▶ TDM .009

[prismods]

Now whip it

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"Devo - Whip It (Video)" (Watch on YouTube)

You awaken amidst the darkness with only a faint light to greet you. Your body is hemmed in by shards of crystals, gently sparkling and possibly pricking your skin. The surrounding landscape is dyed in the pinks and purples of the dusk filled with crystals protruding from the ground, some as large as a skyscraper. Even the few shy moon creatures you find in the wild have strange crystal growths on their hides. This is far from home— perhaps a dream? You pinch your skin and slap your cheeks, yet nothing seems to do the trick. Searching for answers yields nothing but an endless expanse of purple dust as far as the eye can see. You have four options: one, panic; two, soil yourself; three, admire it all then soil yourself; or four, go into survival mode. Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re not alone.

After a day or two of living off the crystal wilderness, a group of people find you worse for wear. They are the gallant Moon Knights from the planet of Prismatica. After the strange phenomenon during the past months when scientists observed the sudden appearance of rainbow crystals in the sky, the government has been feverishly combing through the moon for more Moonblessed to be rescued. You’ll eventually be brought into Iris’s moon government center.

You all may have your usual inquiries — Where are we? Who are you? What's going on? Why did I inhale all those permanent markers in the third grade? — and the Prismals are almost too eager to answer. They tell you about their world and about the first appearance of the Moonblessed as the medical staff give you an examination to make sure you’re not carrying any viruses or biological hazards. If you react violently, you may be restrained and nerfed with a specialized neurotransmitting gun that releases a numbing agent through the top of your spine. Once the examinations are over, you’re informed that you will be provided accommodations on their planet during your stay.

While waiting for transport to be prepared, you may freely roam around the government center. Eventually you’re called back from exploring, escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel that makes frequent trips back and forth between the moons and the planet. Faces onboard vary from both old and new Moonblessed as well as the local Prismals. The next destination: Prismatica.

▶ Whip It Good
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and Planet Prismatica, City of Lunatia | top

Welcome to Prismatica’s hub, Lunatia, the city of your dreams! A bustling metropolis lush with bright lights, vibrant colors, luxuriant plant life, and all the conveniences of technology absent from your own world… It seems like paradise to all the uninitiated. After a quick tour of the city, new arrivals can find themselves getting cozy in their new homes.

 A  Settle in your new home at Level 2 to find new roommates and say hello to your neighbors! City officials will give you directions to the designated districts across Level 2 and instruct you to pick out a unit. Each apartment complex has a different aesthetic, some may look cozy, some stylish, and some bizarre. The free accommodations have a basic living space that can only fit two or three people at most in one unit.

Starter Chromaspace furnishings are provided which can be controlled with the touch of a built-in panel. Examples are color-changing curtains, transforming sofa beds, cabinets turning into tables, etc. Customizing your apartment or moving out will have to wait until you earn more chroma. Until then, why don’t you check out your new neighborhood or explore the city levels? Maybe your new roommates or neighbors can give you a “hand” with allowance for dinner.

 B  At the Crystarium Moonports is a new family restaurant called Grapplebears, here to serve your favorite dishes from all around the galaxy at affordable prices! The menu ranges from the atomically hot and spicy Chamakshalan curry rice, delectable dragonsaur steak served with mashed space-tatoes, to the sweet and creamy Lunatian milkshakes that bring all the boys to the yard, all prepared by their handsome and huggable bear crew.

As you might have noticed, the restaurant staff is a ragtag group with members from planets unknown to both Prismals and Moonblessed. The waiters and waitresses in particular are tall, muscular, leather-clad bears who take your order by whipping you with a special riding crop that compels you to bark out your order — but only if you ask to be, of course! They might induce you to reveal other unrelated interests so make sure you’re not thinking about anything embarrassing!

If you chat up the staff or customers, you learn more about the restaurant’s origins. The bears say their planets* were also wiped by the Calamity hundreds of years ago, and life for them has been difficult for them since then…

*Further information about these planets is unavailable at this time.

