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! ♥
beyondthegreen: (Marjoram)

[personal profile] beyondthegreen 2018-07-03 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Definitely invested, at least. This is actually the most restrained about plant life that Tefé's been in her life - then again, she's not capable of using grass and tree roots to tie anyone down for a good lecturing here either.]

Something like that. And you're what, a gardener?
provokings: (001。)

[personal profile] provokings 2018-07-03 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's trying to hide how legitimately impressed he is by this guy's quick fingers. He'd been poking against his own screen and trying to figure out how to even get it working without cracking it first, which is tempting. He's pissed, and the watch won't tell him where he is or how to find the others. How does anyone even lose a whole airship anyway? Maybe a question best left for Rackam, given what he's heard about the guy, but priorities. ]

How do I reach someone directly then? You said it can do that.

[ His tone is sharp and accusing as he holds up the watch closer to the man's face. Once he verifies where the crew is, then they can fly the hell out of here -assuming there's no primal they have to tame first. ]

Does it say who else is in this place?
provokings: (005。)

[personal profile] provokings 2018-07-03 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
Good. You're Captain's problem, not mine.

[ Even if the Captain's problems tend to be all of theirs by virtue of being in his crew. He's going to get stuck keeping an eye on her anyway, isn't he? Just his luck.

His teeth grit together before he starts sweeping what's left of the mud off of him. ]


If anyone asks, you didn't see me, okay? You go one way, and I go the other.

[ She better not tell the others about this. It was just a loss in footing. No big deal, except that's never happened to him before. He'd always been pretty firm and steady on his feet before. He's really losing control here -getting weaker the longer he doesn't have that other guy to depend on. He's still not even sure how much of any of this is actually happening, especially if there is a deity bothering to talk to him directly. ]
beyondthegreen: (Birch)

[personal profile] beyondthegreen 2018-07-03 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
[The 'oops' is unspoken but completely obvious from Tefé's expression. Not a worried one exactly, but she's still figuring this shit out.]

I'm saying it's something useful you could do, since there aren't any craaaazy androids around.

[She kind-of explains, trying to run it back a little now. Totally reasonable, right? And not like she's trying to boss him around or anything at all. Totally...]
gamboler: (11)

[personal profile] gamboler 2018-07-03 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
Haven't you heard the saying? Curiosity killed the cat.

[ A smile flickers on her lips so quickly that if you blinked, you'd miss it. It's meant to be funny even if her tone is so dry it's difficult to tell, but she is the one with the cat ears. The irony isn't lost on her, though on principle alone she's disinclined to give in to the trope.

Even if she is also pretty curious. ]


You could pick one without touching the actual flower. [ Yes, the "you" is intentional. She's not about to touch those things with her fingers. ] Or I might be able to cut one loose.

[ She pats the hilt of the blade that rests in its sheath across her back. It might be the safest way, though she may still need some persuading. Why bother something that looks like its been undisturbed by human hands for years and years? ]
hyperverbose: (I sᴛᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ)

[personal profile] hyperverbose 2018-07-03 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's a momentary pause as he goes digging through the past posts, long enough to at least confirm what she's saying ] I prefer to do my hero-ing with a little less coercive kidnapping.

Does no one try asking politely these days?
provokings: (002。)

[personal profile] provokings 2018-07-03 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sandalphon may not be one to flinch, but Ayer is on edge, like a tether stretched to its limit and ready to snap. All the threads holding him together had been worn thin long ago, and his muscles are all iron-tight as they lock up, jaw steady, ready for something to attack. Considering how often they've had run-ins with all sorts of beasts and monsters in the sky, the quiet here on the ground is too chilling to let him relax.

He knows something out there is waiting for them, but then again, Sandalphon would know if there was, and perhaps, might be inclined to say something. If he was feeling generous. ]


A primarch like you or something bigger?

[ He's not familiar enough with whatever power hierarchy exists. His world had been rather small up until recently, and it wasn't even until he joined the crew that he started having constant and unsettling clashes with higher beings. Not too long ago, he'd even been taken out by that Eternal. ]

I thought you knew everything, so spit it out.
bleps: (25)

[personal profile] bleps 2018-07-03 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe if I see someone cutting down trees, I’ll redirect them to speak to you. Since you seem to be very concerned for the state of them.

[Another obvious observation, an and opportunity to turn the subject away from himself, where it’s lingered long enough to be lopsided.]

