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

[infailtration]

Every few months? It seems to vary, we were in Akvos for longer than I think they were in the other worlds.

[ York shrugs, not dismissive of Carolina's experience, but... he certainly didn't see it for himself. ]

I wouldn't know. Every time I tried to talk to him he just bolted. I wanted to try and apologize for leaving him behind, at least, but he wouldn't acknowledge I existed. Makes more sense now, but it's still shitty.

[uptightness]

[Every few months... And in between, she wants to ask? Just lounge around this place? Carolina's had one retirement, and it didn't stick. It had been hard for her to adjust, and she'd even taken a teacher. When it comes right down to it, she likes to be active, to be doing something, but she also wants to choose what she is doing.

A small breath again. It was more than what Carolina had done. She'd just come storming in, making demands, and he'd fallen in to place like he had before. At least until she'd pushed too hard, threatening the Sim Troopers, then Wash had pushed right back.]

I- am sorry to hear that.

[infailtration]

[ That gets a sigh, York's lingering frustrations with Wash dissipating into something more melancholy. He sounds almost like he did on those recordings, talking to Delta about what might have been. ]

It's not your fault. Sounds like it might not have been his, either, I'm just... we tried, you know? I feel like that's all I've ever done, is try.

[ And fail, goes unstated but hangs heavy between them. ]

Come on, stay with us. I'll show you where we are.

[uptightness]

[Aside from the avoidance, it's not like York had said that Wash was having issues. The wounds would have left some scarring, but given what she's learning about this place, maybe that hasn't happened? It's confusing to think about, even with everything that Temple had just put them through, because time travel isn't normal.

It does drop like a stone, and she's reminded about Epsilon's words about Texas. Trying, and always failing... But for the moment she relents, not exactly agreeing to stay with them, as it's still more of a dream-like quality than reality, but she nods.]

Alright. Show me where you're living.

[infailtration]

[ York nods, beckoning for Caroliina to follow him and trying to keep her on his good side as he leads her into a building and down a hallway -- so he can see her. The room he leads her into is honestly the same as all the others around, except there are three beds in it. Two are made but look lived-in, the third crisp and fresh like someone just did the sheets. Or manifested the whole thing into existence, you know, as you do. The lived in beds each have a suit of armor on the dressers beside them, purple and gold respectively. ]

Huh. I guess it thinks you're staying. There were only two last time I was in here, the rooms kind of do that. Magic.

[uptightness]

[She does, that alert and wary expression as she regards the areas that they go through, peripheral vision always on him, as if he could still poof away in any moment. It could be a trap. She's just been through a pretty elaborate one anyway, so she wouldn't put it past anyone, but maybe, just maybe, there is a part of her that doesn't want to believe it.

Not that any of this makes any sense.

But, she's also come to expect a certain amount of malarkey in her life now. Her gaze sweeps the room, posture slightly awkward, and forehead furrowing at the third bed. He verbalizes before she can even comment, as the two are fairly obvious as to who they belong to. She's familiar with the armour suits.]

And that's just normal?

[infailtration]

It's normal for this place. Everything runs on magic. There are these ghosty servant guys that'll bring you whatever you ask for, too, don't ask me how that works. But it's how we have clothes besides our armor and survival suits.

[ He considers how crazy it all sounds for a moment, then shrugs -- she's seeing the proof right now, what else can he do? ]

If you don't feel like changing yet I can continue the tour... there's a bathroom through there, and then common areas and kitchens farther down the hall.

[uptightness]

[Unseen 'ghosts' with access to their rooms... That earns another look, before she glances around. She doesn't like that idea, especially if they could be anywhere, watching them. Reporting on them?]

It's- later, I'll think about changing.

[Which does make her rather obvious in her armor, but for now there is also that sense of protection that comes with it.]

[infailtration]

(( continued here ))