prismaticrap | ▶ TDM OVERFLOW .001

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▶ TDM OVERFLOW .001

Cybernetic dream, something like you've never seen

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▶ Lisa Frank's LSD Fun House
anytime, anywhere on the moon Iris | top

Everything is darkness except for dim lights sparkling in the distance, a faint gleam that greets you as you start to unfurl from your dormant state. 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. Throat parched and skin dry and aching, you grope your body in alarm to make sure your possessions are still in place. 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 only rewards you with 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.

A ⬤ As you traverse the near-barren landscape, you feel something sting your skin. It's small and subtle at first, then you finally catch sight of it: an elegant, crystalline mosquito buzzing around from the corner of your eye. However, a pest is still a pest. After a while, marks near your welts begin to form strange patterns on your skin, mimicking ancient runes. Each rune has with it a particular side-effect that may hinder you on your journey:
✾ The Mark of the Enchanter: Hallucinations, hallucinations galore. Your character will see everything and anything their imagination can conjure and will have difficulty separating reality from fiction.
₪ The Mark of the Destroyer: Limbs start to cease their function, causing you to stumble or try and get around one-handed. Other certain body parts may be affected as well. Look at the bright side: you can stop worrying about jiggle physics and hiding your fear boner.
⍢ The Mark of the Sinner: Your hunger, your thirst, your fatigue and your desire are at an all-time high. Your impulses are rabid and uncontrollable. Maybe you experience only one of those symptoms. Maybe you experience them all. All you know is that you want relief now.

These effects will eventually clear up with a bit of accidental or purposeful physical contact with another person, making you wonder if there was anything wrong with you at all.

B ⬤ Hunger starts to gnaw at you vigorously. Perhaps you consider hunting the moon's creatures to sate your hunger. That's when you see it: a thick, meaty, juicy meal on legs. ~~No, we're not talking about Alex Louis Armstrong~~. A wild silver-white pegasus runs across the purple landscape, its hair billowing in the wind as its hooves smack loudly against the ground. Try and shoot it, and you may find your efforts curtailed by its legendary rage. Eyes aglow and wings beating up a storm, this pegasus is no dainty horse. Two thousand pounds of pure muscle swoop down and charge at you, all blades and ammunition deflecting off its impenetrable skin. Taming appears impossible; it will buck anyone away and leave a sizable horn- or hoof-shaped hole in them for their efforts. Hunting it, however, should be easier. Relatively.

C ⬤ Or you may decide that you'd like to take a drink in the prismatic waters. A small pond can be found just a few miles away from where you first awoke, but gazing into it reflects what appears to be a window into your own world. You see the faces of loved ones or at least someone very close and familiar to you gathered around your prone body, shaking it frantically as though to try and rouse you, yet your image lies frozen and unresponsive, not even a whisper of life running through you. Did you die in your world? Is this your afterlife? The questions start to pile up along with the gnawing dread that you may never return home again.

▶ Camp Nowhere
anytime, anywhere on the moon iris | top

Time moves strangely when you're trapped on a moon with no sun to guide you. Hours feel like days, and days feel like weeks. Travelling has rendered you weak and tired. Luckily, a few crystal formations in the shape of a cavern may offer you a small place refuge as you decide to nap. You notice a few artifacts left over from previous explorers.

D ⬤ A comm unit abandoned within the cavern will display the former owner's idol obsession. As you tap the buttons indiscriminately, a holographic screen will appear, and you will see a fabulous recorded concert featuring three bubbly young ladies in animal print, singing to you about something called Cordis, a cat, and a bag of gems. Does this make any sense to you? Probably not, but the beat is catchy. You may even find yourself tapping a foot along to it. Don’t worry. We know it’s plastic love.

E ⬤ There's a small cooler-like container of preserved powdered food bags labeled with only the word “Edible” that can be safely consumed. Although the powder tastes as bland as you’d expect, it’s oddly filling, sating either hunger or thirst. But who will be the first — and the bravest — to try eating them?

