acatamods: (Default)
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! ♥
wraithes: (051.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-01-23 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she pockets his coinpurse easily, leaving an orange in its wake in the same easy motion as it takes to release his wrist. she will give it back . . . in a few moments. long enough to prove her point, anyway. and inej takes half a step backwards, crossing her arms over her chest. ]

Inej. [ in response, her eyes scanning molly up and down, taking in his . . . colorful appearance and his bright smile. ] And I do not dance.

[ with molly, anyway. ]

But I am sure other people in this hall will happily dance with you, if you ask. [ she inclines her head toward the crowd, amused. ] They'll appreciate your smile, anyway.
mollymocked: (⚔ gonna send a flood)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-01-23 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Of course she doesn't. Because she's grumpy. Or... something. Look, don't question Molly's logic right now, he is essentially tripping balls on cake.]

I find it's more rewarding to find the one person in the crowd who isn't having fun and figure out how to improve that.

[He reaches into his pocket to pull out something and finds the orange. When did that get there? Who knows, but he's into it, and seems to not even consider that it might have replaced anything. This place is weird and maybe it's a friendly reminder from the Temple to pace himself on the sweets and eat a fruit. He tosses it from one palm to the other.] Nobody wants to be the one miserable person at a party. Deep down, they want someone to notice them and invite them to engage.

[Or so goes his carnie barker logic. What is carnival barking but inviting miserable people to engage with something joyful? He's doing a service.]
wraithes: (007.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-01-24 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ . . . my. it's an almost impressive level of obliviousness, as mollymauk tosses the orange back and forth, and inej's eyebrows arch slightly as he continues to talk. she almost feels sorry for him, but as he continues, she looks a little more . . . incredulous. ]

I prefer sticking to the shadows. [ as a way of explanation, though she seems to relax half an inch, once she realizes he's relatively harmless. ] I am not exactly the life of the party . . . I only came here to get some cakes for my friend.

[ not that kaz likely enjoys sweets, but he should eat something. and, as she considers that, she continues a bit more: ]

He could use the cheerful reminder to enjoy the party more than I could, I think.

[ teasing kaz brekker is an act only not graced with death by one (1) individual, which is inej. but she imagines kaz would enjoy molly's ridiculousness, to a certain extent. he could be useful in the future. ]
mollymocked: (⚔ so trade that typical)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-01-24 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's going to have to double down on his perception to make up for this utter faux pas afterwards, but right now he has a prop and he's rolling it down one arm over his back and down in the other arm and catching it in one fluid motion. He's either just amusing himself or being amusing or a combination of both, but he doesn't seem to be checking her reaction or looking for any signs of mirth like some people would do if they were traditionally flirting or trying desperately to please. He's fucking around and he likes it.]

And let me guess- he insisted on not coming here, himself, just so he couldn't be reminded.
wraithes: (055.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-01-25 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I think he likely has better things to do with his time.

[ vaguely, but mollymauk is likely correct; this is definitely not kaz brekker's scene, and kaz, who is an excellent liar and a wonderful spinner of tales to support said lies even when he does not want to be there, made it fairly clear he did not want to do so that morning when inej pointed out that new people were in the temple. so inej, as usual, is his gatherer of information, and so far, it hasn't been too awful. ]

But a bright personality such as yourself would be interesting to him, if that's any consolation.

[ molly is gonna meet kaz brekker if it is the last thing inej does with her life, if only just to watch the look on his face at the sheer vomit of rainbow that is mollymauk tealeaf. still, kaz is not here, and it feels wrong to talk about him as if he is, so inej shifts the conversation a bit: ]

You juggle.

[ it's not a question. ]
mollymocked: (⚔ it'll take you to the other side)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-01-26 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
That's usually code for "stuck up his own arse," but if he finds me interesting that's not all bad. I've been told I'm delightful to be around.

[He has been told no such thing. Molly's personality is a tightrope act between people tolerating him and people despising him, and sometimes he stays on the wire long enough for someone to adore him. He doesn't care either way- people will make their snap decisions and he'll make his.

He tosses the orange to one hand to the next.]
I'm better with swords, weirdly enough, but I only have the one right now, and I wouldn't recommend juggling that.

