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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[ He can’t help but smile to himself as he watches the reunion between a man and his dog. Even if the words are meant to be annoyed, they certainly don’t come off that way. It’s kind of cute. ]

Arenvald.

[ Said gently, and a bit slower for Hank’s benefit. Hopefully he’ll get the hang of it. ]

I’m not too worried. It’s hearty stuff.

[ It takes some real scrubbing to get that paint to budge, so Sumo shouldn’t be able to lick it off.

Speaking of Sumo, when the dog is ushered towards him, he kneels, extending a hand. Arenvald has never seen a domestic breed quite this large, though he’s seen plenty of wild dogs and wolves. Sumo has an agreeable face, he decides. ]

Hello Sumo. Did you give that balloon dog a run of its money? It looks like you did.

[Sumo kind of pays lip service to the whole sniff the hand thing but the trauma of arriving here, for him, was a long time ago, he had a good chase, and any caution faded away when his protective instincts did. He moves himself under Arenvald's hand, not waiting to be pet so much as knowing that he will be. Hank watches him, unfortunately reminded of where he is by Arenvald's words.]

That uh, little balloon toy thing. This whole place. It's, uh... I don't want to know, do I? What the deal is? I mean, it's all...

[He goes ahead and sits down, sighing a little as the grass - again, still - goes dead around him.]

It's a good thing I'm still kinda drunk, probably.

[ Now there’s the million gil string-of-almost-questions. Arenvald cants his head a little, considering how best to answer, all while he does indeed pet Sumo, scratching the dog behind the ears. ]

Hm, well, I’d say that depends on whether you’re more or less inclined to believe the outrageous while you’re drunk.

This place is another world.

[ Just gonna let that sink in for a moment. ]

[Would he be more or less inclined to believe all this weird shit? Hank doesn't actually know.]

What, like, a planet-world, or...

[He's not expecting to hear a yes. Maybe that shows, that he knows that would be too easy, too believable, that of course the 'real' answer is going to be the really fucked up one. Because space travel, yeah, that's - well, still pretty weird, but real, it's a thing that happens. Whatever the real answer is going to be... Yeah. He kind of dreads it.]

[ It’s a good thing Arenvald has already gone over the differences between Eorzean vocabulary and… literally everyone else. “Planet” hadn’t been in his vernacular until he came to be here. ]

As far as we can tell? It is. We were all brought here by the witch in charge of this place with the goal of being sent to yet other worlds to save them.

[ Against their will, which is still something of a point of contention for Arenvald, but he chooses to believe Astoria has good intentions, at least. ]

[The dread is replaced with complete bafflement. Of course if Hank did get a yes, it would be in the weirdest possible way.]

Space travel via witch. That's a... That's a really fuckin new one. God. Okay, uh... Okay. I'll bite. We're off to other planets when some lady waves her magic wand, sure. What are we saving them from? The Wicked Witch of the West?

And what do you think about all this? I mean, I can't be the only one who has trouble with this idea. Someone tells you this and you're all just cool with it?

Well, that’s the thing. We don’t know what it is we have to save them from until we get there. I wasn’t here for the first venture, but I hear tell there was great political unrest. The place we just returned from was a city populated entirely by robots. They were in danger thanks to a massive electrical storm that we helped to dissipate.

[ He shrugs. There’s no better example of the disparity between missions than those two, he thinks. ]

I definitely take issue with being forcibly removed from my home and shoved into this task without any choice in the matter. However, I can’t very well ignore trouble once faced with it.

I don't think many of us can.

[Hank heaves a sigh, sitting back on one hand and rubbing the other against his head. Is he one of those, who can't ignore trouble, no matter what it is? He would have been, once. If he still is, though, he is clearly not happy about it.]

Robots. Of course robots. At least you got that shit over with before I got here.

How does that work, anyway? You put a whole bunch of walking circuit boards in one place and you don't plan for like, electrical disasters and shit? That's kind of fuckin dumb. They wanted help, they shoulda planned their city better.