▶ Night of the Living Dummy
City of Lunatia | top

The last vestiges of Geistnacht have officially passed and the first chilly autumn breeze ushers in the new season. The city is awash in giant piles of browning leaves that decorate every walkway.

 A  To deal with the mass collection of fallen leaves, many buildings across the city have been retrofitted with a new disposal system to help clean up. A sprawling network of automated vacuum tubes around the city will efficiently suck all those pesky leaves right up. While children love playing inside and using them to “teleport” around Lunatia, they have also been known to spontaneously suck up anyone who’s not too careful. You may find yourself falling on some hapless bystander on their afternoon walk, or crammed in a tube with your new neighbors. Lunar Scientia officials warn everyone to be careful of where you walk, else you might need to crawl your way to sweet freedom.

 B  A pop-up shop in Level 1 is attracting much of the locals' attention, run by a peddler who speaks in a low, elongated hiss and wears a hood over his face. He assures you that his face is of no consequence. What is more important is his selection of wares! In contrast to his cloaked, enigmatic appearance, his travel cart is a Barbie pink explosion of frills, hearts, glitter. He will tell all visitors he comes from the Valley of the Crimson Serpents, which Prismals and older Moonblessed arrivals find odd. Wasn’t the Sanguis moon uninhabitable?

Among the peddler’s wares are adorable, wide-eyed and heavily perfumed dolls in all sorts of clothes a child dreaming of rainbows and tea parties could ever ask for. Hug and squeeze a doll, and you will be greeted by a pre-recorded voice telling you how they’re your bestest friend ever. It’s like they were made for lovin’ you! But if you look away for one moment, you can almost swear you hear a snake’s hiss, its long tongue licking the shell of your ear… The next time you see the doll, its body will be in a slightly different position or location. Is it… following you? Fortunately, a minimal amount of moonlacing will make it leave you alone. You can wait it out too, but why would you?

Destroy a doll and it will later reappear wherever you are when you least expect it, good as new, but leaking from their porcelain heads is a strange pink, glitter-covered liquid. The peddler calls it the “love juice” giving the doll an extra dose of affection for you.

▶ Bird is the Word
Level 2, Greatmoon Groves | top

As autumn paints Lunatia with its golden hues, pumpkin decorations and desserts are now in vogue. This is thanks to Chroma-infused pumpkin seeds, which allow them to rapidly grow in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors. The Moonblessed are invited to visit one of the largest pumpkin patches in the city housed within the Greatmoon Groves, where they can enjoy the sight of oversized, colorful neon and sparkling semi-phallic pumpkins, expertly carved to greet you with their buck-toothed smiles.

 A  The pumpkin patch is full of toddler-sized creatures called hugbugs. When they are not tending to the pumpkins, they follow the Moonblessed around, requesting hugs and treats in exchange for their obedience.

Reward them and they will do simple errands for you and give you compliments. They will also be your personal hype men, talking up your strengths, talents, and physical assets to all those special someones you’re trying to impress. Once you earn their trust, they will be your friends for life!

Ignore them, hurt them, or bully them, and they will cry and place a curse upon you, reducing your self-esteem to nothing and magically forcing you to cry along with them. The effects of the curse may last for up to a week if you’re not careful! But how could you do such a thing? The hugbugs are sensitive and want somebody to love.

 B  If you manage to survive your encounter with the hugbugs, you are welcome to join in on the Prismal knitting group and enjoy creating your own fanciful scarf made of Galadrian thread, which is known for its bright, golden sheen and aromatic properties. Give it to a friend or wear it yourself, and you will notice a strange ability to attract animals and insects of all kinds. Live out your Disney Princess fantasy! Or a Hitchcockian nightmare. It’s all a matter of perspective as a whole flock of honking birds comes bounding towards you.

▶ Questions
If you have any questions regarding this test drive meme, please ask them in the Questions thread below.

