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acatalepsy_ooc2018-06-19 11:13 pm
acatamods) wrote in 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.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! ♥ |
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He sighs, pushing his glasses up to rub at his eyes before deciding there was no sense just lying here any more. He adjusts his glasses. It probably would help to get out of this beautiful yet dreary scenery. It was starting to lose its appeal after he'd dropped that flower.]
All right. But if you think I'm going to just drop it you should know better. At least some things don't change.
[He pushes himself back up to his feet, ready to once again follow Roy.]
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[ it's meant as a reassurance, but it comes off a little resigned -- an acceptance of what the conversation is going to be. and in his heart, roy knows what the conversation is going to be, and he is dreading but -- but he's going to selfishly hang onto the ounce of calm that this tiny little conversation has produced, in the interim.
the calm before the proverbial storm.
roy waits for maes to get to his feet before he offers a faint smile, inclining his head toward the wood. ]
But it's better to talk about all of this outside of the rain and with a drink.
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Do they have something strong?
[He hesitates. He can't recall exactly the way back and doesn't want to get them lost unnecessarily, but he figures Roy will take the lead anyway.]
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I have something from the last . . . [ roy pauses before he glances toward maes, his brow furrowing. ] How much do you know, about this place? What we're trapped here for, Astoria? [ and roy pauses before continuing: ] And what's the last thing you remember before you were brought here? Was it Amestris, or somewhere else?
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Not that much. There's a temple nearby where everyone stays that are brought here by that woman, Astoria. She said she was bringing people here to help. Most of the people I've run into so far don't seem to know much beyond that, so I'm guessing they might be just as new here as I am.
[There's a pause.]
She mentioned something about the universe and Light as well. It was pretty vague, but the way she said it made it seem like it was pretty big part of why we're here.
[Now for the more difficult question. Though it's an interesting question, since where ELSE would Roy thing he had been?]
Amestris. I was trying to get ahold of you on the phone. [There's hesitation and he has to resist the urge to check his wounds again. Astoria's healing had been his first experience with her and he was still in disbelief that it was real. That any of this was real. But Roy was his best friend and if couldn't tell him, then he wasn't going to be able to tell anyone.]
I was followed by a homunculus that could change its shape. There was a confrontation and, well, Astoria had to patch me up when I arrived here. Not sure how much blood I lost, but for awhile I thought this place might be some kind of afterlife.
[Astoria was very pretty after all, combined with blood loss it was easy to imagine her as some kind of angel. He tries to keep his tone deceptively light, especially at the last part, but he knows Roy will probably hear past it to his worry.]
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for now, roy attempts to keep his voice level and even, as it always is. ]
His name was Envy. [ he doesn't take a particular emphasis, on the word was, but it's clear by roy's tone that the individual he's speaking about is not missed, nor does roy spend an ounce of his heart mourning the individual formerly known as envy. ] I put most of the nails into his coffin, when I found him again. He burned to death -- or he would have, if Riza and Edward [ and scar, but that's a person that is far too complicated for this first discussion ] hadn't been there to tell me not to lower myself to something I said I wasn't going to be.
[ judging from his tone, it's not something that he's proud of, and it has an emptiness to the tone. it's just a simple fact. roy is good at burning bodies, but he'd like to think that he had risen above that, at some point in his life. but everyone has weaknesses, and roy has made it abundantly clear what (or who) his weaknesses are. ]
It should've happened earlier, and I should have been paying more attention. I got there too late, I'm always late. [ he draws in a breath, letting it out slowly as they continue walking. ] Reoccurring problem that seems to wind up in more chaos than its worth. [ another pause. ] But I got your message, and Amestris is fine. Or it will be.
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It sounds like a lot happened after that phone call. [He sighs. He doesn't want to accept this, but he's not an idiot. Roy had been pushed to the brink, and that wouldn't have necessarily happened if Maes had just been injured from the gunshot and recovered. Well...maybe that still would have played out but not to the point where Roy would have made a statement about 'lowering' himself.] I...didn't make it out of that phone booth, did I? However this place works...Astoria pulled me from the brink of death and you...well from sometime later.
[He can't guess how much later. There's no way of knowing that. And as much as he doesn't want to dig into this, he has to because that's just who he is and it's honestly what got him into this mess to begin with. Of course, there's one question he desperately wants to ask, but he knows if he does it now it will absolutely break him.
Roy doesn't need that right now.]
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No.
[ -- but it feels cheap to say it that way, to just leave it at that, and roy finally stops walking, and reaches out to grab maes by the arm, to get him to stop walking too. better to have this conversation privately, than around the temple, and he squeezes his arm slightly before letting go. ]
Envy -- and the others -- wanted my head. The Elrics'. People who were talented in the art of alchemy, who could withstand seeing the Truth, and performing human transmutation. The doors of alchemy by -- you're not going to give a damn about any of that, you're not an alchemist. [ it's a self-interruption, with a slight huff to himself, before he crosses his arms. fidgeting, to keep his hands busy. ] They couldn't afford to allow that secret to reach me, because they knew that I would tear it all down.
