( ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ) ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛɪᴅɪɴɢs | ( ɴᴘᴄ ᴘᴏsᴛ )

[acatastoria]

[ there is a sudden sparking that emits from your magical watches and a hologram appears, showing a petit woman with dark hair. her eyes seem to hold a certain amount of mischief and light, and when she speaks, you listen. it's something about her; you are captivated by her presence, and you can't help but give her your attention. ]

Hello, hello, hello~! ♥

[ it's a trill of a voice, light and airy. ]

I know you've all just arrived~♥ but I wanted to introduce myself! To those who haven't met me, my name is Astoria! I know many of you are likely unhappy with being found here, and I understand. But the need is urgent, and dire, and I am in desperate need of your help, as is the universe in which we reside. There is much darkness, in this universe . . . plenty of worlds on the brink of collapse, or at the precipice of something great. It is my job -- our job -- to help where needed. Like superheroes, but a little less flashy!

[ she pauses. ]

No offense to the superheroes. -- but anyway! I want to let you know were we're going to go first.

[ she takes in a D E E P breath!! ]

There is a city, by the name of El Minha. It's beautiful, an oasis in the desert. There are many shops and stalls and the entire city is bustling, but El Minha is facing a difficult path. Transitions of power are hard, you know? And they have a new King, who is . . . probably nice, but the people there are suffering. Crime is at an all-time high, and King Kathashun can only do so much . . . if he's doing anything at all.

[ she brushes a loose piece of hair behind her ear, and astoria smiles a little. it is obvious, by now, that she's definitely bubbly and full of spirit, but she is deadly serious about her mission. ]

I truly believe that we have the ability to help those who need it most, and those people are in desperate need. So we're going to go there, explore, and talk to them! And maybe, just maybe, we can affect some good in this world, and change the tide for the better for these poor people.

[ she pauses. ]

So that's where we're going first! But before that, I'm here to greet you, to support you, and welcome you to my beautiful Temple. Please, please, please make yourselves at home! I'll be here if you have any questions. ♥

[ astoria pauses before lifting up a single finger, as if she's forgotten something important. ]

Oh, and please let me know if you find anything interesting or important or otherwise peculiar in the Temple! The Forest of the Fey is a magical place, and I'm keeping a careful eye on all of you explorers to make sure you don't get too lost, but my dear friends within the forest may like playing with you all, so be respectful of the wildlife! It may fight back. ♥

[ is she serious? the world may never know. ]

Comments

voice only ->

[kimaris]

[ He's not really responding to the woman speaking, but to anyone who may still be listening and discussing all of the information that was just dumped on them. After a long pause, he's talking, light and distant and heavily filtered, as if he were speaking through a speaker as well as the communicator:

Alternatively, look at this powers post if you want! ]

It seems like we should play along for now.

voice.

[insubordination]

[ roy, too, hasn't bothered responding to astoria, and has instead just been listening. absorbing the conversations, watching and examining how she interacts with others . . . ]

Playing along seems to be our only option.

[ this isn't a choice. ]

[kimaris]

Mm.

[ It's pretty noncommittal for now, but he's following up after a moment. ]

I don't suppose you know how we really got here?

[ Forgive him for not believing anyone mentioning it to him before, especially the hologram lady. ]

[insubordination]

No, but I suspect she's telling the truth.

[ with something of a heavy sigh. ]

This isn't the first time I've been dragged from home to a new world. If she's lying, it's an extraordinarily elaborate one. Her motivations might be suspect, but why we're all here is likely exactly what she says -- she brought us here to do something.

[kimaris]

[ "This isn't the first time I've been dragged from home to a new world." Excuse him, but what. ]

I wonder if that something will benefit who we're led to believe?

[ His tone is curious, but also skeptical. ]

[insubordination]

There's no way to know, is there?

[ a counter-question, but it answers his own; roy doubts it. ]

But I'm not so quick to trust and believe someone who kidnapped me.

[video]

[reincarnivorous]

[Opening herself up to questions like this--that has to be reassuring, doesn't it? Kite thought she might have misremembered Astoria's effervescence, but that is... apparently not the case. There are a lot of files to go through before Kite activates the video feature.]

I have a question. [raising her other hand like this is a classroom] What happened to the people who came before?

[video]

[acatastoria]

[ . . . huh. ]

What do you mean, people who came before? You are all the first people I've brought here by my own power; I've never done this before.

Re: [video]

[reincarnivorous]

You haven't?

[Hmm... How sincere does Astoria seem to be about this?]

[video]

[acatastoria]

[ she is telling the truth about that! this is the first round of people that she has brought here. but after some thought, she seems to think of another nuance: ]

You're the only group of people I've ever brought here, but are you asking if anyone has ever lived here? Where did the buildings come from?

