TEST DRIVE #1

[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 #1 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. All you hear is a voice -- light, bubbly, warm, soothing, in your ear: Don't worry, darling. This won't hurt a bit~ ♥ And once that moment is over, you fall flat on your face. It's sunny, warm, with the tickling of grass. It takes a few moments for you to gain composure, to catch your breath. You think, for half a moment, that a hand is on your back, rubbing between your shoulder blades in comfort, but when you open your eyes, no one is there. 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. Welcome to the "Home Base" of Astoria's Circle. What the actual name of the base is called is lost to the ages, but Astoria has informed all of you that she calls it the Temple of Beginnings. Why? She's not going to tell you. It's probably just because she likes how it sounds. At any rate, the Temple of Beginnings is a central hub of the Circle, a place of powerful magic and mysterious energy. It is a scattering of ancient stone buildings with multiple markings etched into the stone. For the most part, it looks abandoned . . . but for some reason, the more people arrive, the more alive it looks. The grass is slowly getting greener, flowers are beginning to sprout, birds chirp in the air. Everyone's journey starts at the Temple, and Astoria wants to make sure your welcome to the Circle is delightful. 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, and Astoria bids you to make a place for yourself here. Pick your rooms, explore the grounds, see the beauty and wonder all around you in such a magical place. She’s glad you’re here, and she certainly wants to make sure you feel as comfortable and kept as possible. Of course, this means you have free reign. Claim your room, set your stuff, move things around, check out the bath houses, the kitchen, etc. This place seems easy enough to figure out on your own, with enough time to take a walk around! Astoria herself is around during much of this, if you have any questions or concerns you’d like to bring to her. INTO THE WILDS The buildings of the Temple of Beginnings span out across a fair-sized field, intermixed with trees, open grassy planes, outside sitting areas, fire rings, and other oddly ancient but alive structures. It was, at one point, a magnificent compound that has seemed to fall to ruin and been revived again, though nowhere near its former glory. Around the temple is a ring of stones that do not seem to move no matter what characters may attempt, and beyond that is the forest. The forest itself is more than just impressive - it is near-overwhelming. An impossibly ancient stretch of woods that crackle with magical energy, should you decide to venture in, you will find all manner of foreign flora and fauna of all shapes and sizes. Creatures inhabit these woods, but will stay a comfortable distance away, and while there is always a sense of wonder - and possible danger - in every stretch of this forest, nothing will come any closer than a brief glimpse out of the corner of your eyes. You are welcome to attempt more creative means, or to take a closer look at the more stationary flora, and you will have varying degrees of success. You may find tiny wood nymphs, flitting through the trees, or bizarre white bats with little yellow noses that wander about. Odd birds with bright red beaks and twelve eyes . . . your imagination, it seems, pales in comparison with what lives in the forest. Most things tend to be harmless, though! Regarding further exploration of the wood, it will seem to go on forever. Getting lost seems almost imperative to existence within this forest, going on forever in all directions with no edge in sight. You could walk for days, weeks, possibly even more. However, the second that you find yourself thinking about wanting to return to the Temple of Beginnings, you find yourself cresting through the edge of the trees, back to your home. MAGICALLY INSPIRED, VIOLENTLY INCLINED Set apart from the central hub of housing, the bath house, and the kitchen areas is a stone structure with a rusted metal gate. Peering inside shows a dirt sparring area with some dummies that seem to be still. However, if you interact with them . . . violently, they will spring to life to fight back. It's a sparring ring! Simply walking away from the sparring match will end the bout, but you might need to take some time to figure that out. Destroying the dummies will just create more of them.  When asked about it, Astoria will smile and mention that she understands how - at times - being stuck in a new place can build stress and frustration. Healthy outlets for this frustration is all part of the peace! There will be various stacks of blunt weapons, shields and armor that could be vaguely familiar, but never seem to be from any particular place or time. You are free to use what you wish, but please note that if you remove any of the materials from the ring, they will suddenly disappear from your being. Additionally, Astoria will note, you have each received some new gifts! This would be the perfect place to explore those! As, no matter what your powers or abilities may accomplish, the ring will remain intact and no permanent damage will be able to be done. Maybe your attentions will be on the dummies, maybe you prefer a more active and awake partner, but whatever you decide to do, enjoy yourself! That’s what all this is about, isn’t it? CONNECTIONS AND COMMENTARY 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

[tranquilforest]

[In her own case, she'd somewhat preferred her brief stint of wandering - until circumstances forced her to stop. But things were different for young men even in other worlds, it seemed, including the "United States". Wherever that was.]