Is there a reason for that? Mentions of communicating with them notwithstanding.
bleps: (23)

[personal profile] bleps 2018-07-03 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Yes, it’s rather difficult to miss the cat ears, noted quite poignantly in Connor’s mind the moment his eyes rested on them. Aesthetic only, he wonders, or was there function behind that form? Strange, and yet everything falling into the realm of oddity has been re-evaluated since his arrival here. His expectations about everything have been thoroughly shattered.

(But the ears are still worth questioning, when the time is right for it. When they’re not trying to decide if they should sever a flower from its stem.)]


But it’s an inquisitive mind that will uncover the information necessary to make our situation less shrouded in unknowns.

[The smallest head-tilt.]

Do you agree with that?

[If so, the maybe this is a prelude to seeing just what these flowers are all about.]
beyondthegreen: (Marjoram)

[personal profile] beyondthegreen 2018-07-03 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
With Astoria providing everything we should need back at the temple, I don't see any reason anyone should go around killing life in the forest. That doesn't mean people aren't going to do it without even thinking about it, though.

[She replies matter-of-factly.

It might not be her planet, and maybe she doesn't have all her old powers here but... some things are just natural to try to protect, and humans... are probably going to do what they've always done. This might not be the kind of help the witch asked for, but it's the kind of help she's gonna get.]
beyondthegreen: (Edelweiss)

[personal profile] beyondthegreen 2018-07-03 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
An expert in getting fucked around with by people who can't make up their mind about what they want and won't tell you, maybe.

Well, I hope she's happy with whatever she gets.
statecrafter: (079. 🏵️ sic parvis magna.)

[personal profile] statecrafter 2018-07-03 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ ah. ]

At least we'll be in this together. [ some things are just easier to deal with when you have company while it happens. be it misery or victories, having someone else there to share it with you is nice.

especially if you're sure you can rely on them.

now deciding against the urges to pluck the golden poppies, lorem pulls her hand back and keeps it to her side as she tilts her head in thoughtfulness. ]
What were you doing before arriving here?

[ she's quick to add, ] If you're not comfortable with answering the question, I understand.
bleps: (42)

[personal profile] bleps 2018-07-03 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[And Connor’s response is just as matter-of-fact.]

Not my meaning. I was asking if there was a reason behind your inclination to feel this strongly about the subject. I returned your own question to you, if you remember. About being a naturalist. And you said you’re an ‘or something’.

[The want to know, to keep asking questions, is so ingrained in him that he doesn’t see it as prying. Or rather, prying to gather information is at least excusable.]

What is that ‘something’?
statecrafter: ( thus passes the glory of the world. ) (002. 🏵️ sic transit gloria mundi.)

[personal profile] statecrafter 2018-07-03 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ lorem makes a humming sound while she listens. if only to keep her face from making an expression upon hearing the answer. by the dust and rust - a hundred years old and they’re, at best, somewhere in their early teens to early twenties?

she hopes they’re in their early teens. she really does. her experience with those have been maddening, at best. she used to be fond of children when she was younger and had more time (and patience) to deal with them. ]


You sound very fond of him, madame. [ she does her best to focus on the positive and that’s what sticks out to her the most.

the lady genuinely sounds happy to speak of the boy(?) and she struck lorem as a person who is a good judge of character. ]
He must be very nice to you and the others here to leave such an impression.

[ let’s go with that. ]
valuedstrength: (My church offers no absolution)

[personal profile] valuedstrength 2018-07-03 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
[He nods. They're on the same page even if Steve is going to try to figure it out. He's not a genius, but like limitations ever stopped him before.] Or at least get someone to write her a decent pitch. I can think of some people off the top of my head who would volunteer just to see a place like this.

[He feels a stab of pity for Dr. Foster. She'd be over the moon to be here. She'd probably do more than him too.]
gamboler: (13)

[personal profile] gamboler 2018-07-03 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hm...a sound argument. He doesn't seem to be the hasty, leap-before-looking type, and neither is Blake, so that suits her just fine. Maybe so long as they're exercising the right amount of caution, they won't cause too much chaos.

And if they anger some forest spirit or something, well...Blake is fairly confident she can handle whatever this magic forest will send her way, even without her Semblance.

So, a quick nod as she draws her blade. ]


Alright. Let's find out what kind of dark magic the witch cursed these flowers with.