F ⬤ A strange, pointed instrument is among the effects found in the cavern. It's silver, long, and thin with a curved end and a light. When you grip it with warm hands, it seems to vibrate enthusiastically and comes in three settings indicated by a frowny face, a neutral face, and a happy face. What could it mean exactly? No one knows, but you can fiddle with it to your heart's desire. Just don't ask yourself where it's been before. You don't want to know.

▶ Interstellar Action Force Assemble
prisma, iris | top

Over a day has passed when a group of people find you worse for wear. Some are full of uncertainty and fear while some are full of curiosity and excitement. They claim that they are scientists from the planet Prismatica here to investigate the sudden appearances of rainbow crystals in the skies. That means you and the others they’ve located within the area. You are all a surprising find to them, and they are quick to load everyone in their transport vehicles for examination and questioning.

You all may have your usual inquiries — Where are we? Who are you? What's going on? Why are the pegasi so ill-tempered? — and the Prismals are almost too eager to answer. They do have questions on their own, so it’s only fair to trade. They tell you about their world as they poke and prod you, trying to understand what you are and how you came into their land. If they’re not trembling in fear, some of them may ask you odd and invasive questions in return, such as what the rate at which your body achieves thermoregulation is, how long your refractory period is, and if you would be willing to submit various kinds of body fluids to them. It's up to whether you wish to comply or protest.

G ⬤ If you react violently, you will be restrained and nerfed with a specialized neurotransmitting gun that releases a numbing agent through the top of your spine. They came prepared, so have fun with that! In any case, conscious or not, you’ll be brought into one of the transport vehicles. If you choose to peacefully cooperate, you’ll be provided any necessary first aid and a refreshing drink to help you recuperate after the rough time you had for the past few days. Each transport vehicle has a few small rooms to rest in, but due to the limited space, you’ll have to snuggle up with someone else on that bunk bed. Unfortunately, the moonshine fruit the ship is also carrying in its cargo has an extremely sweet smell that’s been permeating through certain areas of the ventilation system… Taking a whiff of it may inebriate you for the rest of the trip.

H ⬤ It’s a bumpy ride as terrain vehicles draw over various crystal formations until you see a large dome-like structure up ahead. Within its confines lies the seat of the Prismatica's government, Prisma. It’s a bureaucratic wet dream: skyscrapers practically touch the upper surface of the dome, windows glimmer with a prismatic sheen as daylight hits them, and small ships can be seen flying to and from its spaceport. The scientists, members of the Lunar Scientia, usher you into their facilities for tests. Arrivals are likely to twitch, tremble, and panic as Lunar Scientia fellows take and broadcast every embarrassing, unfiltered detail about you — height, weight, age, strange odors, estimated frequency of sexual activity —- to one another. These scientists will ask you politely to undress, too, but understand if you don't want to. They're especially fascinated by the readings of pure Chroma inside you, whispering among one another excitedly about the possibility of the new arrivals being a new moon species. What should they call them? Moonborne? Moonblessed?

I ⬤ At long last, the questions and physical examinations are done. They’ve decided to call the arrivals as the Moonblessed. They’ll take you under their care until they understand more about you. You're allowed a very refreshing hot shower and a warm meal for your efforts. Don’t worry, the meal was imported from their planet. “Planet?” you might ask, but you won’t need to wonder for too long. The ships are preparing for their next destination: the nearby planet Prismatica, where you will be dwelling for the time being. You're free to explore the government center until then.

▶ Wildcard
Lunatia, Prismatica | top

It only takes a couple hours for the ships to reach their home planet. The ships drop the characters off at the city of Lunatia, where they will be given their communication devices and a plastic card they can present to certain landlords at any residential district for their subsidized (read: absolutely free) lodging. Officials at Prisma instructed the newcomers to await further instructions from the government, but you have a lot of time to kill before then. Why not explore in the meantime? Learn the ins and outs of the world, get a job, transform under the full moon, and explore the many mysteries of planet Prismatica!

This is this TDM's overflow. Feel free to move your threads from there and continue tagging!

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[Anyway, he's fine now. Maybe even preening and bouncing a little on his heels.]

