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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[ Roy told her as much as she needed to know. That's how these things work, and after having been indirectly in the thick of things for so long, she knows and understands that. Accepts it, even if she doesn't want to. Truth be told, she can't quite remember how she reacted when he told her the news, that Maes Hughes was here, and somehow very much alive. He may have told her the how, but she isn't sure she would have been able to fully process it if he had. She doesn't remember the colonel's words, but she remembers the way Elicia crumpled into her that day, the way that she latched on and refused to let go. And she remembers Mrs. Hughes' face.

She will never forget that day.

He would be correct to look for her where he did. The knock pulls her back as she gently startles at the sound. Right, there are other things that she should be doing right now. She should be trying to get her bearings. She should be trying to find answers. She should be doing anything other than what she is doing right now, not because it isn't the correct thing to do, but because she cannot let herself sit still in this silence.

Her voice is a bit frayed when she answers. ]

C-come in.

[ No, she needs to get the door. She isn't sure what force pulls her to her feet, what drives her to put one foot in front of the other, but before she gives whoever is there the chance to let themselves in, she's there. Doorknob turning, pulling the door open— ]

—!

[ And just like that, there he is.

The dead can't be brought back to life. It's impossible. She knows and has seen first-hand what comes of attempting to do such a thing. So hopefully Hughes won't be too upset with her as she sits there in stunned silence, the color washed from her face as if she had seen a ghost before realizing, no, that isn't the face she should give him. Reunions are supposed to be happy, right? And she is, oh is she happy to see him, even as a sketched and watery smile pulls at the corners of her lips.

She has to say something. She has to say something happy.

But the only thing she can think about is how she must look so different to him now. She's much older now. They all are, and yet he... ]

...Mr. Hughes, you came to see me. I'm... I'm glad.

[ Don't cry, Winry. Do not. ]

Edited (you saw nothing) 2018-08-22 03:52 (UTC)

[It's just one more reminder really. It's always the looks they give him. He'd been out of it when Roy stumbled across him, but he hadn't missed the reactions of Riza and Alphonse. Winry, of course, has always been more open about things than any of the others. It's all over her face what she must be thinking and Maes gets that twist in his gut whenever he's faced with his own mortality.

But he can't take it out on them and especially not on Winry. And it's when he gets past that that he realizes just how much time had passed. With Roy and Riza it was there, but in more subtle ways. And Alphonse, well, he'd never seen Alphonse in his original body so that wasn't an obvious change except away from his armor form. Winry's so grown up now though and...God he'd been stopping himself from thinking about it for so long but how big must Elicia be now? Of course it's Winry that reminds him of her. She's the one who'd spent the time and actually bonded with his little girl.

And now what is he supposed to do? Because he's standing in Winry's doorway and it hits him just how much he's missed his family. He can't fall apart now, so he forces himself past it with a small smile.]

Of course I did. Roy told me you were here and it seemed wrong not to visit.

[ It feels surreal, the sort of out-of-body experience one gets when half-asleep and dreaming. That could explain this. That could explain all of this, but Winry knows that it isn't the case here. She doesn't have to pinch herself awake to tell her that much. But it's so strange, she knew in her mind that he would look the same as he did the day he saw them off, but it's almost jarring getting to experience that first-hand. It's as if time stopped for him, but for them...

Time continued it's cruel march forward; they all grew up, but they never forgot him. They could never forget him.

She can feel something raw catching in her throat, and as she quickly tries to swallow it down, she makes a small, sweeping motion with her hand toward the room behind her. Please. The hallway isn't a good place for this. Besides, it might be better if she sit down. It might be better if they both sit down. ]

He told me you've been here for a while.

[ Small talk, a feeble attempt at some kind of normalcy. There's so much she wants to say, so much she wants to tell him (can she..?), but for now, it's probably best that they start slow. They have time... ]

[He hesitates, but nods and decides to enter. He feels compelled to put a hand on her shoulder, reassure her that he's real. And also steady himself so he doesn't end up being the first to get emotional. Because it is Winry, and he's thinking about his family, and he just knows if she starts crying, he won't be too far behind.

What happened to him? He used to be so much better at reigning in his emotions. Perhaps being a father has made him soft in a way. His eyes wander the room, but since she's only just arrived there isn't a lot to look at.]

How much did he tell you exactly?

[It's probably a question she wants to ask him. He knows that Winry is aware of his 'demise', but what did she know about their current situation? About how he was here and what he knew about that particular story. He could feel them circling the topic anyway, might as well complete the plunge.]

[ His question hits Winry suddenly, slapping her across the face as she stops mid-step. She is grateful that her back is turned to him, so he can't see how plainly she wears that heart of hers, reflected back in her glassy-wet eyes. That isn't a fair question to ask, but she can't ignore him. She has to tell him something.

