acatamods: (Default)
acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] acatalepsy_ooc2018-06-19 11:13 pm
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test drive # 2







test drive meme #2
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~ ♥

For those who recognize the voice, it will sound a bit strained. Possibly tired. But the moment happens so quickly it's hard to pin down, and once that moment is over, you fall flat on your face. It's dim, damp, with the trickling of what feels like rain. 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.

And, of course, because this is just your luck.

It's raining.



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.

For some, this place is home. For others, this strange land is new and dark, like a haze has settled in the air. The creatures in the forest seem to be stirring, and every now and then the sky will open up, and a storm will pass through, in varying degrees of intensity. Some will be easy spring showers, others will be angry, thunderous storms.

Not exactly the most welcoming place, but it's a start.

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. The rain makes everything feel a bit softer, but also eerie, like there is a secret being kept just on the outside of your vision.

Of course, this means you have free reign. This place seems easy enough to figure out on your own, with enough time to take a walk around! However- members who recognize this place may notice the lack of a certain figure, the grounds feeling a bit more empty, more abandoned, than they did before.



IT'S A FIELD OF . . . POPPIES?
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 somehow structures. With the mist and the rain, everything feels a bit more ethereal, like there is life to every inch of what you see before you. Or like you've stumbled into some kind of alternate world. 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. Within, there is all matter of fauna and flora, darting from tree trunk to tree trunk. The canopy is thick enough to shield from the worst of the rain, but still the water gets through, dripping down through the leaves and dampening the ground under your feet. 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.

No matter how you try, you can't quite seem to catch a full glimpse of what is moving about. Some of the creatures seem small, flittering through the air, while others dart through the trees, larger, more imposing. Everything here seems to be looking for some kind of shelter, so be wary of stumbling across something already taken.

There is a particular clearing not too far into the woods that opens up, a field encircled by trees. In the middle of the field there is an odd glow - luminescent even in the darkened sky. Upon investigation, you will find a bush - about the size of a small car - filled with glowing flowers, white, blue, gold, and purple. They all smell faintly sweet, but it's hard to tell with the scent of earth and rain all around you.

if you decide to pick one of these flowers, there will be no immediate recourse. However, the longer you decide to keep the flower on your person - or if, for whatever reason, you decide to eat said flower - the following will start to set in.
White: For whatever reason, you will have more energy than you know what to do with, and will be filled with the urge to shine. Ever needed a confidence booster? To a point that you need to get up on buildings and belt your favorite song at the top of your lungs? Well, now you do.
Blue: After some time of carrying around this flower, you will start to feel at peace. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it? Until that feeling of peace continues to grow, and continues, and continues. Soon you will feel so peaceful, it's almost as if nothing matters at all. I mean...it'll work out in the end, won't it? You're no longer missing home, missing people, worried about what happened and what you might fine. Everything is chill. Beyond chill. The most chill. But maybe out in the middle of the forest isn't the best place for a nap?
Gold: Congrats, you've officially become a hoarder! No, seriously, you will have this uncontrollable urge to grab things and collect them. It doesn't matter what they are, or where they are. You need to have them and you will find a way to make it happen. Hats? Rings? People with green hair? The world is your oyster, and that's the key word here - yours.
Purple: Suddenly, and without warning, you find yourself unable to...well. Go on alone, really. The first person you see, or that you come in contact with, will feel much like the savior of your world, and for the next five hours or so, you will be unable to be far from them. Even if you know the fear is irrational, you can't really help it, following friend or stranger alike, always needing to be just in arms reach.
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 buildings from before, you find yourself cresting through the edge of the trees, back to your home.



RUN BY THE RIVER
While inside the buildings and in the main open spaces, the water doesn't seem to be building up all too terribly, un an unfortunate turn of events, it all seems to be rolling down a very slight hill, pulling just on the outside of the ring of stones.

The ground here is unstable, wet and muddy from the amount of moisture falling from the skies. So much that in some areas (the fighting area being one), it will start to collect into a dangerous combination of mud and moving water. It's possible to get stuck in it, possible to get lost in the flooding, but it's also possible to...you know. Have some fun?

Mud slides, mud wrestling, mud...castles? Whatever you want it to be, it's at your disposal! While the arena was originally a place to practice your powers, or any of the various weapons that are usually kept here, now you can do the same with a little added obstacle in your path. That, or it's possible you simply got stuck trying to make it back to your room. Hopefully someone will be by to help you!


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! ♥
tranquilforest: (pic#12238984)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
[She's sturdier than she looks, but she's also older than she looks, which is an interesting combination as she gamely follows his directions and wraps her fingers around another of the muddy roots.]

So we're hoping to use the tree as leverage to get ourselves out? [Ready whenever you are.]
extirpator: (pic#12104379)

[personal profile] extirpator 2018-06-22 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ it slides right off of him. he takes no offense, and crouches to run his fingers along the mud in search of something particularly sharp. ]

Anything can be useful if you let it be.

