test drive meme # 3

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players 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! ♥

Comments

[billionaires]

"You made eye contact, didn't you? You'll never get rid of them now."

Tony really isn't familiar with the social protocol of dogs, but he crouches down and offers his hand so the balloon will stop growling at him. It seems appeased, nudging its balloon head against Tony's palm. God, this is Weird. And by his standards that's saying something.

"Good choking hazard. Are you gonna be polite now?" The "dog" sits up and "pants." Tony feels like he's tripping balls right now, man.

[deadandred]

Bucky does too, honestly. He’s gotten used to an entirely different sort of dogs in his years in Russia, and these are clearly not them. Add that to the fact that this guy reminds him of someone, though he can’t quite place the name. (That, at least, he is used to.)

“Dunno,” he offers, staring at the dogs. “They’re only balloons, you could pop them.” It’s a solution. He’s helping!

[billionaires]

"Yeah, but they're sentient balloons. I don't wanna pop 'em." He gives Bucky a look. Enough balloon animals have died in his presence today thanks. Aside from the noise giving him 12 heart attacks simultaneously, can he have one positive interaction before someone tells him to kill something? Just, like, once? "It's being sweet now. You try."

[deadandred]

He hesitates again, watching Tony carefully. He still can't quite pin down how he knows this guy, but it can wait. Maybe he can look it up, later, or make a note of it in his little book.

"You're soft. I see." It comes out more matter of fact than he means it to, but he's still getting used to normal conversations. Surely a little leeway can be granted in his case, right?

But now his attention strays back to the dog, and he makes a slight face. "I don't get along well with dogs. At least the normal ones."

[billionaires]

Soft, he mouths, reminded suddenly of Obadiah. Of his father. Of all the people who ever doubted him. "What if we can learn something from them? They're not hurting anybody." Yes, Tony Stark is ready to protect balloon animals with his life right now, destruction for destruction's sake doesn't really sit well with him, to say the least. "Maybe it's true what they say, that dogs are a good judge of character."

[deadandred]

Bucky gives him a blank look. He’s not trying to be as —intimidating as he seems, but admittedly it can be hard to see past his slightly terrifying exterior. Unless you’re Steve. “They’re balloons,” he says again, a little uncertain. “They can’t tell us anything.”

He chances a glance at one of the dogs, who doesn’t appear to really be upset with him. In fact, it’s trying to beg for pets in a strange balloon animal kind of way. “Maybe they are,” he replies, with a wry twist of his lips. “Or maybe they were trained that way.” He’d be the first to say he’s not the greatest guy in the world. More than a few would probably agree with him.