[ Said in that same dry tone. She sort of...just assumes everything sketchy around here is Astoria's fault. ]
bestaround: (pic#12104716)

[personal profile] bestaround 2018-07-03 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Could this get any more confusing? Probably, but 9S isn't feeling like it could. ]

Uh, no, not really. I don't think I could still be considered new after a few years... [ How could she not know this? Then again, he doesn't recognize her, either. YoRHa wasn't a large organization, so he thought he might have been familiar with most models; evidently not. (Then again, after countless memory wipes and still only having worked primarily with one model might do that.) ] I guess—maybe we just haven't crossed paths before. I never did get to work with most of the other units.
spaceforged: (Feeling lost? Yeah he does that a lot.)

[personal profile] spaceforged 2018-07-03 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
Can you bring the device on your wrist closer to your mouth? It will make your voice louder on this side.

And yes, I did. This is actually less advanced than what we possess back home.
bestaround: (Default)

[personal profile] bestaround 2018-07-03 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ —Oh. 9S is so used to being the reconnaissance guy that he hadn't expected anyone to ever offer a hand doing the same. It's simply one of his particular model's specializations, a second nature action that comes so easily. ]

Well, actually... [ He trails off, prodding at the air as if pressing a button; in its place, a holographic screen flickers to life, displaying what appears to be—you guessed it—the beginnings of a map hovering before him. It's somewhat bare bones, covering only what little of the temple grounds and forested area, but it's something nonetheless. ] I've got something here, but it's still just in my personal data... If it's widely needed though, maybe I can figure out some way to send it en masse.
spaceforged: (Black lion stop! Stop!)

[personal profile] spaceforged 2018-07-03 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Shiro parts his jaws in a lion smile and raises his paw higher, hovering in the air. Okay. He can do this.

His next text message is also legible.]


:/ :?
bestaround: (Default)

[personal profile] bestaround 2018-07-03 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
A phone charger? Really?

[ Of all things a guy could want, he wasn't anticipating that response. Especially when they already have other forms of communication. ]

That seems like it would be a redundant device to have around.
fashionabot: (13)

[personal profile] fashionabot 2018-07-03 06:51 am (UTC)(link)
RK800, huh.

[ Something about what he says gets her to settle down on her perkiness. A prototype, much like herself. Though she doesn't comment much else on it, her smiling seems a little more subdued, strained.

From her experience, the only reason an android would deviate from their programming is if their data is being rewritten. Androids don't stray from their purpose. They keep fighting for humanity, no matter how sad it felt. Even if they've been abandoned. ]


Sounds like those deviant androids are infected with a virus.
bestaround: (Default)

[personal profile] bestaround 2018-07-03 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
—Oh.

[ Right. 9S shifts a bit towards the door. ]

Do... you need me to go? I shouldn't interrupt you.

[ I'M NOT PIME TARADOXING MY THREAD WITH KIA, AL!!!! ]
fashionabot: (10)

[personal profile] fashionabot 2018-07-03 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
Huh? So that means you're an older model than me.

[ (Except not really...)

She's not the type of android who would be poking around the database to see which models are active or not. A majority of her training has been spent with all-female model units. Having never crossed paths somehow is a reasoning she can go with.

Nonetheless, she's stoked meeting another YoRHa unit. Especially in some mysterious place, she's going to need friends and allies. ]


Well, it's nice to meet you, 9S. I'm No.4— Attacker No.4!

[ And she does a quick peace sign against her forehead, like striking a quick pose for the camera. Even if there isn't one... ]
theseuschip: (not flooded and soggy what is this)

[personal profile] theseuschip 2018-07-03 09:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ An android. The first non-YoRHa one Simon’s met, but just as human-looking. Now he notices what he assumes is a serial number, which is... weird. It’s weird to be talking to somebody who seems entirely human and is wearing their own serial number. It’s also weird to be talking to somebody who seems entirely human and literally see them thinking.

Not that he needs to. It’s pretty obvious what the open-ended question is angling for. Tactful, though. ]


Oh. Uh, yeah. Not an android. I was human before I was put into this.

[ So far, it’s the explanation Simon’s found is the best compromise between true and palatable. To himself, that is. He can’t channel Catherine’s confidence in “I am human”, but he can’t stomach introducing himself as a copy, either. ]