. The grinning jester fails to return even a fraction of his excessively focused glare. Despite his young age, it's clear that these instructions and their implications are, uh, outside of his normal wheelhouse.]

...Well, I guess neither of us has a choice. What's yours?

B

[metalcrusher]

[Mettaton watches on with amusement as a human chases a specter and attempts to interact with it, knowing too well that such an endeavor would prove useless. The ferocity with which Ritsu chased that Servant was determined enough that Mettaton wondered if, somehow, Ritsu knew he could land a punch on a ghost of all things. But who could do that?? To witness Ritsu's failure played into his expectations, and he couldn't help but laugh loudly from a distance at his full swing colliding with thin air.

But there's more yet to marvel at: his dejection. If Mettaton's laughter didn't signal his approach, navigating on a single wheel rather than footsteps might.]

NICE SHOWMANSHIP, DARLING. YOU HAD ME ON THE TIPS OF MY TOES... IF I HAD ANY TO SPEAK OF. YOU GET A GOLD STAR FOR EFFORT. BUT... [He waggles a finger disapprovingly.] IN CASE YOU NEVER GOT THE MEMO, YOU CAN'T PUNCH A GHOST! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW INCORPOREALITY WORKS??

[guiltycharge]

[The hit to his ego, Ritsu could have expected. The big noodle-armed metal box it's coming from... yeah, a little harder to ignore. It sure doesn't blend into the overgrown environment.

He gives the robot's merrily flashing display a sidelong look; it would suck if he stared too hard at something that turned out to not be its eyes.] Not really, but it was worth a try. What does that make you, an expert?

[His tone is rather mild for a kid who was just caught trying to punch a ghost.]

[metalcrusher]

IT DOESN'T TAKE AN EXPERT TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF OUR GHOSTLY NEIGHBORS. ONLY COMPASSION FOR THEIR HAUNTS OF LIFE.

[That flashing screen switches to a solid, bright yellow while he performs a hands-on-hips posture. It's amazing how he manages to remain upright in spite of all of the obstacles he has to run over in his approach, but he does with a grace incredible for a single-wheeled device.

Ritsu's lack of an incensed response at least paves way for other questions.]

WHY THE HOT PURSUIT, DARLING? JUST TO SEE IF YOU COULD? [Seems Mettaton failed to notice the spoon.]

[guiltycharge]

More or less. [He actually smiles, though not widely.] Close enough to the same reason you decided to watch, right?

[Yes, he's a little tired. Was he really brought all the way here to be judged by a... a loud box on a unicycle? The spoonless life is so harsh.]

[metalcrusher]

CLOSE? HARDLY.

[What else is a box on a unicycle good for but judging your life choices? Remaining blissfully unaware of Ritsu's Quest for the Missing Spoon, he crosses his arms disapprovingly.]

MY REASON WAS TO WATCH YOU MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF. WHICH YOU DID... SURPRISING NO ONE AT ALL. YOUR REASON WAS TO PUNCH A POOR, INNOCENT GHOST. WHICH, WHILE HILARIOUSLY MISGUIDED, IS INCREDIBLY RUDE. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

[guiltycharge]

Of course there is.

[What a sanctimonious box. If Ritsu had met any other talking boxes, this one would go right at the bottom of the list. ...Not that it's wrong about him making a fool of himself, but if anything that makes it worse.]

Reasons aside, you don't have to worry. I won't try the same thing again. [He almost succeeds at making it sound like an apology.]

A

[spaceforged]

No. Take it. [Shiro scans the table and his brows come down. There's not an empty cup in sight. He sighs and draws back.]

You haven't seen an empty cup or mug have you?

[Maybe he could empty one, clean it out, and brew his own tea? He finds the mug he usually uses, a tan earthenware thing with a chip out of the edge. He eyes the contents as he heads over to the sink to dump it out. It didn't just flicker yellow, did it?]

Just be careful. It could have some sort of effect they're not advertising with a sign.

[guiltycharge]

[No, Ritsu definitely spotted a momentary gleam of colour too. It even gets him to take his eyes off the spoon for now.]

I didn't plan on drinking anything that glows, but thanks for the warning. ...Even if that wasn't just the tea.

[Hard to tell when he doesn't know what he should be looking out for, after all.]

[spaceforged]

So it did glow. Great. [If Ritsu looks the food glows too. Various things glow different colors at odd intervals. Shiro dumps the tea out in the sink and rinses the mug out.]

...better and better.

[A teacup launches at him and he throws up his arm to block. The tea splashes him and where a man was is a large robotic Lion with red wings. About the size of any other Lion the yellow light of its eyes flicker like a blink. Then it looks up and a voice enters Ritsu’s head.]

What the hell just...maybe we should retreat.

