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acatalepsy_ooc2019-01-19 05:03 pm
acatamods) wrote in acatalepsy_ooc2019-01-19 05:03 pm
Entry tags:
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.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! ♥ |
no subject
[Quentin agrees, thinking immediately of Chelsea, the changeling who nearly tore reality to pieces with her powers. His human disguise is still in place, but here he is chatting about magic like it's normal. But given what he just saw, it's not like he feels any need to pretend.]
...your arm is metal. [Just in case you weren't aware, Shiro.]
no subject
That happened long before this place. [Shiro lets his sleeve fall back over it and pulls his coat back up. He isn't bothered by the staring people do. They usually stare once then it's over.]
And yes, magic can certainly be a challenge. I had no idea how to fly or use any of my weapon systems when I first started shifting.
no subject
[Quentin nods. Sure. Robot prosthetic. Humans have come pretty far with their technology, but he's pretty sure they haven't come that far. So something is definitely going on here.
Well, of course it is. Something is always going on lately. But Shiro is right. Quentin is done staring, moving on since Shiro provided an explanation.]
It makes sense it'd be a challenge. Humans aren't supposed to even know magic exists, never mind actually use it. [He probably should have phrased that differently, but if magic is out in the open here, it may not be worth hiding his nature after all.]
no subject
[He spreads his hands apart in a 'what can you do' kind of gesture. He had to get used to it.]
As for what humans knows about magic or have dealt with...it's different for every reality, I think. It's as varied for us as it is for any other race that comes through here. Some of us are living machines, for example.
We've had a dragon once. One man I believe was a plantlike being, I never got the name of his species. He wasn't inclined to discuss it.
no subject
[Quentin's mind is swimming considering it.] But you're still yourself, right? You sound like you. Just... silent instead of out loud.
[But ah. The multiverse is going to be a confusing thing, if the general rules of reality that he's used to are no longer applicable. He nods, considering.]
That is going to take some getting used to. I'm pretty used to one reality. And that's sorta more than enough.
[And not that it matters exactly, but he pipes up.] He could've been a dryad. Though I've only met girl dryads. And they usually only want to talk about their trees. Except April. Though! I guess she's sort of a living machine now, in a way.
[Maybe he'll get used to all this quicker than anticipated.]
no subject
As he thinks about the rest, he nods.]
I'm still myself when I'm the Black Lion. But the self is...shifted. I don't know any other way to describe it.
no subject
[He'll have to adjust. He's on his own, and that's daunting. But he'll do his best. He's a squire, after all, never mind the whole secret crown prince thing. If nothing else, he should hold himself together. Maybe do enough to make Toby proud if she ever found out about this.
Quentin considers Shiro for a moment. Himself but shifted. Okay.]
That makes sense.
[Then another question.] So...Astoria gives everyone a power? What if... what does it mean if my magic seems like it's working the same as always?
[It isn't, of course. A great deal of his magic has been shut down -- though given that primarily the blood magic is what he's lost, he'll be kind of okay with that -- and his illusion magic has changed more than he realizes. He'll have a lot of growing into it to do.]
no subject
There will be boundaries you're not used to and shifts you will notice. A friend of mine is a shapeshifter but his form is different from the one he has in his reality.
[He glances at his right arm and activates it. Blue light races down the metal in a wash of deadly power. the hum fills the air as he turns his hand over and keeps it pulled back away from them both.]
If you have a weapon it won't work entirely as it should. My arm isn't up to its usual physical strength or power.
[He lets the weapon mode click off and the glow vanishes.] You'll have to check over it carefully.
no subject
[Okay. So that's a little alarming honestly. Quentin hesitates for a moment. He needs to check if he can still control his illusions. Magic seems like it's acceptable here.
And then Shiro's arm lights up.] Whoa. That's really something. What--
[Quentin immediately goes to check for the weapons he usually carries, just a knife, maybe two, but Toby would never let him hear the end of it if he wound up in a strange world entirely unarm-- yeah nope. All he comes up with is his cellphone.]
Oak and ash. No weapons. So that's a good start.
no subject
Or is it just the nature of the calling? He crosses his arms over his chest.]
Anything else of yours missing? It seems like most stuff that's carriable comes with us. Except weapons.
no subject
[A good point considering how often they wind up stumbling into terrible dangerous things with little warning.
He frowns now, displeased by this.]
So this Astoria lady took my knife?
[Rude. Even by Fae standards, rude. He considers for a moment doing a quick check over but other than a knife, his clothes and his cellphone, there's not much else he had on him.]
The only other thing I had was my cellphone, and I've still got that, even if it's probably not useful here. [No reception.]
no subject
I'm not sure if she took your knife or if it's still where you were. I...haven't asked what happens to what doesn't come with us.
[It's a good question and he has to think about that.] You could ask her precisely how her magic works. I'm not sure she knows entirely, but...she might have some clues you can figure out together.
no subject
[If they run into trouble. He frowns.] I should probably figure out what's going on with my magic then. Since I'm already unarmed.
[Unarmed and now he's told his magic is going to be "limited" so that's unsettling.]
Can we talk to her? Does she hold Court?
[Is she titled? So many questions how well-mannered does he have to be in order not to wind up in trouble he doesn't need with the local lady of the temple? ...it's weird how familiar this whole drafted into service without much choice by powerful landholding magic users this is. Usually Toby gets caught up and he's swept along by association, but still. This is some familiar-flavored Faerie crap is what this is.]