Eyes forward, she stares at something in the distance. The wall, the window, anything. She needs something else to focus on, to steel herself. He knows. He knows what happened—will happen to him. ]

...That some of us came here from different points in time. I don't really get it myself, but I think that's the least of our concerns right now.

[ And that is why she's so very sorry, Mr. Hughes. But she won't answer that question. She can't bring herself to answer that question; nor can she let the dust settle enough to allow him to press her further.

Throwing her hands behind her back, she turns toward him suddenly, a painfully bright smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ]

You know, I've gotten pretty at that apple pie recipe. With all of us here, I thought I could make it for everybody. I'd like...

[ Her eyes stinging and lips beginning to tremble as she tries desperately to hold it together, she stops before her voice manages to crack. Suddenly she's fifteen again, and she can't keep the tears from welling in her eyes, no matter how hard she forces a smile. ]

...I'd like to know what you think of it.

[He almost regrets it as soon as he realizes she isn't going to turn around. Maes may not be able to see her face, but he's always been pretty good at reading body language and goddamit if he hasn't just made the poor girl cry. Even if he had been preparing himself for that, it's one thing to feel like you are personally responsible for making it happen. Still, he wants to dispel this tension and that had seemed like a good question to ask.

And then it gets even worse because she turns to him, forcing a smile even while crying. He tries to return it, but it's difficult. The smile is small, like the brief outline of the sun behind a wall of clouds, just barely evident. He crosses to her and decides he's going to prevent her from seeing it by giving her a hug instead. He makes it in time, wrapping her in a hug just as the tears escape the corners of his eyes and slide down his cheeks. Besides, she looks like she could use a hug.]

Oh, Winry...you have no idea what that would mean to me.

[He does manage a slight chuckle.]

Besides, the place we just came from only had this cruddy food goo with no flavor. I would love to try anything that isn't that.

[ Oh.

Her shoulders rise as he pulls her into a hug, taking a deep breath as she hears him respond. She may not be able to feel him cry, but she can hear it in his voice, and feel it in the almost threadbare way he holds her close. Winry hesitates for a moment, her arms hanging there before she finally hooks them under his to return his embrace. Tightens it almost immediately in an effort to keep them both anchored to that spot.

After everything they've been through (all of them), she didn't realize how much she needed this. He probably did too. ]

Food goo? That sounds terrible.

[ She lets out a thin sob disguised as a laugh, burrowing her head against his chest in an effort to clear the air. It's okay, she's okay. They're both okay. ]

I guess I'll need to make something else to go with that pie, then. It's been a while since we've all been together in the same place, so we should celebrate.

[He hated that he was putting this on Winry, but at the same time she was right. He did need this. Roy was his dear friend, but he wasn't exactly the most emotionally supportive kind of person. Maes was usually the one having to pull HIM back up. And Riza, well, he liked her and she certainly had herself more together than her superior officer...but she just wasn't necessarily someone Maes felt would understood this. Winry, however, well Winry understood something about loss and family and the emotions that came with that. Maes could understand why two young boys who had lost so much would go to her again and again. She really was their support.

Unfortunately, he realized, he couldn't make Winry his. Maes pulled away from the hug after a moment, doing his best to subtly wipe at his face as he did so. No, no he's not going to do this right now.]

It was pretty terrible. Roy didn't understand why I was complaining so much. [He nods.] That sounds like a great idea. From what I hear we have a lot to celebrate after all. [Pause.] You...have seen Alphonse, right?

[ Feeling him pull away from her embrace, Winry takes a step back, giving them both space to breathe. In such an emotionally charged moment, things like this were necessary; and she didn't want their reunion to be shaped by sorrow, but by happiness. She doesn't understand how this moment could have come to be, but she is infinitely grateful for it.

Most of what she knows of the Colonel is secondhand accounts, and while that lines up with what she knows, it still manages to make her laugh quietly. Of course. Winry uses that as an excuse to wipe the tears from her eyes (it's because she's laughing, see!), smiling once more. Her eyes are still a bit wet, but she will be all right. For the first time in what feels like forever, everything will be all right.

She nods warmly. ]

I have. I almost didn't believe it when I saw him; he still has that baby face of his from when we were kids. [ A beat. ] I'm sure that must have been a shock for you, to see him like that.

[He appreciates the excuse for a breather. These emotional reunions are exceptionally taxing and while he understands where it is coming from, he'd much rather move on from it. It doesn't help that this keeps happening or just about anything serves as a reminder of what's to come.

But, not everything to come was bad.]

It was hard to believe, but I'm glad I get to see him returned to how he should be...that was the whole point of their journey after all. [He's smiling more now too.] I'm sure it made all the hard work they put you through worth it too.

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test drive meme # 3

alexa play despicito

i'm not crying, you're crying.

it's raining in fma-land

all the goddamn time these days

/offers umbrella?

/accepts

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