[ roy pauses before his shoulders drop slightly, watching maes carefully. ]
They needed me to break. They almost did it; I've only been tempted by the taboo twice, in my life, because they knew my weaknesses. [ he hesitates before continuing. ] I'd do anything to go back in time to answer the damn phone, or be in that alleyway so I could have stopped him, but I can't, and I wasn't. I would've sent him to Hell for trying.
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He tuned back in around the time Roy interrupted himself, something about alchemy. Focus on the present. He can spiral later, especially now as what Roy is saying sinks in.]
I can't believe you were going to try something so stupid. [Even someone as ignorant as him understands what the 'taboo' is.] The past can't be changed, that was the whole point of your plan...to move forward. [He looks away for a moment, feeling like he's got so much he wants to ask about the time after. Would it hurt to know? Would he be better off? He does know one things. His being here has to be a terrible reminder to Roy. Maes puts a hand on his shoulder now, its his turn to be reassuring.]
I know you would have. Roy, you were still at Eastern Command.I made that decision to go digging into the information the Elrics gave me. It's not your fault and it's certainly not their's. I was the idiot who fell into their clutches and didn't realize it until it was too late.
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his first instinct, though, is to disagree (as usual), but the thought of arguing semantics right now just makes him feel exhausted. ]
I made sure I wouldn't do it by telling Hawkeye that I had the formula memorized. She would have put a bullet in my head for doing anything more than that. [ finally, albeit a little quiet and resigned. but focusing on that moment causes an odd weight to form in his throat, so roy quickly moves past it by adding on a dry: ] Having one amputee around the office is more than enough.
[ and, more importantly, had roy done it, he would have lost any and all respect edward and alphonse had for him, and that is truly too big of a price to pay for something that is never meant to be. he's quiet, on that thought, before he clears his throat -- ridding it off the lump, and to move into something a little more natural: ]
But you're right; we need to move forward. This place isn't the afterlife, it's something different. You're safe here, for the time being, and we're also not alone. Hawkeye is here, too.
[ thank god honestly because roy probably would've lost his mind by now. and, on that note, roy lets out a breath between his teeth before he takes a few steps forward, pulling maes along with him to keep walking. ]
Let's go find a drink and be irresponsible before she finds us. You're going to need it for the rest of the story.
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Maes welcomes the opportunity to move on.]
Good. You need someone to keep you from being an idiot, she's about the only one I trust to do that.
[Though it sounded like she'd been doing that quite often anyway prior to this place. Despite everything, a smile teases it's way onto Maes's face and he throws an arm over Roy's shoulders in a friendly, 'we're about to get into so much trouble' manner.]
Especially since I'm about to drink you under the table old friend.
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but that's something to be dealt with later. maes needs a distraction, roy needs to figure out how to deal with all of this, and getting drunk in order to cope with it seems like the obvious thing to do. he needs to tell riza that maes is here (and also, honestly, tell her where he went, else she's going to be convinced he got lost in the forest), but roy also pushes that aside for later.
better to deal with this by himself, first, and sort out his head, rather than make her worry. ]
When have you ever managed to drink me under the table? [ unbelievable!!! ] I'm the one who grew up in a bar, not you.
[ not that madame christmas ever, you know, allowed him to drink, or berthold hawkeye allowed him to have any semblance of fun while learning the art of alchemy. BUT WHATEVER, ROY IS THE CERTIFIED DELINQUENT HERE, THAT IS THE POINT. ]
But we'll see. You're replacing what you drink, wherever we wind up next.
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[Maes gives him a thumbs up. He'll agree to those terms if nothing else since it seems fair.]
You've got it.
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[ as an exasperated defense, as roy
is harassedwalks toward the kitchen area. or, well, vaguely in that direction. he wants to take his time, and so once they finally emerge from the wood, he takes a moment to get his bearings. he's fairly certain he left the bottle of liquor he liberated from el minha in the kitchen . . . if not, it's in the room he shares with riza, and that is going to spark a conversation he isn't ready for yet. ]I've carried you more times than I care to remember. You and Havoc both. [ havoc more than hughes, if roy is honest, but havoc always grovels at the end. hughes has reached a position in roy's life that he's never needed to do that. ] I don't think I've had a real night out, to that level, since the end of the war. I'm too old.
[ read: he went and adopted two teenagers and spends most of his time making sure they're not dead. ]
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[Maes doesn't mind and even if he did it isn't like he's familiar enough with the way to take the lead or even point out that they are meandering. This gives Maes time to examine where he's wound up. Roy knows the way after all. Of course, he's still paying enough attention to the conversation to add.]
Oh please, you aren't even married yet. [Pause.] Unless you are...
[He might have pushed forward, but even in the teasing there's the flip side of the coin: the idea that there were going to be a lot of missed events like that. And not just in Roy's life...Maes stops his thoughts. He can feel himself on the edge again and he isn't about to take that plunge right now.]
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[ a pre-emptive warning, tired and familiar. ]
I think we, and everyone we know, and the country, have all determined I'm not marriage material. [ given his trajectory toward violence at every turn, and all that. there's no real sense in finding permanence in a world where the nature of his position is so tenuous. he's already lost enough people because of what he's attempting to do; he'd rather not get attached and ruin other lives too. . . . and, more selfishly, commitment is itchy. ] I don't think a woman exists in the history of Amestris or the known universe that would tolerate me.
