entrancelogs | Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket

Entry tags:

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket | OPEN

Who: EVERYONE and all the stars in the sky
Where: Mostly on the grounds, though some have crashed through windows and walls.
When: 2/29 → 3/6
Rating: PG-13, label it if you're gonna go higher.
Summary: Shooting stars have fallen in Wonderland, and they're bringing with them glimmers of Wonderyears past! A catch all log for the fallen star holograms.
The Story:

Each glittering, golden star brings the woosh of a sonic boom and there are impacts that shake the whole world. They crash hard into the snow, the trees, and even break through a few windows. None of them leave behind meteors or space debris, but instead just a glimmering cloud at each point of impact. In each gold light is a projection, a scene lit by starlight and moondust, a memory of years ago. Even if someone were to be struck by one, it would simply pass through them.

These are just the first stars to fall. More will come the next night, and the night after that, and perhaps even more. When budding astronomers look upward, they will notice fewer and fewer constellations dot the night sky with each passing day.

All memories are semi-opaque, and will play in a loop in one spot the whole time. Most stars will have landed somewhere on the grounds, but some might have crashed through a window, playing their memory inside the mansion. Characters can listen to and watch the scenes as many times as they like, but they will be unable to influence or interact with the memories in any way.

You can make a top level comment with all the scenes people will get to see. Please include who is in your memory and where it can be found somewhere in your top level. Either prose or [action brackets] are welcome! And finally, check out our plotting post for reminders on what everyone's doing, or ideas for the finishing touches on your memories or the most recent event announcement for more on the falling stars.

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"You can rest assured it's not much of a leg." After his encounter with Cullen, his thoughts on the matter are rueful. "Not one I'm crazy about, anyway."

On the other hand, he wouldn't want to be saddled with a Ferelden still threatened by civil war and an archdemon, either. Why couldn't there be a Thedas where mages frolic happily through fields of flowers under rainbow skies, and why couldn't he have been born into it? Life is unfair.

"Walking away from the Battle of Ostagar is a good start," he offers in lieu of trying to offer her rock solid hope he doesn't possess. Aedan Cousland hadn't walked away from the archdemon in the end, and there's no guarantee she... has? Will? He can understand why someone in her position would be uncomfortable brandishing his title like a member of the Legion bragging about their inevitable death to anyone who'll listen. Smile turning dramatically weary, he adds, "It'll be an effort on my part, but if you insist, I think I can manage Robyn Cousland."

He then turns and points at the three apparitions bickering among each other--specifically at the mage with the dark raven hair.

"Assuming these are your travelling companions from Ferelden, is she who I think she is...?"

Edited 2016-03-13 02:33 (UTC)

Maybe, in an alternate Thedas, there is a Ferelden like that. Where nugs run free, squeaking happily, without any weird toes. Where everyone has enough blankets and no one sends their children to awful, magic summer camps for the rest of their lives. Maybe. But not in their Thedas.

"Walking away from Highever was a good start," she corrects, albeit carefully. If she thinks too much about that night, the brick and mortar of the well of those grieving emotions begin to crack. "If Duncan hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it to become a Warden in the first place."

Funny how life works like that. ... Well, maybe not funny, in this case, but.

"Morrigan," Robyn confirms, nodding, with a little smile. "You can tell because she gets on the worst with Alistair." The Warden watches the scene, studying her own, strange reflection, shaking her head slowly at it all.

"She was here, you know, when I first arrived. And... in person, not just in a vision. Though... she vanished not long after that."

Highever, in contrast to its name, is in fact a major downer when it pops up in casual conversation. Anders grimaces slightly, but he has the foresight not to make it worse by revealing how he's familiar with the name Highever.

The Wardens' love of shovelling dirt on one another means Anders had known for a while how Nathaniel's father had fallen out of favor and what he'd done to leave the rest of his family all but destitute, but if the Howes and the Couslands' history remains the same in both timelines, Nathaniel Howe is... probably not the best topic to shine a spotlight on.

