acatalepsy_ooc | TDM # 6

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TDM # 6

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! ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Luckily (or maybe unluckily), Matthias is shoved onto a boat with Nina. She blinks up at him, and then laughs at his expression, tossing her curly hair over her shoulder. She's not entirely happy to have been forced onto this ride, either, but that isn't going to stop her from teasing him about it.]

Has the mighty druskelle been bested by a ghostly carnival attendant?

[ Oh no. Matthias makes a low grumble of disapproval, but even in the dim light of the tunnel Nina will be able to see the blush that rises to his cheeks. ]

They didn't seem to be taking no for an answer, and it's undignified to argue with something you cannot see.

[ Even though he's sort of been doing that for the better part of an hour. Whoops. He swallows hard again, determined not to be sick in front of Nina even though the boat is already swaying. Surely willpower will win the day. ]

You didn't seem to argue at all, drüsje. [ But his voice is warm when he calls her witch, as if he's simply matching her terminology. ]

[She rolls her eyes at that, settling herself on the little bench they've been squeezed onto. Apparently the close quarters don't bother her.]

Who says it's undignified? Do you run into enough people you cannot see that it's become a rule?

[ Of course they don't!! It's Nina. For what it's worth Matthias doesn't seem to mind that part of this either... he reaches over and finds her hand as the boat moves forward, fingers curling gently around hers. ]

It just seems a bit like an old man yelling at a cloud. He can see the cloud, of course, but the yelling gets him nowhere. Very undignified.

[It shouldn't be a surprise after he glued himself to her side on the way back to Ketterdam, but it still makes her heart flutter every time he's the one who initiates contact. He spends so much time acting so stern and unflappable around everyone else. Nina smiles, squeezing his hand gently.]

I think that's a perfect description of you, Matthias.

[ Trust Nina to give him a hard time about it when the point he was trying to get across is that one should not argue with unseen servants or clouds. Matthias makes a 'tsk' sound. ]

You're going to taunt me until the end of time, aren't you?

[ He reaches for something with which to tease her back, but nothing comes to mind. He's just so glad she didn't lose the fight with parem, and that she wound up with him here. That she'd have him by her side after all of it. His voice softens -- might as well take advantage of the fact they're very much alone right now. The witch who brought them here, her magic didn't much soften the shock of arrival. He worries it was harder on Nina. ]

How are you feeling, Nina?

[ Physically, of course, but also about this. Matthias doesn't know how he feels about being abducted... it seems most of his life is going to be spent under one sort of boot or another. Though it's hard to call this place another prison, he still isn't free. ]

Of course I am.

[That goes without saying, doesn't it? Nina has accepted that it's her job to bully Matthias into having fun. His next question makes her pause, though, and her answer should be clear enough from the way her grip on his hand unintentionally tightens.]

Well, I can't figure out a way to blame this on Kaz, which is irritating.

[ If he wasn't so worried, Matthias would laugh. His lips do twitch with amusement, at least, even as his thumb strokes over the back of Nina's hand. ]

If not for the pain I would have questioned whether this were a dream for far longer. It seems impossible, even by our standards. Both the situation and the claims that she means well.

[ So few people ever mean well, especially those with such power... ]

A well-meaning kidnapper who gifts us with powers.

[Nina scoffs, rolling her eyes.]

That doesn't seem very likely.

No, it does not.

[ Matthias shifts uncomfortably -- it's one thing to change his outlook on Grisha, to let himself believe that they're just as human as anyone else, simply capable of the extraordinary -- and another entirely to think that he might be capable of something. It's not natural, just as parem isn't natural for Grisha. He didn't ask for magic, that's certain, and hasn't yet realized what his new power is. If it exists at all. Nina can probably guess why he's bristling, but he tries to cover for it. ]

It seems like we have no choice but to go along for now, but I don't like it. Even if this place is nicer than the Barrel.

[Nina absolutely knows why Matthias is bristling, and she shifts, trying to get a better look at his expression in the low light.]

Do you know what ability she gave you?

[ He looks uncomfortable!! But answers her with a shrug. ]

No. And I didn't ask. Should I, when I don't intend to use it? It's not how things should be.

But it's how things are. How can you control it if you don't know what it is?

I don't-- [ He hesitates, then, voice going low and disturbed. ] Do you fear it's something destructive?

I didn't say that.

[Although it's possible, but Nina doesn't want to worry him unnecessarily, so she smiles again, teasing.]

Even if it's making flowers grow, do you really want them sprouting out of your next meal?

Hn... you're right, however infuriatingly. I guess I have to speak to the witch.

[ Her smile goes a short way to appease him, but he does uncoil slightly. ]

Do you know yours? I hadn't asked.

[Now it's Nina's turn to tense up. She's gone from being unable to use her Grisha abilities at all to this, and it's clear in the way she hunches slightly how much she hates it.]

Yes. You won't like it.

It seems like you don't like it, either. Or are you more invested in my comfort than your constant taunts imply?

[ It's a gentle sort of teasing, and he doesn't tense up again. Whatever it is, she's still Nina. ]

Tell me.

Edited 2019-03-30 21:54 (UTC)

Matthias, you think comfort is snow and rotting fish.

[She shifts, her shoulder pressing into his, silent for a moment.]

It's a... form of persuasion.

The fish aren't rotting, they're preserved--

[ But that isn't the topic. He does tense slightly when she admits what it is, but not because he's afraid of it. Because he remembers how he used to be, how he accused her of using some vile Grisha charm on him when she hadn't. When it had just been her, Nina, who won him over. No magic required. ]

Nina. I trust you to know when to use such a power. And that you wouldn't need it on me. I'm sorry for what I said back then, that it still weighs on you enough to worry how I'd react to hearing this now. I didn't understand.

[It means more coming from him than it could from anyone else, and Nina bites her lip, staring over the edge of the boat into the water. It's true that those jabs weighed on her, but it's more complicated than that. Her voice is softer when she responds.]

I know. I don't want to use it. I'm a Grisha of the Second Army, not... Not some enchantress from a children's fairy tale.

Then don't.

[ He's quick to say it, as unnatural as he feels this whole gifted powers ordeal is, but then clarifies. ]

Unless it's necessary to protect yourself or someone else, don't. It isn't yours. You were right, though, we should learn to control our new abilities. I'd rather you didn't practice on me, but...

[ It might be hard to find volunteers. Matthias presses his lips together as he thinks. Would it be better to know what it feels like? No. He trusts Nina. ]

...you can, I think. So long as you don't make me do anything too ridiculous.

[She turns to face him again, a little too quickly, her long hair nearly swatting him in the face as she does. She looks utterly offended.]

Matthias, you can't ask me to use something like that on you. That's ridiculous.

See how well asking for volunteers goes, then. What if it's tied to your emotions and you do it unconsciously, without practice to control it? Isn't that worse? Always questioning?

[ He shrugs. ]

You could ask, but maybe it should be someone who trusts you already.

[For a long second, she just frowns at him, and then she rolls her eyes.]

Why are you right? I hate when you're right.

iii!

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