▶ As a reminder, test drive memes are for new characters only. However, current players are more than welcome to use these prompts for their own posts in the IC communities, personal inboxes, catch-all posts, etc.!
▶ As our test drive memes are game canon, feel free to keep any threads that happen here as canon for your character should they be accepted.

Comments

Linneus | Teahouse

[inaurare]

A - Kelis Lied... or did she?

[there was no need for the order to be compelled from him - there were so few items on the menu that Linneus knew at all it was easy enough to pick. Enji had mentioned milkshakes before and... well, there would be no harm in seeing what the fuss was all about.

Though he might have expected the sharing size. The two "straws". So much about food in this place seemed to be set toward having Prismals share, in some bid to get them closer. He has to lift it with both hands just to start making his way in search of a seat. Pray he does not walk into you. Or drop. it.]


B - Stitch 'n' Bitch

[it's his first time in a knitting circle but if this is what it's like Linneus will probably be back. The soft chatter, and companionship, and tea, and something to occupy his hands? There's something calming about it that he's not really had, since waking up again.

It's been a while since he's last knit, but it comes back to him easy enough. The fiddliest bit is the cast-on, beyond that the steady back-and-forth of the project is easy enough to reawaken muscle memory within the first few rows. But it doesn't seem fair, if someone is struggling, that he should just carry on and not help. Leaning in gently-]

Are you quite all right? Perhaps I can help...?


OOC
((Hello, you all may know me from having been playing in the game the past few months... unfortunately a bunch of stuff came up and I forgot to make AC! But I'm back!))

A

[taketheblame]

[Yuri's here for the food more than the, uh, interesting waiters and waitresses, and he's in the middle of tucking in to a dragonsaur steak from his seat at the bar when he notices a passerby looking for somewhere to sit.

He glances over his shoulder and gestures to the empty stool next to him.]

Hey, sit here if you want. This spot's not taken.

[inaurare]

Oh - thank you.

[an acknowledging dip of the head and he draws closer, making sure the milkshake is safely on the table before settling in one of the stools - they're odd as well, but he perches comfortably enough. It might just be his opinion, but he feels like he's able to take more things in stride, the second time around. Strange as it is to be doing all of this again.]

We have not met, I think. My name is Linneus.

[taketheblame]

Yuri. [A casual smile, before he turns back to his food. He's not much for formalities.] I got more than I bargained for with this place, but I gotta say, the food is worth it.

[inaurare]

[softly chuckling behind his hand]

Ah, that is often the case here, I have found...!

[toying with one of the straws in his milkshake]

I have never been very good with the unexpected, but... I think I have grown a little more resigned to getting more than I bargained for.

[taketheblame]

Heh, yeah. Getting more than I bargained for is pretty much my life, at this point. You get used to it.

[He nudges his plate over to him.] Speaking of unexpected, dragonsaur meat is pretty great. Wanna try some?

[inaurare]

Dragon-saur?

[a delicate tip of his head. He doesn't tend to eat much meat, but that doesn't mean he won't have a taste - just to be polite.]

I fear I don't know what that is... is it something of your own world?

[...it would certainly be good to know what he is tasting, though.]

[taketheblame]

There's dragons in my world, so I guess this is something similar. Normally the hide and bones are used for making stuff, but I've never heard of anyone eating the meat before.

[So this is new for him, too.] Whaddaya think?

[inaurare]

Dragons...

[it may be apparent he's not really sure what those are, either.]

If I might, I will try only a little? I cannot say I favour meat quite as much as others do...!

[casting around - there is usually cutlery laid out in such establishments as this...]

And you are welcome to some of mine too, of course. I'm not sure I shall make much progress with it on my own...!

[taketheblame]

You know, like monsters? [Or dragon-like Entelexeia, though those don't seem to exist here, so he might just confuse the guy more by bringing those into the picture.

Yuri passes him a spare pair of cutlery on his side of the bar.]

Here. And thanks-- I'll take you up on that. [Yuri might not look it, but he likes sweet things and desserts more than he seems. He takes a straw of the milkshake, taking a sip.] Huh, this is good.