[ so there!!!! ]
Not that I've really had the time to look, but I think I'd hazard a bet on my conclusion over yours.
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Still, Maes now knows life is short, so maybe it's time to stop playing a game of subtle hinting. He raises an eyebrow, then shakes his head, sighing dramatically.]
Oh Roy. That's the biggest load of crap I've heard since coming here. Do you even hear yourself?
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[ a bit pointedly, with a huff; they're nearing the kitchen, now, and roy slides his hands into the pockets of his overcoat, his lips twisting into a slight frown. ]
And I find it hard to believe that that is the most shocking thing you've heard since being dragged here by a magical "witch" who doesn't seem to give half a damn about the laws of nature.
[ HAS HE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT HIS LORD AND SAVIOR EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE TODAY ]
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Though Maes doubts it.
Best to drop it for now and pick up this new thread. Roy will probably like that anyway.]
All right, you may have a point there. Was she serious about the powers?
[After all, he couldn't deny the 'world hopping' at this point.]
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Yes. I've tested the one she's granted me, and it's effective. Multiple people report similar things. [ it's hard to argue with what's right in front of you, after all. and roy, once they reach a nearby stone building and roy pushes open the old wooden door to reveal a seating area with a wide table, continues to explain. ] I can talk people into doing whatever I want. I don't use it unless I absolutely need to.
[ or he has to bluff his way out of cheating at cards and avoid getting kicked out of a casino because he promised riza he would buy her one (1) drink. it was a life or death situation, to be sure. ]
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She's really just handing out abilities like that? Seems a little dangerous.
[Alchemists and alchemy are one thing. They have to study and practice and really know what they are doing in order for them to accomplish anything (as far as he understands it). But this woman is basically giving abilities on a whim just because she's brought them here?
Not that he doesn't trust Roy, even if Maes can see how that type of ability would be a pretty strong one to have for a man who wants to rule the country. But he knows Roy wouldn't want to go that route either. But what if Roy weren't the one with that power?
Maes looks around the kitchen, though he can't be of much help since he has no idea where Roy might have stashed his alcohol.]
Is there a particular action or method to using these abilities?
[Alchemists need circles or, in Edwards case, clapping his hands. He's not sure if there's a similar trick to this that he either needs to avoid or just be aware of. Although now his own curiosity is kicking into gear and he wants to see if the same holds true for his supposed power.]
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he gestures at hughes to sit in a nearby chair before he goes to a nearby cupboard, tugging it open to find some generic wooden cups, along with a few bottles of a clear liquid. once he's done with that and sets the cups and alcohol in front of maes, he shrugs out of his coat to drop it on a nearby chair. ]
No, it's not activated by transmutation circles or any particular motion. -- at least, it isn't with mine. [ and he takes a seat across from hughes, uncorking the liquid before pouring out two glasses, pushing one across to hughes unceremoniously. ] I focus on what I want to say, and how I want to make the person feel, and it happens.
[ and, before roy takes a drink, he pauses before offering out his glass, to salute. ]
-- that's going to make your tongue numb for about five seconds, I found that out the hard way.
[ and roy takes a sip. ]
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Or now, he thinks, as he accepts the cup. He looks down at the liquid, skeptic after his encounter with the seemingly innocent flower. It isn't exactly reassuring to be told it will numb the tongue. He's pretty sure he's heard of alcohol like that in the northern regions. But, you didn't turn down a friendly drink and Maes has a feeling he is going to need it not just for the conversation ahead, but for what he wants to try. The kitchen is fairly safe after all...and Roy is here so if anyone is going to help him with something weird it would probably be him.
He returns the salute, before taking a sip.
Roy's statement still hadn't quite prepared him for the strength of the drink and he winces.]
Whew! What is that?
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[ perhaps not so helpfully, as roy clears his throat before finishing the rest of the cup in one clean drink. he allows the liquid to settle off of his tongue, feeling returning to it before he coughs slightly, setting the cup back down on the table. ]
Hawkeye told me not to bring it back from the last adventure we were sent on, but this place has no alcohol, and it isn't as if we can find good whiskey in the middle of nowhere. It does the job.
[ he says, as he tips a bit more into his cup. ]
This tasted better than the other swill I found, so consider yourself lucky.
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[Maes shakes his head. If this is what they're drinking all night, Maes has a feeling it's going to be a bad morning. Still, Roy might have a point in just knocking it back. This is not the kind of drink to sip. Maes takes a breath, exhales, and then slams it back. Now it really is going to be reminiscent of their first years as friends.]
Aah. [He shudders involuntarily.] Yeah, she might have had a point.
[Well, now that he had his drink and it didn't kill him.]
I'd like to try something. I don't know if this is going to work, but I'd rather try it out now with you here and it's probably a better idea to do it before we get much further in the drinking. [A little serious for a turn in the conversation, but he proceeds.] If what you're telling me about these powers is true, it's probably a good idea to find out now rather than later, right?
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