[He says it distractedly, rubbing again at his temple. His head's starting to pound and yeah, doesn't take a genius to figure out why, but that doesn't mean he likes it.]

Edited (nitpicking) 2018-08-22 22:34 (UTC)

[ Now there’s an odd sentiment, and he really does have to wonder if this is the same Hank from Connor’s world, since Connor seemed to speak about his partner with some degree of fondness.

He tilts his head. ]

Well, how I understand it, the only ones who knew about the Storm were older models who had been forced to live underground and sealed away.

[ But he gets the impression that Hank doesn’t really care overmuch about the political and social minutiae of a city of robots. ]

Sorry, this probably seems like it comes out of nowhere, but do you know someone named Connor?

Connor?

[The hand rubbing at his head pauses and he grimaces at Arenvald.]

Really? I wake up on another fuckin planet and that plastic prick still finds a way to follow me? What, he been trailing after you too?

[ He frowns a bit, if only thanks to that rather… harsh assessment of Connor. ]

I only met him after we both showed up here, but… he’s a good friend of mine. He mentioned having a partner by the name of Hank and I only wondered if you were him.

[ Why so mean!! ]

Huh. I bet I am him, why would my luck ever be good?

[He pushes off from the ground, counting on momentum to help whatever balance he's got get him to his feet.]

But that would have to mean you were talking about my Connor when you said 'good friend', which uh - I don't know, you don't seem that desperate, but I guess you never can tell. You a lonely guy, Mr. Erinvlad?

[ He watches Hank rise, brow furrowed, though his expression is becoming less concerned and more... not annoyed, exactly, but it's getting there. He really hopes that Hank is just like this when he's drunk and not like this all the time. ]

Arenvald.

[ are-en-vald ]

Are you implying that I must be lonely and desperate to strike up a friendship with an android? Because I really think that's doing Connor more of a disservice than it is me.

Okay, you're the one who's from Pluto, or whatever, so maybe you don't know. Lemme educate you.

[Hank spreads his arms, half for balance and half to just wildly gesture.]

Androids? They don't care. They're built to lie an' calculate the best way to make you feel good but they don't... You can't build human emotion. Connor's very expensive cause they put a lotta work into trying to make him good at it, but anything you might be feeling, it's not real, he's built to get under your skin. Take it from me, just cut your losses.

Hope you're smarter than you look, Arn. Cause if not, you're in for a real hard time.

Edited 2018-08-25 10:32 (UTC)

[ Arenvald would almost be angry at that assessment if not for the fact that he's heard it before, from Connor himself no less. (Though, Connor was certainly less abrasive about it, as Connor is wont to be.) ]

So I have been told, but I know what it is I've seen these last few -- [ a brief pause, as he has to mentally remind himself not to use the Eorzean term, "moons", and switches to what seems to be the far more common, ] -- months.

If you feel some misguided need to protect me from Connor of all people, I assure you it's not necessary.

Protect you?

[He looks Arenvald over, then shrugs.]

I don’t know, you look like a big boy, if you wanna let your heart get broken by a high tech toaster that’s your business. If that means it’s latched onto someone else for a change, I’ll even buy the two of you a housewarming present, a gift basket or something.

[He frowns, rubbing at his forehead and closing his eyes to remember what part of what that guy said is nagging at him.]

Months, that’s it. You said months. I just saw him earlier. There shouldn’t be another one of him out yet, he’s just a prototype, and they usually all get their own names anyway. Unless he’s been going back and forth from Detroit to here. I don’t know, shit, you sure ‘months’ is what you meant to say?

[ Well, technically he meant to say "moons", but vocabulary isn't the real question here. ]

I did mean to say it. It's been a couple of months since we both arrived here, give or take a few days.

You do recall that I said we've been brought here by magic, yeah? Time works differently here. While we're with the Circle, days pass as they would, but time remains frozen in our own worlds. Should we return, it would be at the moment we left.

Or, so it's been explained to me.

