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! ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ his mind goes the same place even as he clutches an elbow with the opposite hand and looks down at his feet a moment. he can hear dum-e rolling closer, but he ignores it for a change, further perplexed still when the storm outside clears up almost the moment it started getting serious. the sky lightens up like it never even happened. ]

No-! [ tony takes a surging step forward before he realizes that peter hadn't even tried to leave yet. oh, hell. his hand runs back through his hair and he shakes his head. whoever this kid is, tony's already betting that he's disappointed him somehow. why else would he be so eager to leave? ] Not allowed. Not until you tell me everything you know.

[his flinch is automatic, despite knowing to his very core that tony stark would never hurt him. (physically, at least. emotionally? well, this isn't technically tony's fault.) a shake of his head though, and he tries to force himself to relax. to make it seem like he's in control of himself here. that he can handle this.]

I can't. [no matter how much he might want to. time travel may not be something he's experienced before, but he's seen enough movies and read enough books to know that it's never a good idea.]

Have you ever seen that really old film with the teenager and the doctor who went time travelling? They went to the past, and the guy messed up his mom and dad meeting and nearly wiped himself from existence. What if-- What if this is like that? What if I told you what happened- happens -and you change everything but make it even worse? I want to tell you everything, Mr. Stark, but I can't risk it. I don't want anyone else to get hurt.

[ that flinch cuts right through him even as he tells himself for the millionth time he doesn't know peter. has never met him. it doesn't feel that way now. his eyes fill with tears he'd never let fall, worrying the inside of his lip with his teeth and trying to slow his heartrate even as it hammers on, a din over the sound of the boy's voice. what is he, fourteen? why was he so involved in whatever happened that he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. all he knows for sure right now is that it's his fault somehow.

I don't want anyone else to get hurt. he swallows, seeing the avengers at his feet, all dead, he failed. he's going to fail. peter's seen the future he fears the most. project ultron seems more inevitable than ever, but for the first time it doesn't fill him with hope but dread. ]

One problem with your scenario: no Delorean.

[ he shrugs minutely, body language utterly defeated. the bots sag as they pick up on his body language, the wind outside whistling now, water dropping from the tree branches almost like they're crying. ]

Even if I wanted to, I can't change anything from here.

[ he turns away from peter and swipes at his face with a sleeve. what is he going to do? ]

[there's a very short list of people that he's been in this position with. may, of course. she raised him for most of his life, the two of them being all each other has anymore. so naturally they've seen each other at their best and their worst. have relied on each other for support, for comfort. and then there's ned, his best (only) friend. the two of them have each others backs as they do all they can to survive high school. it's give and take with both of them. the love, the support. it comes naturally now. easily.

with tony though...

all this time, and the relationship still feels uneven, feels weighted in his direction. he takes far more from tony than he gives. support, comfort, knowledge. tony dishes it out, even if he doesn't entirely realise it at the time. but peter knows that he doesn't offer the same in return. that tony has those people in his life already to provide it. and yet--

even with tony's back to him, it's obvious that he's upset. that peter wasn't imagining his reaction to his words. so it's as natural as it would be towards may or ned for him to step forwards again. to tentatively wrap his arms back around tony's waist again.]

The world needs you, Mr. Stark. So that means you've got to find a way back home again. If I tell you what coming, then something worse could happen, and you'll blame yourself for it. I'm not doing that to you.

Edited (ignore the edit) 2018-09-10 23:36 (UTC)

[ he lets out a soft little oof when peter hugs him from behind. he really should shrug him off, and he does tense up. but he just ends up patting the kids arm instead, a little awkward, but this place is sorely lacking in hugs and guess who needs them? the world needs you. does it really? or does he just fuck everything up? ]

Maybe it doesn't matter what I do.

[no. this is wrong. all of it's wrong. the idea that tony doesn't get how important he is. how much he's done for the world. for him...]