[ gently, he continues: ]

One hand or two?

[ swords, he means. ]
tranquilforest: (pic#12238898)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
I imagine there are a few other people still outside, caught in the storm just as you were. [Still just...trying to convey gentle reassurance and also what must you think of her as a host, coming into such a messy place :|]

Our hostess doesn't always give enough warning for things like this, but from my very limited experience, it is similar to her usual pattern.

unimpeded: (Cool)

Flowers

[personal profile] unimpeded 2018-06-22 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, actually no. She's going to be caught in the act, as one Geordi LaForge walks out of the trees and into the field. He too pauses, blinking in mild surprise not at her but at the field.

When he does acknowledge her, it's with a cool nod.]


Quite the place, isn't it?
aetheorize: (scholar)

[personal profile] aetheorize 2018-06-22 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
Then you oughtn't have engaged them in combat.

[Says the woman who would, at this juncture, be knocked flat in moments against one of these constructs.]

How will you free yourself from their snare, I wonder?
tranquilforest: (pic#12238910)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
[She's briefly stymied a little by dealing with two separate entities speaking to her, but she recovers almost without any sign of it, setting out two teacups before them and settling down to sit opposite them, waiting for the water to reach the right temperature.]

My experience is somewhat limited, but there's a pattern of sorts emerging. Several weeks ago - over two months, actually - I also woke up here without understanding how that had come to pass.
unimpeded: (Energetic)

[personal profile] unimpeded 2018-06-22 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
Actually I was thinking as a bridge.

[He nods, and begins to heave. One. Two. Three. Over and over, shifting the heavy tree out of the goop.]

See... [Heave.] The mud's pretty thick, so it should hold just fine even with our weight on it. Long enough for us to move out towards that big clear patch, and we should be scott free.
catchthis: (they've been dancing on this)

[personal profile] catchthis 2018-06-22 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
[Nero can believe her when she says that. Minako managed to get this far, after all. He nods to her question.]

Yeah, I'm looking for someone. Her name's Kyrie. Have you seen a chick wearing a white dress? She's got reddish brown hair and kinda like yours.

[He takes another look at Minako. She's pretty young.]
hurricaneshout: <user name=cupcake-graphics> (Serious)

[personal profile] hurricaneshout 2018-06-22 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
Hostess? You mean the person that kidnapped me?

[That probably came out as harsh, but Makoto's always been a little bullheaded about being taken somewhere against her will. Funny that.]

Who is she? And...what...is she?
tranquilforest: (pic#12238910)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:11 am (UTC)(link)
[She's really grateful you're here because she would probably have just resigned herself, as usual. She'll obediently put her strength into helping shift the tree in the manner he's suggested.]

The weather was a lot less trying when I woke up here. [She observes conversationally.] This place usually looks a little more welcoming.
theseuschip: (RELIVE2 ([j="!{Y=1 fHZ)

i

[personal profile] theseuschip 2018-06-22 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ At the voice, Simon turns — a humanoid figure, albeit less human the closer you get. Red pinpricks in the dark, camera-like optical processors darting between someone whose voice he doesn’t recognize and her floating companion. ] Uh, hey!

[ Wait.

A Pod?

He quickens his pace to meet them, so they won’t just be.... yelling back and forth over rolls of thunder.... ]
unimpeded: (Thoughtful)

[personal profile] unimpeded 2018-06-22 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
Y'know, you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but...

[The tree shifts up, beginning to move into place.]

Nope. It's never not annoying to find yourself doing stuff the hard way. Oh well. At least there's no rock slides.
tranquilforest: (pic#12238903)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
[She's not going to argue. In fact, she's going to smile a little, and then nod in absolute agreement.] She's incorrigible, I'm afraid. You'd be another in a long line of victims.

She... is Lady Astoria. [A pause:] the Witchess-san, though I imagine she took that part on somewhat as an amusing joke. As for what she is... I couldn't really say.
tranquilforest: (pic#12238910)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
It's... [Very diplomatically:] becoming a place where I live, yes. This is the room I keep most of my own belongings in, but there are some other shared rooms throughout this complex.

tranquilforest: (pic#12238984)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay, well, now she's curious:] There are some precarious cliffs within the forest, but I think we're relatively safe here, unless some of these old stone buildings decide to fall down on our heads.

But what would be an easier way to move the tree in this situation?
hurricaneshout: <user name=cupcake-graphics> (Arms Folded)

[personal profile] hurricaneshout 2018-06-22 06:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Arms crossed, her annoyance plain, Makoto puffs out a wheezing, irritable sigh.]

So a witch. Great.

[All the bitter sarcasm in the world won't solve this though, not when she can feel that her power is absent.]

