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

[efficacy]

[ Oh, she notices. Considering the two men aren't even speaking back home that she knows of, this is something of a development. But she has no time to ponder that much further when Steve's rather soldierly attention falls back on her. It would be amusing if it weren't simply reassuring, right now. First things first. ]

A shady witch brought us all here and gave us powers, both against our will, can't or won't port us back home and expects us to fight her fights for her. And somehow, a good portion of people are okay with that. Yeah, I got the gist.

[ She sounds so very dry-- and distinctly unhappy about the summary. Did someone order salt?? She has plenty to go around. ]

Is there any estimate on when the next... mission? [ What's the correct terminology, again? ] takes place?

[billionaires]

I'm handled.

[ he announces, holding up his and pepper's joined hands. god, steve. he gets it but sometimes he's just A LOT. ]

You have no idea how vindicating it is to hear someone say that? Like, it's infuriating trying to talk to people here.

[ he sure has no idea when the next mish will come, neither does cap he doesn't think, but pepper asked him so he leaves it open for him to answer either way. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve watches their joint hands and slips away for a second. He thinks of Peggy and everything they couldn't do together considering they were working together. It clicks in his brain that Tony is him--- or rather who he used to be. It makes his chest ache, but he can't reflect on it further. Pepper has a good question. He can't let himself get distracted by idle thoughts.] When Tony arrived, we were on the bench for a while. For me? It was a couple of weeks.

[He works his jaw as he considers trying his honest assessment of the situation. Spoilers: it's not positive. He doesn't want to put that on Pepper. At the same time, she has a right to know. Once decided, he comes out with it.] I'm willing to bet she'll ship us out again soon. Clearly the wait time wasn't for planning or else we wouldn't have been separated with no comms for so long. We were set up to fail from the start because there is no greater plan here. I think she's throwing us at problems as soon as she spots them. Considering how bad the last one went? We'll have another problem sooner rather than later. There's no way a world ends without a ripple effect hitting somewhere. I think you're here because we need the numbers for whatever consequence is heading our way.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper glances at Tony with a small, crooked smile when he holds up their hands, at that simple truth he's so quick and unashamed to proclaim; a bit of amusement mixes in with her fondness.

But any amusement flees quickly when Steve lays out the situation and his own impression of what's going on. She appreciates the bald honesty, no matter how unsatisfying the answer itself might be. All signs had already pointed towards the situation at large being less than positive, so Pepper is hardly expecting sunshine and daisies-- but to her dismay, the news is rather more dour than she was prepared for. And yet, in a weird way it makes a perverse sort of sense. Her shoulders jump a little as she sighs through her nose, frowning slightly. ]

I really couldn't figure out what am I doing here, out of all the far more suitable people, but what you're telling me actually makes twisted sense. She just... plain needs numbers, no matter who they are? Or she's throwing different people at the problem and hoping something sticks? I mean, she clearly has no idea what she's doing, but.

[ She shrugs a shoulder. At least it's an explanation, even if not a good reason. ]

So, that's... wonderful. [ It really isn't. At all. ]

[billionaires]

[ he lets their unhappy voices wash over him, exhausted but trying to stay present. it's a conversation he and steve had had a million times over, both amongst each other and with astoria herself, for all the good it's done them. ]

In her defense, you are brilliant. But if she really did have a choice, I don't think she'd bring me here either, considering. [ how much of a fucking mess he is? yeah. ] ...that I'm the B side of the A team.

[valuedstrength]

[He studies Pepper as he tries to decide what's his place to say. Steve knows why he'd want her on his team if she were in their business. It can't hurt to give some context, he reasons. Now that Pepper is here, he has to use her. There's a lot at stake as they know all too well.] Respectfully, I don't know you aside from what I read in the paper and Tony tells me. My impression is you're a successful leader who cares about people. You think outside the box to tackle big problems. [The trick with the soda machine and vaccines was nothing less than brilliant. Tony may hate him for it, but he's kind of relieved to have her as an asset.] That's going to be valuable to us moving forward even if I'm not thrilled about having another person dragged into this.

[Steve shoots Tony a frustrated look. His tone shifts from respectful and reserved to bone dry at the flip of a coin.] Less respectfully, you're an excellent problem-solver when we have basic things like comms and access to other members of our team. Objectively speaking we solved the problem to the best of our ability. We risked sanity to get those people out and we did. The worst of the conflict was over thanks to us. How to keep the world from falling apart like tissue paper without warning was definitely her side of the operation.

[He's really salty about it. Thanks for asking.]

[efficacy]

...Oh. [ Steve's appraisal takes Pepper aback for a moment, but in a good way, the slight bafflement easily read on her expression. She recovers enough to finally add after a beat, ] Thanks.

[ It's never easy for her to accept praise, even when it's perfectly warranted. She knows she does good job, but when someone points it out... well. It's easy, however, for her to echo Steve's frustration at Tony's response, never liking it when he downplays his own role and worth like that. She gives Tony a look, a moue of disapproval on her face, squeezing his hand gently. ]

Agreed-- don't say that. [ B side, her ass. ]

[billionaires]

[ he does kind of hate him for it, but he's also touched by the rest. just like steve didn't know tony cared about him until this place, he didn't know steve kept up with his exploits outside of the avengers. tony turns an apologetic gaze on pepper before squeezing her hand a last time and lifting off the bed to address cap in full now. ]

I know you came down here to check on me, but- are you okay? [ he doesn't think people ask that enough. or that they even remember steve is a living person with feelings to ask about. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve looks taken back. No one has asked that so far. He doesn't even think about it. It's business as usual for him. He looks visibly uncomfortable, but not unwilling to answer. Tony and Pepper are essentially a married couple in his eyes. He has no illusions about the fact that telling one is going to be the same as telling the other. He doesn't mind. Everything he reads about Pepper is positive unless it's blatantly misogynist. He knows she isn't going to judge him for not being on 24/7 as the ideal American hero who never gets sad.] No.

[He works his jaw. They're trying a new thing where they're being honest and upfront. Steve wants to honor that. Maybe, just maybe he wants someone to talk to as well. He is lonely.] I know if we sit on our hands and refuse to engage everyone will die. It's why I'm playing along. I've done this before. Saving some is better than none no matter how awful the death toll is.

[He swallows, looking anywhere in the room but, at them.] It didn't get easier with age.

[Sometimes it's easier to playing at being some old soul when you're still the same twenty-something that left for war.]