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

[adorned]

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?

[antithesizes]

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.

[adorned]

[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.

[antithesizes]

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.

[adorned]

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.

[antithesizes]

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.

[adorned]

[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.

[antithesizes]

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.

[adorned]

[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.

[antithesizes]

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.

[adorned]

[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.

[antithesizes]

[ That gets a smile, and Matthias bumping their shoulders together fondly. ]

You could agree with me for once, then you'd be right too.

[adorned]

Please. You would get bored if I never argued with you.

[antithesizes]

You're terrible. I'm not saying never argue, I'm saying maybe don't always argue.

[ Though he is fond of their good-hearted bickering. That's how they kept each other alive for so long, after all, taunts and insults they didn't really mean but had to prove wrong. Matthias squeezes Nina's hand. ]

...how long is this boat ride meant to be, anyway?

[adorned]

I'm not sure. I'm not even sure where we're meant to be going.

[So that's... fun.]

Are you getting sick of me already?

[antithesizes]

Not sick of you... [ Matthias grimaces a little, the words coming out reluctantly. ] But I'm not known for my sea legs.

[adorned]

Oh.

[Nina can't help it—she smiles a little.]

So this isn't as romantic as they've intended.

[antithesizes]

Perhaps not. If only it would stop swaying.

[ Maybe if he focuses on something else instead -- he lifts his eyes back to Nina's, and finds them shining even in the dim light of the tunnel.

Yes, he thinks, this is a good distraction. ]

[adorned]

Boats tend to sway.

[Still teasing, but her tone is gentler now. She hesitates, then reaches up to brush her fingers against his cheek.]

Thank you for staying with me on the way back to Ketterdam.

[antithesizes]

[ Matthias is reaching for something snappy to say back about the boat when Nina reaches up to touch his face, and thanks him so gently. He blinks. ]

...Nina. Djel himself couldn't have pulled me from your side. I'm only glad you're well again.

[adorned]

["Well" is a bit of a relative term. She has good days and bad days, and days where it's a struggle to focus on anything but the sawing need for parem at all, but she keeps telling herself she's through the worst of it, and that's thanks to Matthias.]

I couldn't have managed it without you.

[antithesizes]

[ At least there's no parem here, Matthias is relatively certain. And as much as he wants to tell her she would have made it, that she's strong enough on her own... he also understands the sentiment and suspects that none of their lot besides him could have handled her as well, with Inej gone. So he won't wave her gratitude away. It wasn't easy on him either, honestly. ]

You've saved my life several times, in more ways than one. It's the least I could do in return.

[adorned]

[She doesn't argue with that—they seem caught in a bit of a loop, saving each other over and over again. Hopefully that won't continue here.]

If I could rescue you from this terrible seasickness as a thank you, I would, druskelle.

[antithesizes]

[ It's not so terrible as of yet, just a mild sense that he shouldn't have partaken of the little cakes Nina insisted on sharing earlier, but Matthias doesn't argue. He nods instead, smiling faintly. ]

The thought is appreciated, drüsje.

[adorned]

[She laughs a little.]

Maybe we should start planning our escape in case this ride never ends. What do you think?