... Hahaha! You've got great taste. But it's kinda unfair that you know my name and I don't know yours, doncha think?

Edited 2019-03-05 16:20 (UTC)

[ it's more than just a few literature classes and cheat sheets. despite how spacey he looks sometimes, ye xiu is good at paying attention to everything someone says, committing that to memory, and putting pieces together. he wouldn't be called the glory textbook if he couldn't do at least that much.

still, that was a quick recovery. and even he couldn't help but think: how cute. ]

I'm Ye Xiu. But my name isn't as remarkable as yours.

[ he has many other names that have been given to him, but they won't mean a thing here. ]

Your secret's safe with me.

[Laughter that is much too loud to be normal escapes him, so rest assured: on the inside, he is collapsing.]

Ye Xiu, huh. I knew there was a reason I liked you! See? My intuition is never wrong! [He beams.] Ah, my name might not matter to a lot of people here, though. We're on another planet, after all. Just try not to make a big deal outta me. No one will suspect a thing! Probably.

Uh, just so we're on the same page, could you, um... say my name out loud?!

[He is hopeful.]

[ ye xiu hums thoughtfully, shoving his hands inside his pockets as he tries to fish out for his pack of cigarettes and his lighter. he doesn't pull them out just yet, actions stopped midway as golden eyes blink a few times over yan qing's request.

odd, but he'll do it anyway. ]

36th Heavenly Spirit. Also known as Langzi, but your name is Yan Qing, isn't it?

[ it's a good thing no one else is around to hear him say it. ]

Nice to meet you.

[ He even memorized his position... If he knows that much, then Yan Qing has no choice but to make him an ally, doesn't he? Not that he minds. ]

Hehe... You sure know your literature, doncha?

[ This time, he stands straight and gives him a proper greeting: a fist to his palm before bowing with respect. His tone is far from his earlier lazy drawl; it is clear, bright, and one of dignity.]

It's an honor to meet you, Ye Xiu. The bandits of Mt. Liang would be pleased to know their names live on in the hearts of the people. But even as I walk this earth as a Star of Destiny, I would like to make a humble request.

[ ye xiu shrugs, the motion rolling through the rest of his body, his smile shifting into one that seems like an afterthought — ]

Only because of my parents.

[ but it ended up being good for something, so maybe getting forced to study things he wasn't all that interested in when he was younger was worth it.

when yan qing bows respectfully, he looks... caught off guard. whatever bad memory he remembered is now forgotten about as he scratches his cheek sheepishly. he's not used to this, okay. ]

... Sure. What's the request?

Shh. [Yan Qing furrows his brows as he follows the faint cry of something in the sky. He doesn't mean to be rude, but he's trying to listen for sound that might spell life or death.] Do you hear that?

[Whatever it is, it whinnies louder. Recognition flashes in Yan Qing's eyes — he's run into these things before.]

Get down!

[He tackles Ye Xiu to the ground, and both of them just barely avoid the pegasus that nearly tramples them over with its heavy hooves.]

Edited (my stupid THUMB!!!) 2019-03-10 13:42 (UTC)

[ uh oh. ye xiu follows after whatever yan qing is looking for, but the skies are clear as day and he doesn't really see or anything. he's just about to say that when — ]

Whoa...!

[ he's bodyslammed to the ground, their fall cushioned by moon dust. the pegasus zooms over them, silver-white wings beating up a storm as it adjusts its path in the air to circle back to them.

rather than panicking, he asks, calmly as ever: ]

Should we start running?

[ he's not lord grim here. he can't actually fight that thing. and at least the pegasus was gracious enough to give them time to make their sneaky escape. ]

[ Yan Qing props himself up just enough to get a look at the pegasus, who's just finished making a turn in the air. It looks like it's getting ready to charge at them again.

Damn. Maybe Yan Qing shouldn't have tried riding it. Horses sure hold grudges, huh? ]

I don't think we have a choice. C'mon!