Of course it matters. Mr Stark--

[he lets go, only so he's able to slip back in to tony's line of sight. to try and make eye contact before he continues. for all that things went so wrong in the end, he knows that the world would have long since been destroyed if it wasn't for iron man. for the avengers. that whether he sees it or not, tony really is a hero.]

You don't get it, do you? If it wasn't for you, there'd be no Avengers. Even with Captain America and the others, you brought everyone together. You helped protect earth when the aliens invaded New York. You-- You saved my life, even before you knew who I was. So every single person that Spider-Man has helped? That's all thanks to you too.

[maybe lumping him in with the crazy fans isn't as far-fetched an idea as it seemed.]

And it's not just Iron Man. You matter, because everything you've done since you escaped has been to help people. To help the whole world. And you don't even need superpowers to do it.

[ his gaze is a bit sluggish, slow to catch up as peter appears in front of him. he crosses his arms over his chest like he's continuing the hug. ]

I saved your life.

[ tony's expression hardens. he's saved a lot of lives, but at what cost? he can't imagine this kid being dead anymore than he can picture himself the reason he's living, breathing; here in front of him now. ]

There was a time I'd have eaten up this ego-stroking. Actually, I'd be lying if I said- [ tony shakes his head. ] But it doesn't matter, Peter. Whatever happens... whatever is going to happen? That's on me. Otherwise you'd tell me right now what it was.

More than once.

[starting from back before he was bitten too. but he knows that isn't the focus here. not when tony is still trying to get information out of him that he knows he can't share. doctor strange had said there was only one way for them to win. so telling tony now, giving him the ammunition to go back home and change everything, could very well mean that one path could close off for them completely.

his shoulders sag, and peter's gaze slips to the floor instead. the last thing he wants to do is disappoint tony. not after all he's done for him over the years. spider-man or not, he had no reason to seek him out. no reason to give him all the equipment, the experiences that he has. sure, this tony may not know about any of it, but it doesn't matter to him.]

I want to tell you. I do. [because maybe he could change things. maybe he could make that one possibility ten. fifty. a hundred. maybe he could find a way to destroy the stones before thanos started collecting them. maybe he could stop the avengers splitting up. could prevent the battle in sokovia. stop ultron before he starts.

maybe he could--]

...Ben.

[his eyes are wide, the name a whisper as realisation sets in. telling tony could change everything, for the better or worse. but what possible worse is there when it comes to his uncle?]

[ he opens his mouth to protest when that slips out and his face screws up in confusion, lifting a hand to wave around while he talks. ]

Been. Been what? Or- bin? No. Ben. Is that a name? Ben who? Does he have something to do with what happened?

Ben. Ben Parker. My uncle. [he can feel his heart beating faster, his breaths quickening despite all attempts at trying to keep himself calm. but with the opportunity in front of him, he has something far more important to focus on.]

You said you're from 2015. Please tell me you're from before December? You have to be.

[because maybe it's not too late. peter may have messed up back then, but maybe tony can fix this mistake too.]

[ this kid's... uncle? what? ]

Uh. Oh, yeah. April. Shit, it's almost— why? What happens in December?

[okay. alright. tony's from before, which means he has a chance to fix things. has a chance to save one of the most important people in his life. he can't mess this up.]

My uncle-- He was shot. He died. If you-- You have to save him. If you promise to do that, then I'll...I'll tell you anything you want.

[because this is one risk he's more than willing to take. whether it affects his life or not, his timeline, he doesn't care. but maybe he can at least help create one timeline out there where may doesn't have to lose her husband. where the three of them can continue to be a family. he'd give up anything for that.]

[ now he's definitely citing a back to the future no-no. but what choice does tony really have? ]

Ben Parker December 15. Big piñata debacle... When? What day?

[ he doesn't have jarvis so he has to remember this somehow. a pneumatic device seems wise. ]

I've got friends in the NYPD. I'll make sure he's got a protective detail. Alright? We good?