"There is that. Wardens seem to have an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time." Thinking it best to keep the conversation moving on, Anders turns toward Morrigan. His interest isn't entirely to do with wanting the distraction; her identity is a sight more fascinating now that he knows she's one of the Hero's companions. You hear stories about the Witches of the Wilds... For supposedly being a terrifying forest-dweller, she's sure easy on the eyes."

There's nothing wrong with reporting the facts! Unbeknownst to him, another appreciative smirk sneaks up and settles at the corner of his mouth until the smaller woman beside him reveals all three faces in the memory had been here at one time. "Was she? That must have been before my time."

"For being in the right place at the right time..." she repeats, chuckling lightly. "Or, being in the right place to take care of all the deeds other need done." It had been Alistair who'd commented on how often they seemed to do menial tasks for others, and though she's usually thought of it as being helpful, as doing their duty as Wardens, it... does get a little tiring.

"She is at that," Robyn agrees. "A beautiful woman and skilled mage." One with a silver tongue, and a sharp one, if her bickering with Alistair is any indication. "I'll never understand why she decided to travel with us, but I think the change in scenery must have been nice, at least."

From swamp to... camp, mostly.

"It was months before. But, you know, she may still come back. That is the way of things, here."

People come and go, are remembered and forgotten. It's a stranger place than the Fade, certainly, which is saying something.

"I can only imagine that's true for a Warden during the Blight," he muses, head tipped to the side. "Doing everyone else's dirty work, that is. Perhaps the Wardens have some sort of magnetic allure to apostates I didn't know about--that would explain why so many of us end up in their company. Well... that and the fact the Wardens have more appeal than the Circle."

Or death, which is usually the other outcome for mages who reject the Circle of Magi system. Anders thinks instincts for making the most of opportunities been sharpened to a rather fine point by now, hence how he'd ended up as a Warden himself; maybe this Morrigan had found value in working with them, too.

This vision, or whatever it is, doesn't exactly make her seem the type to stand against a darkspawn horde on account of her big heart.

"For her sake, I hope she doesn't. But it makes these looping scenes even more peculiar. This conversation didn't actually happen while she was here, did it?" It doesn't seem likely, given they're talking about designing another building in it.

"I don't think Morrigan considers herself an apostate in the same way that so many others do," Robyn muses, looking to the vision - 'memory' - of the woman in question. "She was never afraid that templars would come for her, she... seemed to be out of their reach, somehow. Considering the strength of her mother, I can say with some certainty that it would be difficult to capture or persecute the pair of them."

The Warden watches the scene again, brows knit slightly, considering it. Finally, she shakes her head, as if disappointed that she couldn't confirm.

"Not that I can remember. For one thing, Alistair wasn't here before Morrigan disappeared, and there never was talk of building another mansion. I think this must be an illusion, or it's more likely to be so than for it to have been real and that we've all forgotten."

Then again, there's been so much confusion with all of their memories that just about anything seems possible at this point.

"Her mother?" Anders can't imagine what being unafraid of the Templar Order is like as a mage captured by the templars early, and for a few rare moments his feelings and his demeanor are perfectly in sync in their wistfulness. "I envy that."

But that's all Thedas politics. He's had his fill of it for one day and he shakes the blanket of longing off.

"It makes for interesting theatre," he says in an effort not to be sucked into heavier thought. "Then again, so does most of Wonderland."

"The original Witch of the Wilds, I think." Her smile turns faintly grim at the memory of their encounters with Flemeth and what had ultimately happened (or, didn't happen, according to Hawke). "Best hope you never meet her."

Would she seek revenge for their attempt on her life? Would she even remember that it happened?

"So it does, though it's without much of anything to be learned from it." Robyn peers again at the memory, considering. "As you say, though, that does seem to be a theme throughout Wonderland."

"But they've been telling stories about them for decades. Longer than that, I'm sure," he replies, looking thoughtfully at Morrigan's likeness. "Whoever started the myth must be long dead. I thought it was like a title passed down to any female, tree-hugging hedge mage willing to live in the deep forest and scare passer-by."

