TDM # 6

[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 #6 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 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. . . . or maybe you are. It seems oddly like a state fair, except a bit more mystical, and a bit more . . . well, touched by faerie-magic.. 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. Once you're done with that, though, get ready -- there's a carnival in town. FEAST FOR THE PEOPLE. An array of familiar scents welcomes you — it reminds you so terribly of your roots. Perhaps it’s the clam chowder your grandmother used to make, or the distinct smell of your least favorite kind of enchanted crabapple pie traveling through the air. Regardless, it leads you to a variety of food stands, each and everyone being manned by one of the unseen servants.And lo and behold, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for: food from the very place you’ve come from. The plates and portions are . . . er, floating in air due to how unseen the servants are, but when you reach forward to have a bite, you are promptly stopped. It seems as though the servants are asking for something in exchange. A sign floats up before you… “The food is free ♥ But first, find someone and show them… Your best smile! A flower! Spring is abound ♥ A neat trick using the power I gave you~” You’d best get on it — of course, you could try to simply steal if you’re hungry enough, but well...we’ll see how well that goes over. Ironically enough, the foods you may not be especially partial to will be offered to you without any trouble. Huh. TEN TICKETS GETS A PENCIL. There are a large variety of other stalls too. While the food definitely follows you wherever you go, there are small booths set up with games. Anything from a ring toss, target practice, games of strength or games of balance have been constructed and set up all around this patch of grass. You might notice a game from home, no matter how specific or seemingly out of place it appears to be in this festival. You’re here to have fun! And maybe the person standing next to you does too. Will you challenge them? Or let them go ahead? Besides, don’t you want those prizes? There is a wide selection of "stuffed animals" made out of grass and flowers to be won, but it all comes down to you. These prizes won't wilt or die, either! How lovely. Additionally, some of the booths give you out some arbitrary amount of tickets, regardless of how well you do. If you win, you seem to get . . . less tickets? But if you lose, you get the lot. Astoria doesn't seem to really get the point of carnival games. There is a booth to turn in said tickets, though! Ten tickets will get you a bright pink pencil. Fifty tickets will get you a kazoo that makes you irresistibly happy for thirty minutes at a time. A hundred tickets will get you a massive stuffed puppy made out of flowers. And two hundred tickets will get you a tiara made out of flowers. . . . these gifts seem to be Astoria-centric, but you'll surely like them, right? LOVE IS IN THE AIR. What is a festival without some carnival rides? They’re scattered around the faire grounds at random intervals, and seem familiar enough, if not for the fact they seem to be held together primarily through magic. The ferris wheel is made entirely from giant leaves and vines, but is still running, and absolutely safe. You might want to jump on it to see the entirety of the Temple . . . in the (near-ish) distance, you can see Lake Dona, stretching on for what appears to be miles. You can see the Forest of the Fey, equally massive and sprawling . . . and neither seems to have an end in sight. But hey, at least you got a free carnival ride. Bumper cars? More like bumper logs, floating in a small lake of sorts that (for those who have been in the Circle for some time) definitely wasn’t there before. Crashing into one another is a load of fun, but if you get up-ended, you might wind up being shoved back into the logs unceremoniously by some kelpies. Where in the heck did they come from? (They're harmless, for the most part. Astoria seems to have recruited the more tame ones.) And, even better, the unseen servants are keen to get new people to know one another! Are you in line with someone you know? Or next to a complete stranger? Either way, you’ll get shuffled into the next cart and put on your way. The Tunnel of Roses is a great place to meet someone, right? It's seemingly sprung up out of absolutely nowhere . . . a dark, quiet, romantic ride on a tiny little boat, just big enough for two! You’ve got some...time to break the ice. The ride apparently lasts four hours. 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

[gavemyblade]

[Krolia would sympathize, if she hadn't been forced onto the four-hour long tunnel of love with people not even half her apparent age. She might still sympathize, because it must get boring for a child at her age.

Krolia looks down below them for a moment with a studious gaze. Waiting. Whether it's for the ride to be over or the obvious curiosity to be voiced is anyone's guess. Though she does smile faintly at the compliment.]

Thank you. Yours is not so bad, either. [She looks to her and there's the kind warmth of a mother behind the sharp edges.] My name is Krolia. What's yours?

[usedforcepalm]

[Hanabi has been raised to be mature and responsible. She's a dutiful clan heir who actually has to be told to take a day off by her taskmaster of a father now and then.

Krolia's calm warmth is more reassuring than anyone going out of their way to coddle her. It reminds her a little of her father and other elders in the Hyuuga clan. Outwardly stern, but still caring.]

Thank you. My name is Hanabi.

[She fidgets with her hands for a moment before she asks.]