I was a traveling physician before I settled down, and I tried my best to stay up to date afterwards. [That was innocuous enough, right? She bends down to observe the flowers that had caught his attention, one finger brushing along the narrow leaves.]

What kind of work did you do then, you and your father?

[tranquilforest]

[His enthusiasm and optimism remind her - somewhat bittersweetly - of another rambunctious youngster that had once passed under her care for a short - too short - time. Even the phrasing is similar, as though a conversation very like this one had also occurred in that distant past.]

This place... the Temple does seem surprisingly self-contained, except for the forest surrounding it. One hopes no one will mind if we do a little landscaping of our own.

[Apparently she's into this idea.]

There are a few plants from home still in my belongings, but not all of them are suitable for eating. If we ask our fellow travelers, perhaps we can increase the variety of foods for the kitchen as well.

Pre-emptively: sorry if this eventually gets too ramble-y, she really appreciates the opportunity!!

[tranquilforest]

[Before he'd said anything, she hadn't thought more deeply into the possibility. And it was still mostly a stray thought, but it feels natural and appealing the more she considers it, standing there in a distant, foreign forest talking to a young stranger.]

I could do that, couldn't I? [She says, quiet but emphatic, as though by repeating it to herself she could believe it more readily. She'd lived over thirty years under titles and statuses gifted to her by someone else, enough that she barely remembered going by anything else.]

[spellweave]

[That's about what he expected... He sighs.] Indeed. Some guidance would do wonders for if these abilities can truly be anything then it would be nice to know where to start.

[He had no luck against the striking dummies in the arena so he has no idea what else he's suppose to try to activate this mystery ability.]

The most I've been able to determine about mine is that it is not something usable in combat. This does not narrow it down much, however.

[flyingsolos]

Large, like... horse-sized bird?

[ An ostrich???? ]

Into the Wilds [This is very late, hope you don't mind!]

[tranquilforest]

[If Lizzie walks just a little deeper into the woods, she'll see a white-clad figure bent over a particularly colorful patch of small flowers, all more-or-less the same shape, but scattered across the dim green and brown of the forest floor. Should she venture closer, she might hear said figure murmuring out loud to itself, fingers reaching out but not quite touching the plants.

Of course, timing is everything, and perhaps the sun had passed out once again from behind a cloud, for a beam of sunlight touches the riotous color of the little clearing, and suddenly every multi-colored flower bursts, petals scattering everywhere and disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only the plain green of their stems and leaves and the dirt of the ground.

The figure shakes its head ruefully and stands back up, only then noting the company, and executing a deep, though for Lizzie, perhaps unfamiliar, curtsy, and greeting in respectful tones with her head bowed.]

Young miss.

[flyingsolos]

Um, yeah... or at least if they've shown up, I haven't found them yet.

[ and excuse you sir she is 17!! ]

WOODS

[purrtagonist]

[there's a snap, a rustling noise somewhere from high above Rion, the sound of something shifting and moving within the tree branches. it ceases just as quickly as it began, leaving nothing but the lingering echoes her and something else's musical notes hovering in the air]

[until the branch snaps in half]

[and some kid-- messy, curly hair and glasses and all-- comes crashing to the ground with a startled yelp, limbs intermingled with wood and leaves alike. ouch. that landing had to hurt]

[but hey, he's a. . . alive??]

[flyingsolos]

Mm... I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go. Who knows, maybe you'll be a really cool healer instead!

[ Or maybe he'll get really good hearing with those ears of his? The sky's the limit. ]

[flyingsolos]

[ Rion, to her credit, doesn't scream when some guy comes crashing out of a tree-- but she does stagger back a good few steps and stare.

She maybe yelped. A little. ]

What the heck?! Are you okay??

A-and if you are, spying's super rude!

[reincarnivorous]

[Where perhaps the crime in question is... friendship?]

You're welcome, [she says with faint approval. There's a unique satisfaction in meeting someone with both potential and drive and in helping them along their way. In her world, she had once made a life of it and she feels a pang of fond pride now. Kite glances out the window, reminding herself of the time of day, then smiles at her new friend.]

Dinner, huh? Sure, I haven't been doing much of my own cooking here. [Hesitation; does she explain the part where she's a mostly carnivorous insect?] I'll be interested in seeing what you make, [she finishes with instead.]

[purrtagonist]

[YELPING BUDDIES]

[fortunately, despite the rough landing, it seems like super spy stranger-san is perfectly okay, evident by the way he pushes himself up into a sitting position. he's got like. . . leaves, tucked all up in his hair, though. so that's great]

I wasn't-- . . . spying! I was observing. . .!