It doesn't occur to him the stories could be about the same woman.

"I couldn't tell you why some of us seem to be swapping genders or popping up in these little vignettes." An apologetic shrug. That's a bit above his pay grade. "I'm still working on figuring out what kind of realm we're dealing with."

So far, "a confusing one" is about the long and short of it.

"It may be..." But Robyn knows, or thinks she knows, the truth of Flemeth's longevity. Of how stealing her daughters' youth for her own. It had been why Morrigan bid them to fight and kill her, though that hadn't worked out well for anyone, apparently. It reminds the Warden that Morrigan may still be in danger.

"I don't think any of those are easy answers," she says, with a bit of a grim smile. "We don't have many, in Wonderland."

If only it were a simple thing to take all this at face value.

"I wonder if the other residents have the same issues, the same... inconsistencies between their memories from home," she muses quietly, trying to think if she'd heard as much from any of the people she'd met who hadn't been from Thedas.

The unanswered questions about the origins of the Witches of the Wild aren't as important as those regarding Wonderland, but Anders' smile suggests he's not bothered by the severe disadvantage they're in. "You seem like a go-getter. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Heroes of Ferelden in any universe must be good at that, or else Thedas wouldn't have a future to screw with everyone's memories.

"Or maybe we pulled the short straw and the memory manipulation was reserved just for us."

He's kidding. Mostly.

"Ah, we'll see. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Anders." Robyn laughs lightly, glancing again to the mage. "I hope you'll share any answers you find so I'm not still poking around for them like an idiot."

She can be very persistent, but their current home doesn't seem very willing to offer up solutions to their many, bizarre problems.

"It's possible. The queen may have some issue with those from Thedas." It's a joke, though, just as his is, since... well, what are the odds that they've been picked from such a large group to suffer an additional, especially-confusing problem? No, whatever it is, it can't only affect them. Can it?

"We wouldn't want that," he teases, smiling. "We're both still Wardens, albeit in a weird way, and we're on the same side. I'm happy to help pitch in if it means putting an early end to this transdimensional holiday."

Things to do, people to see. She understands. If she still thinks she has an archdemon to fight elsewhere, she's probably more motivated than most to get back to Ferelden.

"As she should! If she's behind this and she thinks she can hold us here forever, she has another thing coming."

"Then, that can be our official, Grey Wardens mission for the time being," she says, nudging him lightly. "Ending the holiday. It sounds much better than our usual list."

List, yes, because there's always so many things to do. Not to mention the general 'stop the blight' and 'defeat the darkspawn.'

"Maybe not forever, but she's managed to keep a number of the others here for a long time." It's concerning, to say the least, and it brings about more questions than it answers about the abilities and powers of the person (people?) who are in charge here, if it can be called that.

"I like this plan," he declares at the nudge. She has a fun side for being a Hero of Ferelden with breasts.

Not that Anders is overjoyed to get back to the usual list of darkspawn and impending doom, but this time loop business is dangerous, not to mention that any world like this that has remained hidden by virtue of its memory-wiping is not a place Anders feels comfortable leaving to its own devices.

"That's reason enough for a good, long chat." He rests a hand on his hip. "And I'd like to ask what these strange "events" are all about. This picture show with the stars seems to be a message for us--but what about, I can only guess."

Is it better or worse that they have no idea when they'll go back to their regularly-scheduled work of ending Blights and defeating darkspawn? If they knew the time and date, they might be able to better spend their time in the meanwhile, but... they would have to dread its approach. For now, they've got no idea one way or the other, which makes things perpetually climactic.

Ah, well. Things can always be worse.

"You ought to venture through the mirrors, then," she suggests, lightly. "They say that's where the Queen of Hearts lives. Though, then we would have to meet with your Mirror, and he may not be nearly so charming."

"That's right, the Mirrors... That's an added complication I'd almost forgotten about." His hand goes to his chin. It was easy to grow accustomed to the mirrors scattered about the mansion after so long.

