acatalepsy_ooc | 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

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.

[he turns silent, his indecision clear in his expression alone. on the one hand, he really doesn't want to give up his suit again. but on the other, disappointing tony simply isn't an option. but from where he stands, there isn't a way to get the best of both worlds. which is why--]

...do you have a bathroom I can use? [he lifts the hem of his shirt, the metallic red and blue of his suit clearly visible] You've just gotta promise me that you'll give it back. Even if you can't fix it.

[ his eyes light on the suit, recognizing it in a base way as his design even from the brief glimse. he needs to get his hands on it and they clench into fists while peter's words wash over him. he has to play nice to get what he wants - isn't that a metaphor for his entire existence. he levels peter with a sober stare and nods once, resolutely. ]

I promise, OK? Promise.

[dropping his grip on his shirt, peter nods slightly, before heading off so he can get changed out of the suit. it really isn't something he wants to do. but at the same time, he knows that he won't be able to continue to spend time with tony here if he refuses. so while tony (and steve) may not be the same people he knew back home, he doesn't want to lose that one connection left. that one piece of home in a strange new land.

it takes less than a minute before he's changed out of his suit and pulling his clothes back on again. but he still manages to drag his feet in coming out. (there...may have been a few minutes of giving himself a pep talk too.) eventually though, he forces himself back out again, his shoulders drooping as he finally offers the suit up to tony.]

[ he stands as peter disappears into the bathroom, unsure whether he wants to pace or stay still. he ends up fidgeting somwhere in the middle area. the second peter hands him the suit he's carrying it to the desk and depositing it on the surface before even making eye contact. he needs to chill, his heart is doing that freaky - thing again. ]

Were you talking to yourself in there?

[ sorry peter, your anxiety is a good distraction from his. ]

No. Yes. Maybe?

[following after tony is automatic. while he knows that it'll take time to get the suit up and running again, to get karen back, he can't help but want to keep close to it. maybe she'll find her own way back. maybe he won't be as alone if she does.

rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm, peter forces himself to take a deep breath. to try and relax a little and remember that this is still tony stark. he may not be the man he knows from back home, but it's still him.]

Its kind of been a long couple of days. You're not allowed to judge me.

[ he's looking over the suit, wishing he had even rudimentary equipment to analyze it with. of course, he doesn't, which only makes him feel even more useless. ]

Not judging. I'm glad 'cause I'm sure it's better than anything I would've said.

[there's a hint of a smile on his face at that, before he's leaning over to point towards various points of the suit. time for a brief tour.]

So, there's this awesome set of legs that spring out of the back from here. That's new. They weren't in my old suit. And there used to be a drone here in my old suit. I'm not sure if you put one in this too. Oh yeah. The lenses react to light, and I think there's some kind of soundproofing too, which really helps a lot. Cause otherwise it's too bright and loud most of the time.

[he pulls his hands back then, grinning openly now.]

When you found me the first time, you hated my suit. I had to make it myself, and all I had were like-- Old clothes and stuff I got out the dumpster. It worked though.

New legs, okay... Drone, check.

[ enhanced senses are a double-edged sword. that has to be torture when you're a kid. tony blinks, running a hand back through his hair. ]

Are any of the systems online? [ he snorts at the follow-up. ] Yeah, I'm kind of elitist like that.

[ if wanting to keep your friends and surrogate son safe is elitist. ]

[he shakes his head, his urge to grab the hood and recheck whether karen has found her way back being stomped down on. if anyone can work out how to fix her here, it's tony. so defaulting to the other man's lead has to be the way to go right now.]

Karen kind of runs everything. My webshooters might still work, but they're calibrated for my normal strength, so I can't test them out anymore.

[given that he only has a fraction of that strength now.]

[ wait a minute. he snaps, pulling his phone out of his pocket as well as a usb cable. he feels along the seams of the suit until he finds the port and connects it. then he starts swiping furiously at the screen. ]

I'm in. [ he finds the webshooters script and reads his own future code. it's like having a dream where you're einstein or something - it's weird and cool and frustrating all at once. ] We can recalibrate it. Once I reboot...

[ and he's gone. he'll remember peter is there eventually, give him a minute. ]

[he's silent as he watches, fingers itching to get involved but knowing he doesn't have that option here. not when they don't have access to the same tech that tony's lab holds. there isn't even a high school chemistry set for him to knock up a quick batch of webbing to distract himself with. what he does have though is access to a pair of seemingly bored robots and a distracted (future) mentor.

so naturally, he's off to play with dum-e and u. one clearly a lot more interested in play time than the other.

yes, tony. that is a teenager playing fetch with a robot. but at least it's distracting him from trying to reclaim his suit for now.]

test drive meme # 3

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