[ he leans back against his desk and looks to peter expectantly. he's no doubt about to hear some shit he really doesn't want to hear. ]

Start from the beginning and don't skimp on the detail.

The 12th, at just after 8pm. If you save him, we might never meet. But I- He's worth it.

[it's all worth it if he can save ben. if he can undo peter's biggest failure. as grateful as he is for all that tony's done for him, for all the opportunities he's been given, this is his family. he'll take whatever risks he needs to in order to try and keep it together.

he lets out a slow breath when he finally realises that, with the promise made he has to make good on his own end on the deal. with captain america here, he doesn't know how much it could strain his and tony's relationship. the two of them know each other, are allies. but things changed back home, and the last thing peter wants to do is ruin whatever friendship they have here with stories of their fall out.]

So, I'm not saying I won't tell you it all. But I don't know everything. It's mostly the stuff that's been on the news. [even when he'd followed tony to germany, he knows he didn't have all the facts. just enough to make the decision of whether to go or not. not that he can really blame tony for that. they were already on borrowed time.]

So if you're from 2015, you already know about all of S.H.I.E.L.D's files getting uploaded to the internet, right? And Black Widow having to go to Capitol Hill because of it? [okay, so what big things happened after that...] Do you remember fighting the Hulk in Johannesburg?

Right.

[ he thinks about his parent's car crash then. if he had an opportunity like this he wouldn't squander it. especially when it seems like he learns more about his father every day he's dead than he did any day while he was living. ]

I wouldn't call it a fight, exactly, more of a friendly— quarrel. Wait, that just happened. Why?

[so he’s from after all that., but from before sokovia. while peter may not have been a part of any of it, he remembers watching the news. remembers hearing about the sheer amount of destruction caused along the way. but through it all, despite seeing the heroes names being dragged through the mud, he had known that without the avengers more people would have been lost. the team are heroes to the very core.

now to just try and make sure that point still makes it across, despite all the bad news he knows he has to pass on.]

I was just trying to work out when you’re from. [because he doubts tony would welcome him repeating things he already knows]

After that, all of you disappeared for a while. I don’t know where you went, or why. But you came back when the world needed you. Something happened in Sokovia and the Avengers went to stop it. Sokovia was destroyed, but you managed to evacuate the city first. I don’t know how it happened, Mr. Stark, but the whole city was floating. And when you came back, you had Vision and the Scarlet Witch with you too.

Oh, right.

[ he sobers some as he listens to peter's commentary. wow, his life is weird to the outside observer isn't it? this is like watching new reports of himself without the memories to back them up. ]

Sokovia.

[ another thing he wants to recognize but doesn't. vision, scarlet witch? ]

Are they- Avengers?

[ great. more people for him to let down. ]

Yeah. Well, they were.

[so, this is where it starts to get confusing to him. one day, he can happily call each and every avenger a hero, the next, in walks tony stark who throws all of that on its head. half of them were considered traitors, and he still doesn't fully understand why.]

After...all that, something happened in Lagos. I don't know what caused it, but Captain America was there with some of the Avengers. Something...went wrong and there was an explosion. Wanda- Scarlet Witch -she blew up part of a building and a bunch of people died. Including some from Wakanda.

[he pauses for a moment there, his expression turning a little more sombre. he remembers how the media painted wanda a threat. how she was vilified on tv and in print for making a mistake. but he knows how it was a response borne from fear. from not understanding. everybody makes mistakes. hers unfortunately came with a body count.]

Just over a month after that, the Sokovia Accords happened. They wanted to get everybody with powers or enhancements to sign it so the UN could keep track of people like us and hold us accountable when things went wrong. They wanted to regulate everybody who signed it, so anyone who didn't was seen as a criminal. That, um... Things got pretty bad after that.

[ so he said he wanted all these details, but none of them mean anything without context. context he's sorely lacking. he hates not being the smartest guy in the room, but in this case it's simply not knowing as much as peter. not experiencing as much time. ]

Okay, but- Who the hell is Scarlet Witch?