Are we really in some other world? My father is going to get really worried if I'm missing.

[gavemyblade]

[Hm, now why does this sound familiar... quietly looks in her son's general direction]

It is nice to meet you, Hanabi. Though I wish it were under different circumstances.

[The warmth shifts slightly to concern as she notes the fidgeting. She knows that worry all too well; has carried it with her in the back of her mind for decaphoebs (years) since she left her own child to protect him from a war he wound up fighting in regardless of her efforts.]

We are. [Confirmation first. She could tell her what she's come to realize, but that is her burden to bear. Because...] I don't have all the answers. I just arrived, myself. My son, however...

[She never realized her only child had been missing.] ...Is there anyone you know here?

[usedforcepalm]

[When Krolia answers in the affirmative, Hanabi manages to keep herself from crying, and she tries to put on a brave and stoic face. Tries being the operative word.]

N-no. I don't know anybody at all. It's just me.

[Her attempt at a stoic expression crumbles as she speaks, giving way to how afraid and upset she is.

She wants her father, her big sister...anyone in the Hyuuga clan or even from her massive city-sized village would be great right now. But she's just mature enough to understand that sometimes people can't get what they want, no matter how hard they wish for it.]

[gavemyblade]

[Krolia carefully and gently reaches out to place a hand on the young girl's shoulder. The amount of times she's seen the same look in her son's eyes in those glimpses of his past from before he was recruited into the same Garrison she'd avoided the attention of for her entire stay on Earth. It's enough to bring that quiet ache back.]

We will find a way to return to our homes. [She tries to reassure her.] It's okay to miss them until then. You are not alone in that.

[She pauses, before adding:] My door will be open if you need anything. No one should be alone in a strange place.

[At any age, really. Though especially when they are still developing into who they will be later on in life.]

[usedforcepalm]

Thank you, Krolia. That's nice of you.

[Even without being able to utilize the power that comes with the Hyuuga clan eyes at the moment, Hyuuga are taught to read body language and be attentive to little details.

There's something in the way that Krolia carries herself that has Hanabi thinking that this woman is a warrior.]

...may I train with you? My father wouldn't want me to slack off.

[gavemyblade]

You're welcome.

[What can she say? She has a slight soft spot for children. Though the question earns a raised eyebrow. Not out of complete surprise; Galran children start even younger than she seems to be, but she was under the impression that human children started a little later, if at all. (Something she thought silly, but they were at peace in her time. The Empire never was.)]

Your father had started training you? [Asked in a similar tone one would ask the weather.] In what?

[Hand-to-hand? Daggers and throwing knives? Swords? Firearms? She may be going through the list in her mind, but the first three seem the most likely from her posture. Even when sitting.]

[usedforcepalm]

Oh, I've been training for years. My father is teaching me hand to hand combat. My clan is known worldwide for our fighting style.

[And with that comes a lot of expectations and greulling training. She doesn't mind it. She likes the challenge, and she made up her own mind to work hard as the clan's successor rather than simply accepting it as destiny that she had no choice but to go along with.]

My other training is at the Academy. We learn how to make traps and how to use shuriken and kunai there.

[At the mention of kunai, she withdraws the short blade from her clothes and holds it up in the palms of her hands for Krolia to examine.]

[gavemyblade]

Many of my people start at roughly the same age as well.

[She had, and apparently Keith had taught himself somewhat.] Most became part of the military, and all are feared throughout our known universe. Though that is slowly changing.

[Mostly due to who they followed for so long no longer being among the living... unliving? It's complicated and they don't have enough time before their ride on the ferris wheel is over. Krolia looks the kunai over. Ah, yes. She knows the shape of the small blade well, even though she rarely used them herself. While undercover, she mostly used firearms.]

I specialize in hand to hand and one handed weapons, so yes. I can help you.

[usedforcepalm]

[It's at this point that Hanabi finally manages a smile. If she has to be stuck in some strange other world, learning a new fighting style from a nice lady is a good way to spend her time.]

If I train with you here, then when I get home, I can show my father and big sister new moves they won't have ever seen before!

[gavemyblade]

[If nothing else it certainly will prove useful in the coming days, and be a rewarding way to pass the time. Though she does feel the need to speak to Astoria given the fact of what she knows of the last world and what transpired there.]

It will certainly be a story worth telling them, and perhaps you can teach them as well. [When she's older, and if she's good enough. Caveats the young girl hopefully knows by now.]

[usedforcepalm]

[Well, that helps her feel a little more optimistic about her whole situation. If she thinks about it as her very first adventure, and as training to protect the Hyuuga clan, then it's not so bad.]

Do you think if I ask really nicely that Astoria will let me send a message home to let my family know that I'm okay?