[guiltycharge]

[Yeah, no, back the hell up a second. The transformation is so sudden that Ritsu almost misses his window to react. He opens his mouth, but for once in his life, quickly closes it. His knuckles whiten around the spoon he's still holding, although he doesn't notice.

(If he absolutely had to, maybe he could jab it in the eyes... Well, he hopes he won't have to. Just a little better than being out of ideas.)

(Look, there's a whole host of highly specific things he associates with the word "powers", and robots are at best a huge stretch.)]

What, you don't know what just happened? [His voice is admirably steady, considering.]

[spaceforged]

Not exactly. No. I don’t usually change without my consent. [He turns his head slightly and parts his metal jaws. He shuts them and puts a paw to his mouth like someone deep in thought.]

I shrunk. We need to get out of here before whatever this is wears off. I’m too big for the kitchen.

[They should leave anyway. He has to warn others it could trip their magic. He stands up and rises up on his back feet. He places his front paws on the sink edge. He thrusts his head under the still running water and tries to turn the knob to shut off the water. With his teeth.]

Keep watch for me? I want to turn this off before we go.

[guiltycharge]

That looks... inconvenient. [More accurately, "inconvenient" is the politest descriptor coming to Ritsu's mind right now.

Anyway, he's already stepping up to the sink, insofar as the robot leaves any room to step up.]

It's fine, I'll do it. [Not even a suggestion, really. He just reaches past the lion for the faucet, his hand inches from its jaws.] If you need to get outside in a hurry, you should get on with it.

[His spoon clinks against the knob as he turns it off. Nothing to it. Just like a regular muggle.]

C

[forfeits]

[ Ahh, if only he had his alchemy here. He could go right up to the gates and make them a passage out. His fingers twitch by habit, if nothing else, itching with the irritation of being forced to anything beyond his will. He flips his own card over to see its face and immediately lets out a loud shriek of disgust. ] Princess?!

[ He grips his own card so tightly he's crushed it a little, the serene, pretty face of the princess barely surviving the creases. ]

Guess we gotta figure out a way to entertain these jerks, huh?

[guiltycharge]

Or a way to force the gate. [The very heavy, very sturdy gate that Ritsu already tried to rattle a bit when it slammed shut behind him. Hey, hope springs eternal.] So, which are we trying?

[forfeits]

That gate's pretty strong.

[ Again, he's cursing his lack of alchemy now. A gate would never have held him back before. ]

We could try to force it. Or find the guy who has the key. [ He spins and looks at the guards and at the noisy audience, annoyed. ]

[guiltycharge]

Meaning you don't have anything useful tucked inside that robot hand? That would have been too convenient.

[Ritsu doesn't bother scanning the audience again, but he can hear some impatient murmuring from somewhere behind him, as if part of the crowd is getting impatient. Can't exactly begrudge them that. He would be too.

He focuses on his own card again, on the off chance it gives him some flash of inspiration one way or another. Smiling, dancing... what else?]

[forfeits]

[ Edward glares at the boy across from him. ] What the hell's a robot?

[ Whatever it is, it sure sounds bad. He flexes his automail fingers, frowning. ] Might be able to do something, though. Don't know if it'll be enough to upset the gate for both of us, but one of us could get out.

[guiltycharge]

[The card in Ritsu's hand is not nearly inspirational enough to distract him from giving Ed a sidelong look. Has a robot arm, but doesn't know the word robot... Well, far be it for him to judge what qualifies as weird here, but still.]

Alright. What "something" are you thinking?

[Because what he's beginning to think of is... experimenting.]

A

[additionalmemory]

[Frown!! Ayano shakes her head at Ritsu as he grabs the spoon. Yes, she DID want it but...she’ll be polite and let him have it. Besides, he’s new here, right?]

Well, I was more going for the teacup, but...

[guiltycharge]

[Ritsu looks sidelong at her, then back down at the spoon. ...He doesn't have a fixation or anything. He can stop anytime. More importantly, the spoon won't tell him anything he didn't already suspect. A chatty stranger just might.]

Take both, then. [He drops it back on the table.] If you feel like risking them.

[additionalmemory]

Risking...them?

[Blinkblink.]

Did you, uh, do something to them...? I was just going to have some tea...

[guiltycharge]

Not me, but someone. [He shoves his sadly spoonless hands back in his pockets.] That, or people here are just that loud about their tea normally.

[additionalmemory]

Yeah, that makes sense. There’s some of this stuff that I’ve...definitely learned not to touch. [she pours some Earl Grey into the cup.]

But if you figured that, then...what did you want this spoon for?

[Kinda weird. A little bit.]

[guiltycharge]

I... [Oh, it looks like she's going to drink it anyway... Ritsu tenses a little, for all the good it's going to do if something unusual does happen. Can't say he didn't warn her.] ...wanted to look, that's all.

[His tone of voice isn't remotely embarrassed, even if his hesitation could be read that way.]