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

[ 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. ]

[the drop in mood is reflected in peter's stance, shoulders somehow slumping further as he curls in on himself. if he could take it all back-- well, he doesn't think he would. not with what else is on the line. but seeing tony hurt, knowing that he caused that, is enough to have him second-guessing it all.]

Mr. Stark... [his voice is quiet as he scrambles to find a resolution. or at least some kind of an idea of how to head towards one. but it's only as he fights the urge to pull his hood up and instead tucks his hands into his pockets that peter's wrist catches. or rather, the watch he used to talk to tony with.

to talk to captain america.]

Maybe-- Maybe Mr. Rogers should know about all this. That way, the two of you might be able to stop all of it before it happens?

Captain Rogers.

[ he corrects automatically. and then that, of course, makes him feel worse. ]

This is my fuck up. [ he says it like he knows, but he doesn't know. that's kind of the whole point. ]Right? That's why you had to come here first.

Cap- Captain Rogers. Okay.

[because it's easier to just accept it. to just go with the title tony gives, simply because it's tony saying it. which also goes hand in hand with why he chose to come here first. why, even if the rest of the avengers were here, this is still where he'd choose to be. explaining why that is though... well, it's complicated. and not something he'd need to break down if this was the same tony he left behind.]

I came to you first because you-- [urgh. this shouldn't be so difficult.] Mr Stark, you're kind of my hero, and I don't mean just because you're Iron Man. I get that that makes me sound like some kind of crazy fan, but it's still true.

[nerves getting the better of him, peter's gaze fixes on a spot on the floor, and it takes him a few moments to try and work up the courage to continue. to make his stance on it all clear.

even if the words do come out as a mumble.]

You're a genius, and you use it to do all you can to save lives. You might have stated because of-- Of Afghanistan. But you chose to keep going and to become Iron Man. [his voice picks up, courage growing as he continues. tony might not believe it all, but peter does.] You didn't have to, but you did, and I don't think you realise just how many people you've saved because of that. Bad things are always going to happen, but with heroes like you around, people don't have to be scared all the time. You've helped make the world a better place, and if you need someone to remind you of that sometimes, then I'm your guy.

[okay, so perhaps he went off on a tangent there. but it's no less true.]

Mr Stark, I'm here because I trust you more than anyone else I know. You taught me what it means to be a hero, and I'm not gonna let you down again. [a slow grin, and he adds-] You're stuck with me.

[ you're kind of my hero. he thinks of the girl's drawing and how he'd totally freaked out, then that dream - those images he can't get out of his head. ]

I... [ if you say 'i' one more time. tony sighs, but it's lighter and he's able to sit up a little more like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders by peter's words. ] How'd you get so smart, huh? Was that from listening to me?

[ he's betting not actually, but it's a much lighter topic than death and destruction. ]

How about Cap and me work on a way to get us out of here and then we can talk strategy on what we do when we get there. Deal?

[there's a response on the tip of his tongue. but it's swallowed back when tony offers up his suggestion of how things should go now. his name isn't included in that list, and it leaves peter feeling a little dejected. sure, tony doesn't actually know him. but he'd at least hoped he'd be included in that number. that he'd be allowed to help out with whatever it is that's happening here.

he lets out a huff of air, finally moving again as he wanders over to dum-e, patting the robot on his (what he's going to call) head.]

You mean, you, Captain Rogers, and me. You made me an Avenger, so I'm not going to sit back and do nothing.

[ dum-e lets out a little trill at being acknowledged, rubbing against peter's hand like a cat. tony just barely holds back his eye roll. ]

I'm still not totally clear on why I did that, but...

[ he thinks he's starting to get it. peter wants to help, right? why not let him? tony gets up suddenly and points to the list on the wall. it ranges from 'door locks' and security to whiskey still but there's a lot of busy work. it'll take extra hands whether he likes it or not. ]

Got plenty of work for you to do, spiderling. What kind of a superhero name is Spiderman anyway...? Not that those things are ever accurate. Did they get you with a pithy news article too?

I kind of maybe followed you on to a space ship so I could be your back up?

[and given that doctor strange and the guardians were still new to them both, he supposes he can understand why tony had given in and made that decision.]