[Magical weapons are not nearly as easy to juggle as prop swords.] Used to be in the circus- well, I dunno about used to. Does one every really stop being in the circus if they'll bring a one-person circus to other people at the drop of a hat?
wraithes: (007.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-01-28 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ well, kaz brekker is that, but inej will keep that opinion to herself. but from the slightest twitch of her lips, and the upcurve into a faint smile, molly can probably guess that his summation of her nameless friend is rather accurate.

the word circus certainly brightens that smile, just a bit. the question of does one ever really stop being in the circus causes an odd tug of homesickness in her gut that she thought she had long since removed . . . but her trip in the dreamscape had only reinforced that fierce longing in her that she missed her home, and her parents, and her family.

she almost considers letting it go, but sharing a piece of information about herself that just barely graces the truth isn't too bad. besides, she's learned far more about molly than he has about her. or so inej thinks. ]


My family and I travelled, in a circus. We put on a show in cities across my country, and we all performed different acts. [ she weighs out whether or not to continue in her mind before she decides that she's a tiny girl, who has already demonstrated herself as being able to stop a pickpocket. at the very least, molly must know she's no average sixteen-year-old. she may as well make a new ally, in exchange for the information she's already gleaned. ] I was an acrobat, at home. The high-wire, mainly. [ she pauses. ] I can juggle, too, but I usually avoid combining the two talents.

[ inej doesn't want to fall and die, thanks. ]
mollymocked: (⚔ we can live in a world that we design)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-01-29 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
And with that, life delivers a pleasant surprise. [He underhand tosses the orange to her, just to see, and also to be kind of a silly, playful mess. If he was happy before, it's increased exponentially now.]

I haven't met anyone else in a circus since ours sort of... Imploded. Bad business in our last performance- not worth discussing. [He brushes it off like it's not a big deal, when it is in fact the Biggest Deal, but he would have done it had he not been so happy as to ignore all possibilities of sadness.] We never had a high-wire act. Never could figure out how to get one in the tent properly, and you'd be surprised how many towns hated us asking to borrow some of their fixtures for acts.
wraithes: (020.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-01-31 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she catches the orange with ease, and despite herself, inej does smile, amused. caravan-folk are familiar, and it invokes a sense of belonging she hasn't felt in some time. and (again) despite herself, mollymauk is pretty charming. ]

Most acts cannot manage it because they insist on having a net.

[ she tosses the orange up, catching it neatly again, before gently throwing it back to molly. her aim is damn near perfect, but the orange lists slightly to the right of where she throws it -- ruefully, inej thinks to herself, oranges don't have the same weight and balance as a blade. ]

Once you get rid of that, it tends to make space a lot easier to manage.
mollymocked: (⚔ reachin' up to the sky)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-02-02 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Molly catches it and his expression lights up even more with absolute glee, almost childlike in its mirth.]

Now see that's just being uncreative, using a net. Keep someone around with the right spell, and you don't have to worry about that. And the acrobats feel safer knowing if they fall, something better than a net'll catch them.

[Not that Mona and Yuli have ever fallen that he recalls, but having Desmond around with Feather Fall probably helps.] But what do I know? I read fortunes, juggle swords, and do all the barking- the three most dangerous jobs in the whole bloody circus.
wraithes: (040.)

[personal profile] wraithes 2019-02-04 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Or the acrobat gets lazy, and falls as a result of their lack of attention.

[ inej has only fallen once, and it was with a net. one concussion and four broken ribs later, inej sacrificed the net, and has not fallen since. ]

But we don't have the . . . benefit of magic, necessarily, in my world. [ grisha are different, and even the grisha have limitations. ] It sounds as if your world is just as fantastical as this one.
mollymocked: (⚔ ashamed of all my scars)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-02-05 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Is this one fantastic, then? [He looks back at the table.] Well, there's a bathhouse and the food's good, but I haven't been past the temple yet.

[Is there a city out there? Are their drugs? He must know... Though, to be fair, right now she could describe a Mad Max Wasteland and his reaction would be "I have never driven a car covered in skeletons or a car. What's a car?"] I'd like to know what I'm dealing with.
Edited 2019-02-05 22:37 (UTC)