And any idea what she wants?
complementing: (Default)

[personal profile] complementing 2018-06-22 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
Yup! And since you're new like me, I'd say you're perfectly justified in exploring the area. It's only natural to be curious, right?

[She continues with her wringing, scrunching up her face as she twists the fabric between her hands as hard as she can.]

I was going to go look around after I'm done here. Would you like to join me?
complementing: (✿ one good reason [ NEKOMATA ])

[personal profile] complementing 2018-06-22 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Why can't boys take no for an answer!!! Minako gives him her most unimpressed look in the hopes it will get the message across.]

My ring. Not yours.
tranquilforest: (pic#12238904)

[personal profile] tranquilforest 2018-06-22 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
So far? [She falls silent for a moment, thinking back and considering how to phrase things before she finishes, with utter sincerity:] Helping people, apparently.

[A small, nearly inaudible sigh of her own:] Though how she determines who exactly should be a recipient of that help is unclear and her methods are very questionable.
priwen: (answers)

YELLS RIGHT BACK

[personal profile] priwen 2018-06-22 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's been a while. Perhaps he had already sensed her before she spoke to him, but part of his perception is focused on dealing with being here, existing in a physical body once more. That, and perhaps he was waiting for her to speak in turn. It would be remiss to press for questions to a memory that she might not have.

But she does; and so he rises from his position, and turns to face her. He looks only a little older, a man of thirties as opposed to the early twenties that had been their last meeting - but elves age slower than humans, and the flow of time passes strangely between worlds.

And one more thing - while he had mismatched eyes the last time they met, they are no longer of different colours. Instead, his eyes are a soft, lambent blue; like crystal.

(Like the Mothercrystal.) ]


Lorem. Hello. It's me.

[ His voice is a little soft, tempered by months of disuse. ]

It's a surprise to see you here, but I'm glad.

[ Ah, manners. He's smiling, much brighter than the terse tiredness of Reims; a honest, unfettered smile, as if all those years of parting were bound to bring them together again. ]

How are you?
Edited 2018-06-22 06:29 (UTC)
complementing: (Default)

[personal profile] complementing 2018-06-22 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Seventeen years old, in fact. A babby girl, all things considered.

The shimmering screen disappears, and she taps her cheek as she thinks.]


Mmm, I can't say I have? But then, there's a lot of people here, it's possible I missed her. [She gives him a bright smile.] If I see her, I'll let you know you were looking for her. What's your name?
thancredible: (HW stop making pirate jokes)

[personal profile] thancredible 2018-06-22 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Y'shtola would come over just to tease, wouldn't she? Thancred heaves a dramatic sigh.]

How was I to know they would respond so disagreeably to a little target practice? Worry not, however; I will find a way.
catchthis: (branded by fire on the abyss)

[personal profile] catchthis 2018-06-22 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for that.

[Minako's being surprisingly helpful. That was unexpected. Nero isn't sure how to react to that so he looks momentarily stunned.]

My name's Nero...and you are?

[He's not going to be a jerk to a nice lady.]
bestaround: (Default)

[personal profile] bestaround 2018-06-22 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ Of course. She likely isn't lying, but her flat response causes him to clench his teeth nonetheless. As if she could ever say anything that would satisfy him, anyway.

He doesn't immediately fly into a raging frenzy like any previous encounters, though. It's been... months—a long time since he's last seen the likes of A2 (looming over 2B as she yanked a bloody sword from her chest, merely watching as she collapsed into a lifeless heap at the edge of the ravine), enough that the bubbling fury that flowed through every circuit in his body had... well, it never disappeared. It'd be impossible for 9S to forgive A2. But after leaving a world that ripped everything he knew away from him, only to be given a life that was so much better than the one he'd been left with—and to be miraculously reunited with the most important person in his life—it's a flame that died down enough that he hadn't really felt it much, these days.

Yet it's a flame that her very presence seems to rekindle, bit by bit. Maybe it isn't dumping gasoline all over it, but there's no denying he's absolutely frustrated that shes just—here. Out and about like she has any damn right to be. ]


No, just shut up. [ He's decided he still doesn't want to hear a thing she has to say. All but forgetting of his shelter from the rain, 9S steps back into the downpour; he doesn't close the distance between them entirely, but he can stare her down in the eye from here. ] You can't—you shouldn't be here.

[ Wherever this is. No matter, he'd be more than glad to rectify that particular problem regardless. ]
storywise: (pic#11052462)

[personal profile] storywise 2018-06-22 06:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ She called her young... such respect! Magilou doesn't know the first thing to do with it. ]

Oh, I've got all the time in the world, dear, but could I have a little extra sugar with mine? And a straw if it's not too much trouble. While you're at it, maybe one of those cute umbrellas in it, too.

[ This is starting to sound more like a lemonade... ]