acatalepsy_ooc | TDM # 6

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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

[ He's grinning back at her even as he chews, finally swallowing the mouthful to declare agreement. Sweet or not, Matthias would let her feed him the whole plate anyway if it would keep her smiling like that. Better to watch her enjoy it, though. ]

It is. Thank you for sharing.

[ Hopefully her appetite holds up for her to have a little of everything -- Matthias knows she's been struggling with it ever since the parem, that they still have a long road ahead even here. He spears a bite of meat off his plate and offers it to her with the hopes that she eat something besides just sweets. ]

Try. It's better than the jerky, I promise.

[Nina wastes no time in leaning forward to take the bite from his fork, chewing thoughtfully. After a second, she lets out a satisfied sigh, resting her chin on her hand.]

So much better than the jerky. You've been holding out on me.

At what point could I have fed you a traditional Fjerdan meal? This is the first I've had one since before we met, so it's the opposite of holding out.

[ He shared the second the possibility arose, Nina! ]

How brave are you feeling?

Shhh.

[Get out of here with your logic, Matthias. At his question, though, she eyes his plate uncertainly.]

I'm always brave.

Enough to try the cod? You've always seemed to think fish is horrible.

[ He takes a bite of it himself, glancing back at the other stall where he swears he saw pomdrakon. ]

I'll try your strange flaming raisin dish, if you take a bite.

I like fresh fish just fine.

[She pokes at his fish with her fork experimentally.]

Wouldn't my raisin dish make you a heathen?

We soak the salt out before cooking it, you know, it's not overpowering. Just different -- like ham is different from a pork roast.

[ He lets her prod it, even as he huffs at the heathen comment. ]

I think we're beyond unfamiliar foods as the cause of that.

For what it's worth, I prefer you as a heathen.

You know what, Nina? So do I.

[ But he's still watching her expectantly -- just try it!! ]

[Nina beams at him, and his response is enough to get her to spear a bite and finally taste it. After a second of thoughtful chewing, her eyebrows go up.]

It's not bad.

I'll take it. And hope that you don't think I eat rotting fish anymore.

[ He takes another bite himself and then tilts his head back towards the other booth where he saw the heathen raisins. ]

Come with me, you'll have to show me how to do this. Do you eat them while they're on fire, or what?

[Nina bursts out laughing.]

Of course we don't. We blow them out first.

Show me.

[ Maybe he just wants to see her enjoying something from home, something she hasn't had in a long time. ]

Okay.

[Nina stands, offering him her arm.]

We're going to have to do something to get them, though.

Your best smile or a flower, or a trick with our powers. Yes, I read the sign.

[ He holds up his plate to show he's already managed to pay once. ]

I think we can manage that.

Let's see your best smile, then.

[ He went for the flower last time on purpose, not certain he could manage his "best" under these circumstances and at a stranger, but since it's Nina..... he nods, leading her back to the stall first. Then he just looks at her for a moment, taking her in. Thinking about how glad he is that she's here with him, about how lucky he is to be at her side after all they've been through, all the conflict and confusion and suffering.

It's a good smile. Good enough, anyway. A bowl floats over to them, offered by an unseen servant. ]

How's that?

[It's perfect, Nina decides. Adorable enough to make her heart flutter, and she smiles back automatically, reaching for his hand.]

If you smiled like that more often, you could ask anyone for anything you wanted.

[ That earns Nina a blush, and Matthias ducks his head a little as he squeezes her hand. ]

I don't know if I could manage it for just anyone.

[She squeezes his hand back, then takes the bowl and the little packet of matches.]

I should just count myself lucky, then. Ready to play?

Count yourself special. And yes, but we should find somewhere to sit and set these down.

[ Since he's not giving up the rest of the food and doubts Nina is done with her plate either. He leads them over to the little picnic tables set up beside the food stalls and sets his plate down, sitting straddling the bench so he can face her better. ]

How do we play?

[She straddles the bench as well, setting the pan between them. It's already full of raisins and brandy, so she strikes the match and lights the alcohol on fire. Maybe Ravkans really are heathens.]

Now we take turns trying to pick out the raisins without burning ourselves.

[ Matthias looks from the bowl to Nina consideringly, then reaches up and pushes her hair back over her shoulder. ]

Perhaps you should tie your hair back. Just in case.

[Nina grins, flipping her hair over her shoulder.]

Don't you like my hair down, Matthias?

[ There's a faint blush at that, a tiny stammer, before Matthias speaks sense. ]

Of course I do. I'd like for you to be able to wear it that way again, not see it catch fire.

TDM # 6

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