acatalepsy_ooc | test drive meme # 3

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test drive meme # 3

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test drive meme #3

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 bright, warm, and humid. It takes a few seconds for you to gain composure and 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.

Even worse, it looks like the tinier inhabitants of the Forest of the Fey are acting a little cheeky.

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. However, be careful -- the sprites that reside within the Forest of the Fey seem to be exceptionally active, today, and tricks abound wherever you look.

KINGS AND QUEENS.

Typically, the sprites of the Forest of the Fey remain within the protective canopy of the surroundings. However, there seems to be something different in the air, and these little bastards are flitting about and giving out flower crowns to everyone. They are beautifully made, intricate and gloriously decorative, and most people would be happy to adorn one!

There's just one problem, though -- they don't come off. No matter how hard you try, those damn flower crowns are stuck on your head, and you cannot remove them no matter how hard you try. Hope you enjoy being a fairy princess for a day.

And, if you are alighted with a flower crown, your skin turns the same color as whatever flowers now sit upon your head. A wreath of blue roses? Congratulations, Violet Beauregard -- you're now as blue as a blueberry. The effect wears off in about an hour, and you can remove the flower crown then -- but have fun being every shade of the rainbow as the sprites take their time to torment the new arrivals.

BALLOONS FOR EVERYONE.

Normally, there are some animals that wander within the ancient stone buildings of the Temple. Tiny little white bats, sheep that grow on the vine . . . that sort of thing. However, the sprites have elected to add a little bit more flair the Temple, and balloon animals have invaded the living space. Where the sprites got the idea for balloon animals, no one can really be sure -- Astoria seems to think the sprites are waltzing through the spirit realm and seem to have garnered an idea there, whatever that's supposed to mean.

So, no matter where you go, there are balloon animals. Little dogs, brightly colored fish, dinosaurs, giraffes . . . except they seem to move, and make noise, and act like their real counterparts. Tiny balloon dogs nip at your heels, balloon fish flicker about in the waters that sprinkle themselves throughout the Forest, and balloon birds float through the skies.

Bonus? If you pop them, they explode into (biodegradable) glitter.

DECAYED DECADENCE.

Despite the shenanigans from the sprites, however, there seems to be something happening within the Temple that may be cause of concern. Flower crowns and balloon animals aside, there seem to be odd spots of the Temple that suddenly wilt . . . flowers that bend over and wither at a moment's notice, saplings that seem to creak as if suddenly dried from the inside out . . . and it seems, oddly enough, that it happens whenever you, an Arrival, get closer to the wild life.

Astoria seems to think that something is wrong . . . perhaps something the Circle members brought back from their last trip. An illness, or something more? Care to poke about and see how far you're willing to take it? Or does your magical gift enable the protection of plant growth? Try out your green thumb and see if you can help.

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! ♥

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Oh, I have no doubt about that. I don’t think Astoria’s intentions are to harm us. If they are, she’s going about it in a very strange way.

[Connor steps closer, because carrying on a conversation at a distance seems rude.]

My meaning is that people still often are attached to their homes, regardless of the intent of the person who brings them here. Many members of the Circle were — and still are — understandably upset about it.

[Astoria. what a lovely name. what a nice piece of information.]

I know. Mine is that the reason to bring us here overrode whatever common courtesy would say about leaving people in their homes. That's surely worth more.

Well. That’s all dependent upon what she might’ve interrupted by doing so, isn’t it?

And also dependent on where she'll return people, when all is said and done. We aren't her prisoners, are we?

[time shifting was possible. all things were, if one knew.]

[That’s a tricky question. They certainly aren’t treated like it, but if they can’t return whenever they please...]

We certainly have no choice in being here, or the worlds we visit. It’s a matter of perspective, I think.

Then you simply have to solve the problem. The big one, the one that's the reason for you being here in the first place. Whatever that is. A summoning usually doesn't end until the job's done.

[a beat.]

Or you die. But no one's dying right now, I hope.

[It’s hard to die when you aren’t alive — that would be his default response. But today he forgoes that.]

Easier said than done. Especially when the apparent problem exists all throughout the universe. We will be at this “job” for a long while yet.

Do you know much about... summoning?

[It was a strange thing to mention.]