[wait is that like the same thing]

[. . .]

[casually plucks a leaf from his hair as he responds, too]

[flyingsolos]

do you run into trolls that often?

[reincarnivorous]

I see. [Glancing back in the direction of the Temple and where she had last seen Astoria,] I can't imagine how they would be. She brought you all out?

[That would be a motive she hasn't ascribed to Astoria yet.]

[flyingsolos]

... You do know that's pretty much the same thing, right?

[ don't worry, she'll point that out for him, because Rion is magnanimous that way. ]

[purrtagonist]

[THANKS RION]

[she gets. . . a huffed sigh in return, as he flicks the leaf from the tips of his fingers and begins to harvest even more flora from his person. hey, there are twigs here too!! he's a mess]

Sorry.

[it's sincere, at least]

I didn't mean to startle you.

[spellweave]

[Good enough for him although Eorzean food has certainly spoiled him. It had been nice eating food cooked by actual chefs and not scholars. But he isn't a picky eater and it smells just fine to him. Given the state of things he's just grateful they don't have to worry about foraging for their own meals.

He'll take what he deems a suitable portion for himself and sits with her.

At her inquiry he heaves a sighs.]

It didn't, quite frankly. Unless you enjoy playing with rusty weaponry there wasn't much to be found. Furthermore I am no closer to determining what ability I've supposedly been given. [It would've been really nice if they had been given some kind of guidance on that front... but that is asking way too much of a place that literally dropped them in the middle of a semi-ruined town. City? Camp? It's unclear.

He isn't in the business of not knowing things so the inability to find even the most basic of information is more than a little frustrating.]

You're perfectly fine. o/

[a_sharp_wit]

[Elizabeth certainly hadn't meant to stumble upon the other woman. Curiosity had led to rambling, aided a great deal by her need to think. And when it came to needing moments alone to think, she invariably turned towards nature as a solace and a helper.

In time though she found herself here, doing her best to decide which to be more amazed over - the bursting, scattered petals or the woman accompanying them. If she hadn't noted her before the petals burst, Elizabeth might have been very tempted to ask if she hadn't somehow come from them herself. She certainly looks more faery and otherworldly than anything Elizabeth had ever encountered in her life.

It does take a few moments before Elizabeth realizes she's taken to standing quite still, wide-eyed at the other woman. And here the white-clad lady had greeted her so nicely! There is a faint flush to her cheeks once Elizabeth drops a curtsy of her own, the brunette fully aware of how shamefully she's stared.

She starts to speak, stammers her first word a little and then pauses to clear her throat.]

Forgive me, madam, I had not thought another should be so deep into these woods.

[Her voice is all curiosity, unease and embarrassment.]

[flyingsolos]

[ Think about all of the birds that could have used him as a nest!! Such a waste.

Rion huffs out a sigh herself, shoulders slumping slightly. ]

... It's fine. You don't really seem like a creep.

[purrtagonist]

[well, at least she doesn't think he's a creep. once the greenery is removed from his jacket and hair, the mysterious stranger hops to his feet, swaying slightly as he tries to maintain his balance despite now-sore limbs. okay, so he didn't get out of the fall completely unscathed]

[he adjusts his glasses, which somehow mysteriously survived the fall, and nods]

I'm not trying to be. [a lopsided smile, but it fades into something more contemplative quickly] Are you lost, too?

[comrade. . .???]

Into the Woods

[tranquilforest]

[She blinks in surprise at being addressed, and then again when she sees the person addressing her, who seemed quite occupied keeping a rather odd...specimen in hand.]

Ah, hello young miss. [She greets, dipping a quick curtsy, eyes not straying to the struggling creature at all.] It isn't a very long walk back to the Temple; it seems that once one considers returning it is almost always just over the next hill or around the next bend.

[teratias]

Okay uh. If I yell, something hit me.

[Waver's damn quick to move his ass out of the way and to what he hopes is a safe distance.

Hell it's probably a bit too far away. Whatever.]

[teratias]

I...I'll keep that in mind, although I don't want to monopolize his time.

[Geir's far too nice, and Waver feels too...he doesn't know. It just would feel wrong to ask for a favor like that, especially with magic. Magic's still something that has the knee jerk reaction of being kept for oneself in Waver's mind.]

Well, this part is at least.

[teratias]

Are you for real!?

[Waver pokes his head out of a cabinet, and there's horror on his face.]

[teratias]

Well, I think there's still some kind of magic here. It's...it'd be weird for there to be a witch but no magic, right?