[Hank sighs. Well, at least this is the right kind of time to get a headache.]

Look, you seem like a nice kid, but- Ugh, I don't know dick about that quantum shit, I don't know how time works, but you know how that sounds, right? It sounds so... neat. 'Ooh, don't worry, everything's gonna be right where you left it!'

[Hank takes a couple mostly steady steps over to Sumo and just looks down at him for a moment, focusing on scratching his fingers through Sumo's thick fur. Sumo, at least, is real. He knows how to handle Sumo.]

How did you take it when you, uh, got here? What was it that convinced you you didn't just fall asleep and dream yourself into some cheesy fantasy story?

I guess you could say I'm a bit more equipped to deal with strange things like this. We've magic and other worlds and strange beings who can bend the rules of time and space as they very well please where I come from, so I wasn't exactly disinclined to believe this was real.

[ That and, you know, he wasn't drunk at the time. ]

That, and I had some friends from my world who were here already. That sort of helped ease the transition.

Ah. Yeah. [And Hank has... Yeah.] And I got my own welcome wagon waiting for me, right? Looking forward to that. [He is not. He is very clearly not.]

So, you're already from some cheesy fantasy story, you didn't have to bend your mind much. I guess that makes sense, in a dream logic sort of way.

[Maybe something about this will be easier to swallow when he's sober.]

Hey, do you think whoever's in charge here would mind if I just laid- [He toes at the grass, testing how much it'd hurt his back in the morning if he just sprawled back down over it, but the grass dies under his shoe again and he stops.] -Actually uh, you know if there's anywhere I can pass out without killing everything I touch? 'cause that part's getting kind of old.

[ Hank is in for something of a rude awakening, he thinks, when he finally sobers up and realizes that this is all very real. ]

There are rooms available. I'm sure we could find you an empty one. A bed would be far better than the grass anyway.

Mhm. Somewhere in of those, right?

[There are buildings here. Weird ones, but they're here. He starts to make his way toward one.]

Just don't, uh- Don't tell Connor I'm here, okay? Maybe if he's got you he'll just, you know. Stop trying. Since we're in a whole new world and all.

Aye, that's right.

[ He's about to offer further direction, but Hank's words stop him short. ]

... You know, the two of you are the only ones here for your world. Before you arrived, Connor was alone. Right now that makes you his only connection to home, and him yours. That is a valuable thing, and whether you like him or not, the fact of the matter is that sooner or later, you're going to need to lean on one another.

I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but you should really consider giving him more of a chance.

What the hell is that bullshit?

[Because it is bullshit. It's bullshit on at least two levels and Hank walks along, mostly not stumbling, and tries to decide which one needs to be argued with the most.]

You can't fuckin try to guilt trip me for leaving the poor brave little toaster all on his lonesome when you were just telling me how damn close you two are, like being born on the same ball of shit gives us some deep connection that no one else could ever hope to understand.

[Or Hank could try to tackle all the different flavors of bullshit at once. That works too.]

Is that a thing where you're from, some woo-woo mystic connection that makes everyone on Earth or fantasy-Mars or wherever just love and adore each other, or do you just like guilting people into doing what you want instead of listening?

[ Well, he tried, but it's pretty clear that, right now at least, Hank has no interest in listening to what he has to say. Arenvald can practically feel his opinion of this man plummeting with every sandpaper-coated word out of his mouth, and it's only because he likes Connor so much that he doesn't push any further.

Instead he stays where he is, arms folded over his chest and expression carefully neutral Hank finishes his tirade. ]

I'm not trying to guilt you into anything.

[ Despite his efforts, it comes out a little more clipped than he means it to, and he realizes that he needs to walk away from this before he says something he regrets. ]

If you get lost on your way to the rooms, one of the Temple's servants can guide you. Just look for the fellows that look sort of like ghosts.

Enjoy your rest.

[ With that bit of information he will in no way explain, he gives Sumo one last pat on the head before he departs. Hank can stumble around on his own for all he cares right now. ]

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test drive meme # 3

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