I know a good deal about it. Though summoning full people, not spirits...that's something of a miracle. True magic, not an art to be picked up lightly.

[the universe. it's always the world, isn't it?]

But to save the universe...one needs such strength on their side.

If strength is required, then why stifle our abilities?

[Seems paradoxical. Something Connor could never wrap his mind around.]

Not that kind of strength. Well, yes, that kind of strength, but also mental and spiritual strength. I hope I can speak with Astoria and ask what her reasoning is behind our abilities being so far is. It might be the only thing she can do to replace what was lost.

[a gift, to aid them.]

[Mental and spiritual strength are harder to quantify, and Connor's logical brain perhaps doesn't weigh them quite as heavily as what can be observed. Physical boons and abilities to be applied in difficult situations were always easy to rely on.

Yet he can't argue the point, regardless. There's something to be said about mental fortitude, and the strength of unwavering morale. He wouldn't be much of an investigative unit if he believed otherwise.]

Maybe. But in my case, I've been granted a power that has nothing to do with my innate, core functions -- the latter of which remains inactive. Either there is skewed logic behind what we've been given, or it's random at best.

[skewed logic was the best to assume, with some mages. of course, he can't say what Astoria thinks - and it's strange, how Connor refers to himself as having functions, as if he was only some automata - but it leads to the inevitable question.]

What were you given?

...I am able to turn into a canine.

[At least it surely has a few practical applications.]

What kind?

[because that's important, right?]

...Several, actually.

[He would experiment more but he has to take it a little at a time.]

I’ve not yet encountered a breed I was unable to change into.

And you think this power of shapeshifting has nothing to do with yourself and what you can do?

[he gives a little hm.]

I wonder, I wonder.

I am an android created to aid the local law enforcement where I’m from. If you can think of a relevant parallel with more substance than ‘you’re a police dog’, then I’d like to hear it.

[Nope. Would still rather have his android functions.]

An android?

[this seems to fascinate him more than the part about becoming a dog.]

I've seen automata, but a full scale artificial human...

[suddenly he's close? looking Connor over with a curious look in his eye.]

That's surprising. In a good way, I promise.

[Connor blinks and leans back ever so slightly. He doesn’t seem bothered so much as vaguely surprised.]

Is it? Androids are common where I’m from. Though I’m a prototype, specifically.

[In case that matters?]

Could have fooled me.

[without asking, he reaches out, his hand brushing the underside of Connor's chin. his eyes practically burn with unspoken questions, but he retracts, and lets it be.]

Such work where I've been is the domain still of magecraft. Though homunculi are far less mechanical in nature.

[The touch — as brief as it is — will reveal that it feels just like a human chin should. Just like skin feels. Every part of Connor, made to look human down to the smallest detail.

And Connor himself isn’t against the contact, though often times it takes a moment to decide how to react to such a gesture. Thankfully, Merlin retracts his hand just a moment later, so he doesn’t have to take that much into consideration.

Instead, in an idle gesture, Connor just reaches up with both hands to adjust his tie.]

...people have made that parallel with me a few times already. The basic concept is the same, maybe, but it’s as you said — I’m more mechanical. I run on programming and subroutines, reliant on goals and directives.

The triumph of science over magic, and so time marches on to eliminate the nature of miracles.

[his expression offers no clarification on the statement.]

What a change it must be in this place, absent your usual goals.

[The first part is too vague and grandiose to really mesh with Connor's ingrained way of thinking. Easy to write it off as lyricism or poetry.

The second half, though, he can hook a response into.]

Goals that are just put on hold for now. Each new world is a new mission. It's easy enough to align my priorities to match, and to do what I can to ensure that they're successful.

Why?

[easy enough to do something because you had to. thoughtlessly, going along with it, it was a very inhuman thing. going along because of a true purpose - now that was human.]

Does it bring you happiness?

[There’s something automatic about the way Connor responds, almost as if on script. He forces anything like a frown off of his features — after everything that Struxta was, best to keep these manner of conversations concise and detached.]

Androids don’t feel happiness in the way you’re thinking. But succeeding in these missions is always viewed as a positive outcome, in a way that it satisfies a purpose.

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courtmagic - 2018-08-29 02:42 (UTC) - Expand

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