"I haven't seen this so-called switch between us and our shadow selves for myself as yet. I haven't heard a peep from mine. I'm the best me that I know, so you're probably right. If you see me become dull and overly invested in politics, take note--chances are it's an imposter doing a poor impression of me."

Or it's an Anders that's undergone a complete personality change thanks to being possessed by Justice. Same thing, really.

"Dull and political. I've got it." She isn't sure what her own double might be like, if they're meant to be true opposites or otherwise, but she isn't particularly excited to find out. Most people speak of the Mirrors as violent and downright horrible, so to meet a version of herself who falls along those lines--

Ah. Wouldn't it (she) end up being a lot like the Aedan Cousland that Alistair had described?

"Best not to think about it for now," Robyn sighs, shifting her stance and frowning. "If it draws from our memories, I can only imagine that it can pick through our thoughts as well. I wouldn't want it pulling those Mirrors through just because we've been talking badly about them."

It wouldn't surprise her, though. Wonderland seems the sort, strange and spiteful entity as it's proven to be.

"Then I'd be a goner for sure! My thoughts haven't been all that flattering."

If Anders had a copper for every time he gossiped about someone behind their back, he'd be richer than all the nobles in Ferelden put together, so the thought of devils on their shoulders being summoned up by griping gives him a reason to laugh.

"But now that you mention Mirror reflections, perhaps they have something to do with this..." Lacking a proper name for the memories playing out around them, he waves a hand in their direction. "Whatever this is about. Perhaps these reenactments aren't showing us at all. I mean, is that any crazier than these actually showing us doing things we don't remember?"

He's willing to open his mind to all sorts of possibilities these days.

The Warden considers her fellow, one brow quirked curiously as she listens. Reflections.

"You mean, could these... scenes be from the other side of the mirrors? From our-- doubles?" No, the word is bitter on her tongue, and she knows immediately that she doesn't want to be compared with the awful beings that she's heard so much about. Robyn looks distasteful for a moment, staring intently at some of the 'memories' in the distance.

"I'm not sure what would be better or worse," she admits, twining her fingers at her front. "We know it's complicated and mysterious and... that's really it, unfortunately. Unless one of our own knows more and is holding out on us."

"It's an idea. Who's to say? It'd make about as much sense as anything," he says.

Stars falling from the sky? Little girls with no eyes? On the strangeness scale, those things are difficult to top. Mirror people from a mirror land fit right in.

"If one of them has figured it out," he adds, "then I'd consider shaking their hand and giving them a round of applause. Anyone who can make sense out of this muddle has my respect. But all things being equal, I can't see why anyone would want to protect Wonderland's secrets. It does that well enough on its own."

"All fair points," the Warden concedes. "I can't think of a reason for deception, either, but... then, people often do things for no apparent reason than to be contrary."

She has a lot of experience with that, traveling with... the diverse group in her party. Even without that variety, the people that they've met along their journey are more than enough to make her point.

"It's something to consider," Robyn says finally. She glances away from the nearest shard and to the mansion, figuring that it's been more than enough time of watching memories that may or may not be her own.

"I should go back; I don't think watching it again and again will help me make any more sense of it." She smiles affably, turning back to the mage. "I hope we can talk again soon, though. If not because we're both Wardens, then because I'd like to try and come up with something like an escape attempt, and you seem willing enough to try and scheme with me."

It's a benevolent scheme, though! At least... for the residents of Wonderland. The natives might not be so pleased.

Anders laughs again. "Is that a bit of the cynic I detect in your tone? Not that I'm disagreeing with you. There are a surprising amount of people who seem comfortable here."

He considers himself on Team "Pool Resources and Escape," which is why he's more than happy to keep digging and share any worthwhile findings. Investigating these repeating loops hasn't yielded much that he can make sense of, but he'll keep at it. There's always the hope something will jump out at him.

"Certainly! Consider me ready to report for duty. It was an honour to finally make your acquaintance." Today has truly been a day for celebrity sightings.

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Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket | OPEN

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