[video]

[reincarnivorous]

Yes, that's what I'm asking.

[It was not quite what she was asking! But something she also wants to know. What happens to them when Astoria is done with them? Has it occurred to Kite that the previous party might be the ghostly servants floating around the place? Yes. Like, a lot.]

video.

[cakebuffet]

Wait a second, worlds? As in multiple worlds?

[It's not as much of a logical leap for Ann as it could be, considering some of her experiences back home, but still— getting through a day like today without experiencing some kind of culture shock would be nothing short of a miracle.]

I have like, a million questions, but mostly... what do you expect us to be able to do? [Specifically, her.] The only way I know of to help anyone is—

[Her face falls slightly, and she frowns.]

It's missing. I can't feel it anymore.

video.

[acatastoria]

In a perfect scenario, you would all have the gifts you were born with . . . but the Temple is interfering with that, and I'm not sure how to fix it. So I did my best to give you all gifts to assist you in your fight with my own power.

[ she pauses. ]

The universe is full of ills, Ann. El Minha isn't the only one struggling.

video.

[cakebuffet]

[It's strange, to not be able to hear Carmen's voice or to feel her after so many months of their co-existing, because she's more than just a power— she's a part of her, and that makes her absence so much worse.]

Even if you gave us gifts of your own... I don't know how much help I can be.

[Confidence isn't something Ann is generally lacking in, but she currently feels so displaced and unlike herself that she can't quite help it.]

But— that much, I already know. My world is struggling, too.

video.

[acatastoria]

I believe you can be of great help, regardless of whatever power you have. But I know it must be a large adjustment, to be here, without what you previously had. I'm sorry I couldn't make it work better for you.

[ astoria pauses. ]

But once I can figure out how to return to what I'm supposed to be doing, perhaps I could lend my energy to your world, to help and assist. I'd like to do that, if I could.

video.

[cakebuffet]

Seriously?

[Not that she doubts her intentions, but Ann isn't used to people just offering their help to others for the sake of it— it's part of why her own world has the potential to be in so much trouble.]

Well... if that's the case, then I hope it works out. What exactly are you supposed to be doing? Is it really as simple as just... 'helping'?

[Video]

[tranquilforest]

[Even though several people here had been patiently helping her, the watches were still strange to her, and honestly, so was this entire experience, but since that was how their hostess was choosing to communicate with them, she could only respond in kind, as was only polite.]

Thank you, Esteemed Lady, for inviting us to your lovely home. Xinyao hopes she hasn't taken too great a liberty by clearing some space for a small garden in the courtyard.

[Video]

[acatastoria]

Oh, please do! That's absolutely lovely.

[ warmly ]

Is it a flower garden or a vegetable garden?

[Video]

[tranquilforest]

[That's such an encouraging response that she blinks up almost in surprise, an answering warm smile on her face.]

Unfortunately there are some limitations to what seeds are among my personal effects from home. Most of them are herbs and vegetables. [She's also like to plant flowers, but tearing up the whole courtyard to do a proper garden is probably going a little beyond the polite bounds of guest behavior.] That would likely be the most useful to those of us living here now and in the future.

[Video]

[acatastoria]

What do you need, in order to have a full garden like that?

[ astoria's magic is immense, but somewhat limited due to her current predicament. still, giving lin xinyao what she needs in order to successfully garden doesn't seem to be that strenuous. ]

I would love to see what you can come up with, and create, and add to the Temple.

[Video]

[tranquilforest]

[For such a simple question, she takes what seems like a long moment to think on exactly how to answer it.]

The best gardens make use of local plants and features. What is really needed for a garden would be more information; what the weather is like here, how the seasons pass... There are so many beautiful flowers in the forest that are tempting, but in my current ignorance there is also the risk of disruption or damage.

[She tilts her head forward, a politely respectful gesture.] Xinyao would avoid disrupting you overmuch, Eminent Lady. But if there are books or some other materials Xinyao could consult on this place, she would greatly prefer it.

[voice]

[thetenthstorm]

There's always so much darkness, isn't there? [He blows out a breath.] You really think all these people you cobbled together can help? [He's a lot like her, really. And that's... probably why he's so doubtful.]

[voice]

[acatastoria]

If I didn't think they could help, I would've have tried.

[ but hope is an important thing, and she has to have it. ]

[moneytwin]

[ To say Vex has been less than pleased to be enlisted in saving the world (or worlds in this case), again, without her consent, would be something of an understatement.

(When he had was going to want to kill this woman. And as for Vax...)

But first things first: ]

How did you manage to transport so many of us to the Feywild? Are you an archfey? [oh ...Gods, this isn't punishment for going to the Theatre, is it]

[acatastoria]

The Feywild?

[ curious. ]

The Forest of the Fey is here, but I don't think this is called the Feywild. I call it the Temple of Beginnings.