B

[swordhardy]

Am I doing it wrong?

[ Says the guy more or less completely wrapped up in yarn, the string wrapped around his wrists and forearms, whatever it is he'd been trying to knit just a pathetic clump of wool. Stop him. Please. ]

Usually I'm great with my hands.

[ Especially when it comes to using two of things. Like swords. Knives. Daggers...

Actually, it's only swords, knives, and daggers. The knitting needles seemed sharp enough that this might come to him naturally. Evidentially not. ]

[inaurare]

Not... wrong, precisely.

[just not in a way necessarily conducive towards results? Let's... get him untangled, first.]

The yarn is... rather meant to stay in a ball to your side. [Winding the excess tidily back into its ball] Have you cast on?


((do you even knit, bro))

[swordhardy]

[ He does two (2) things: uses a sword, and uses a second sword!!!

At the mention of cast on, Rokurou nods, shifting his arms now that they're freed from the tangle of yarn as he holds each needle in a hand. ]

Yeah, that part wasn't difficult.

[ True to his word, moving the yarn around the knitting needles and catching it between his fingers is deftly done, though the calluses worked into his hands are likely a good enough tell that he uses them often.

Slip knot—through the loop—left under right—through another loop. ]

Like this?

[inaurare]

[colour Linneus perplexed - how can he have that right and yet the yarn is still everywhere?!]

And you've enough stitches to work with? Was there enough explanation on how to knit a stitch...?

[swordhardy]

Knit a stitch?

I was just making knots over and over.

[ Aaaand there it is.

But he was having fun spiraling the yarn around the needles and stabbing them through the hole... surely infinite slip knots can achieve the same thing as knitting? ]

[inaurare]

Oh...

[oh no...]

Well that... won't knit you anything.

[perhaps they can fix this.]

B

[hairpinings]

[ He was concentrating as hard as he could on this, but knitting really wasn't something he had a lot of experience in. He either pulled things too tightly or not tightly enough so really the threads started looking way too clumped together. ]

Glancing over he gives an apologetic smile. ]

Sorry, I don't want to burden you. I think I'm kind of a lost cause.

[inaurare]

Nonsense, not at all...!

[and it's a lot less dire than some work Linneus has seen here. Reaching his hands to take the work, if Yasusada will allow-]

It can be difficult in beginning - it takes some practice to be able to hold the needles and balance the work. The temptation is to hold everything tightly, like this. That makes it harder to knit the stitches, but any looser and it feels as if everything is going to fall out of your hands, doesn't it?

[hairpinings]

It's like you can read my mind.

[ He laughs a little, rubbing at the back of his head. This man really was kind though. He could be finishing his own work, but he stopped to help him...]

I guess I'm more used to using a lot more force with things. It's hard not to do that with this too.

[inaurare]

[there's a smile at that]

Or I have been a learner once, too. But I promise it all gets easier once you are used to it.

[though it is a shame there was no opportunity to practice. A hum of thought]

Would you like to keep the work that you have already done? Or I could unpick it and fix the mistakes but that may take more time than it might to just start again...

[hairpinings]

I don't want to waste the material's I already used but... I also don't want to make you have to take all that time to undo my mistakes.

[ He frowns softly, biting his bottom lip as he thought about it. ]

Maybe I can save it for later...

[inaurare]

Well if not that-- what if you were to take mine?

[he hasn’t a great deal done, but certainly a bit more than Yasusada has]

It would be easier to show you, that way...

[hairpinings]

Y-you wouldn't mind? But you already put such nice work into this one...

[inaurare]

I have, but I can do it again.

[and he can do a more complicated design, perhaps, the second time around. But all his present piece is, really, is knitting and purling.]

It would be easier to show you through it, with this. And then once you have the fundamentals you will be able to finish it by yourself.

[hairpinings]

If you're absolutely sure, then please teach me. I'll listen to your every word.

[ He lowered his head in his sitting position, bowing a bit to his new companion. ]