Wanda Maximoff. She has like magic or something. These awesome mind powers. She can throw cars with her mind, and she can make herself fly with it too. I can't really say more than that cause I've only met her once, and we were fighting at the time. But she's kind of scary awesome.

[besides, she was allowed to invite the avengers for a reason. he may not have met her beyond the battlefield, but she's still a hero. he has no doubt that she fought her hardest to protect earth when thanos arrived too.]

Okay. I believe you about some lady I never met, but-

[ tony sighs, moving to sit on the edge of his unmade bed. what is he doing? isn't that always the question? ]

I know I said tell me everything, but maybe... just the highlights. [ waiT ] Did you just say you were fighting a hero?

Edited (don't look at me) 2018-09-14 15:30 (UTC)

Technically she wasn't a hero at the time.

[not that peter ever really considered the other side the enemy. but it was much easier to follow tony's lead, to do all he could to stop captain america and the others. to try and keep them from leaving.

not that things had gone their way in the end.]

The highlights though. Okay. The Accords were meant to be signed in Vienna, but Bucky Barnes bombed the place, and the king of Wakanda was killed. Captain America went to find him or something. I don't know what happened between then and you coming to find me. But you gave me a new suit and then we went to Germany to try and stop Captain America and his team from leaving, so we ended up having to fight them. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barnes got away though, and you followed them. Something must have happened though, because you were the only one that came back.

[he'd leave it at that, but once he realises just how that sounds, he rushes to add--]

He was still alive. He was...considered a war criminal though. Everyone who fought with Captain America was, back then.

[wait, this was meant to be the cliff notes version of events. right.]

After that, you helped me out a bunch back home. You tried to help me become a better hero. [although it's a very basic version of the story, peter has a wide grin on his face to accompany the words. sure, there had been some hard times during all that. having his suit taken from him. having a building dropped on top of him. may finding out he's spider-man. yeah, there's a few things he would've preferred having gone differently. but all in all, it was an experience he knows he wouldn't have made it through without tony. and happy. and karen. and...yeah.

any excitement he felt disappears an instant later though. once he realises he needs to move on to what happened next. last.]

Then-- Then Thanos happened. And now I'm here.

Bucky Barnes...

[ steve's best friend. this is all... too much. but at least he was right about one thing: this all hinges on him fucking up. but then peter takes a major mood swing and all he can do is scowl up at the kid. ]

Why am I giving kids super-suits? To fight Cap with?

[ a war criminal... he feels faint. his heart is speeding up far past what's probably healthy, a hand clutching at his chest though he knows by now it's anxiety and not a legit heart attack. probably. ]

I think I've... heard enough.

Because I'm Spider-Man? And you said you didn't like my last suit.

[to be fair, it's not like he'd had much of a choice at the time. between having to recycle his old clothing and dumpster dive for parts for his webshooters, he'd only really focused on keeping his identity hidden. tony's suit was a severe upgrade. and the one after that...]

I think the Accords are to blame for it all. I mean, I know they said Mr. Barnes did it. But Mr. Rogers wouldn't have protected him if that was true, right? I know they're friends, but he's still Captain America.

[yeah, this would probably all have made a lot more sense if it was one of the other avengers telling the story instead of him. after all, he's only officially been an avenger for half a day.]

If the Accords didn't happen, then the team would still be together, and maybe the stones could have been destroyed or something before Thanos arrived.

[ the avengers split up... because of those stupid rocks? that can't be- or can it? his mind is racing, protocols from the ultron project flashing over his eyelids. he thought he was past this, allowing his arrogance to fly the plane. he swallows, looking from peter to the list on the wall, bile rising up the back of his throat. ]

I don't know how to fix this.

[ the words come out crimped and small. he doesn't know what any of this even MEANS and yet he feels deeply responsible for making it right. ]

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