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

[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.]