I'd show you why I'm called Spider-Man, but Astoria said that... [a shrug. he may not be quite back to how he was before he was bitten, but it's close enough. the one thing he's at least thankful for is that he doesn't seem to need his glasses yet.] I got bit by a radioactive spider when I was on a field trip and woke up with powers. So- [a motion to himself] -Spider-Man. And people mostly talked about me on social media. There's Youtube videos out there. It's crazy.

Of course you did.

[ his life never stops victimizing him, at least that's cleared up by future boy. ]

Radioactive spider, superpowers, spaceship, Avenger? I'm missing some steps, right? I've gotta be.

[ ugh astoria, tony spins on his heel, gaze once again going steely as it seeks out peter's across the room. ] Don't listen to that witch. She's... well, a witch.

You think that's crazy, huh? Youtube? [ peter, he's so so tired. wait- ] When did that happen? The spider bite... stuff?

She seemed nice enough. [or at least, she seemed friendly enough. never mind that she was the bearer of bad news too. but it could be worse. at least they still exist here.] But okay.

[because sometimes he knows when to just listen to the advice he's being given. especially when it comes from tony. its never worked out well for him when he's tried to ignore it.]

It happened in 2015. December. There's a bunch of stuff that happened, but we didn't meet properly till June the next year.

Heavy year.

[ it's a whole year until they meet, allegedly. tony knows there's no proof this kid could provide for any of this crazy shit, but for some reason, he believes him. maybe it was the heartwrenchingly sincere way he called tony his hero, either way it's like there's a stone in his chest - not such an unfamiliar feeling for him. ]

I guess that's it then. We're working together on this thing.

[ the getting the fuck out of here thing ]

[heavy year. that's putting it mildly. december alone had changed his life completely. irreparably so. but if all this goes to plan, then perhaps...things can be different. he'd give up everything to do with spider-man if it meant being able to have ben back. to have his family back together again, the way it should be.

but giving up spider-man also means giving up this. giving up the chance to spend time with tony. to learn all he can from one of the few people beyond his family who means so much to him. it's the one cost that he knows will be hardest to pay.

though if tony's only getting involved on that night, maybe he can have both of them.]

Whatever you need, Mr. Stark. I'll help out however I can.

[as strange as it may be trying to help when he isn't spider-man.]

Edited (1am typos ffff) 2018-09-21 00:26 (UTC)

That's what I like to hear, kid.

[ it's lacking some sunniness, but otherwise it might sound completely normal. ]

I'm guessing our resident witch messed with your powers too?

Yeah. [which he assumes means that steve's powers have been messed with too, given that tony doesn't need powers to be a hero.

look, give him a few more decades and maybe he'll learn how to stop fanboying. possibly.]

I've got my suit though. But it's not...working? Karen's not there. [a pause, and he adds-] It's one of the suits you made though.

[ he holds out both his hands, he needs to see this spidey suit for himself. and if he made it, well... ]

1. Who the hell is Karen? 2. Hand it over.

She's the AI you put in my suit. She liked the name, so that's what I call her.

[and given that tony had apparently neglected to name her himself, it beat calling her suit lady for the rest of his life.]

...if I give you it, are you going to give it back?

[because it might not be much use to him here, but he remembers how badly things went the last time tony took it. he doesn't think he could manage a second.]

[ that gets a dark look even as he processes. he made an ai for this kid? he must really be more than he appears.]

I don't know, but it's gonna stay broken with you so hand it over.

Mr. Stark, you can't. Don't take it again. Please.

[broken or not, the idea of losing that one connection he has left to home is something he doesn't think he can take. he's already lost tony; lost the shared memories and experiences. so despite whatever it is that's going on between them here, peter still feels alone in all this. karen may not be in the suit, but at least--

well, surrounding himself in the suit is the only piece of familiarity he has left.]

...you can't.

Peter... [ he wants to feel anger, he even knows it would be righteous. that's his tech. it belongs to him even if he technically hasn't made it yet. but he gave it to peter and he's no indian giver. his gaze softens and he drops into his awaiting desk chair, still exhausted. ] Whatever, it's cool. We'll just stay here forever.

test drive meme # 3

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