[ Yan Qing doesn't think twice. Before Ye Xiu can protest, the ruffian effortlessly lifts the young man in his arms and starts running. ]

[ ye xiu really doesn't get a chance to protest before he's practically princess-carried off the ground. not that he makes any noise out of surprise, but his eyes do look the part — wide and unsure of what just happened. the initial shock only lasts for a few seconds though. soon enough, he gains enough awareness to look over at the pegasus that's pretty serious about catching up to them.

what a familiar scenario... who would have thought that even at a new place, he'd still be getting chased down? that sure makes him laugh. ]

It looks really mad. Did you piss it off?

[ it's a casual conversation topic while they're (or rather, yan qing is) running for their lives. he looks over at the path ahead of them, spotting something from afar. ]

... looks like the ship is just up ahead! Can you make it? [ he looks back at the pegasus, and suddenly— ] Dodge left when you can!

[ just in time for the winged beast to come sweeping at them from the other direction. ]

Maybe we can lose it if you run through there.

[ he's gesturing at a cluster of skycrapper-tall crystals on the same side, but who knows if there's actually a legitimate path over there that can hide them from the pegasus' airpath — or if he's just being annoying (which is totally possible too). ]

I don't wanna talk about it!

[But he is a stray dog, and dogs just love chasing after anything that moves. Horses are one of them. He's not just any dog, though. He is trained. At Ye Xiu's command, Yan Qing nearly careens into a crystal formation as he deftly dodges the beast. The wing just barely brushes against his hair and all he can hear is his heart thumping against his bare chest. This heart only exists because he was summoned under extraordinary circumstances. If the pegasus could kill them both now—

It doesn't. Adrenaline tells him to close in on the crystalline forest. Any plan is better than no plan. He just hopes the place has an exit...]

You sure look like you're enjoying yourself, young master! How 'bout we switch places sometime, eh?

[It's a joke. He's joking.]

[ oh, but ye xiu isn't joking. ]

You want to switch right now? [ asking in all seriousness. ] Our chances of survival will drop by a lot though. If you're alright with that...

[ by all means.

if ye xiu looks like he's enjoying himself, it's probably because of the fact that he isn't the one putting any effort in the escape. all he has to do is sit pretty in yan qing's arms so here's hoping he's putting his faith in the right guy! who won't let him down. fingers crossed.

thankfully, his suggestion to duck into the crystalline maze appears to buy them some time. sure, it does put obstacles in their direct path, the way it weaves the tall crystal structures together like a tangled poor excuse for a forest, but it makes it a lot harder for the pegasus to reach them too. so he keeps himself busy, eyes darting all over the area in an attempt to map their way out. he doesn't actually know if this place has a way out.

but knowing his luck, they'll be looking at a dead end. ]

Can you still scale these things with the extra weight?

[ but maybe he doesn't need to know! because just like a cliche, there is a light at the end of the tunnel — there's a gap where it looks like the two of them can jump right out, so at least that's one worry down. he turns his head up to catch a glimpse of their pursuer, but he finds no signs of it anywhere. ]

I think we managed to get your friend off our tail too.

[ time for the final stretch...! ]

[ Yan Qing was Lu Junyi's cleverest, most talented, and most reliable servant, or so it was written. There was no question he couldn't answer and no feat he couldn't do. He did everything he could to ensure his master's safety. Though Lu Junyi was talented in combat, he was a scholar and nobleman first. Knowing this, Yan Qing had to make up for his master's faults. ]

You worry too much!

[ His master never knew how to improvise.

Moments before they reach the light, disaster strikes. A gust of wind blows through the exit, and Yan Qing yelps, standing his ground as their pursuer makes its majestic entrance.

This always happens! ]

Uh, spoke too soon. Hold on.

[ He shifts from a princess carry to crudely holding ye xiu over his shoulder, his hand now free to make the climb. He scrambles onto the nearest crystal wall. ]

Please tell me it's not gaining on us!

[ they were practically home free. just a few more, and they would have made it — ]

You know, I'm beginning to think it really likes you.

[ considering how determined the pegasus is to chase them down no matter where they go. it was even smart enough to loop around the crystalline maze to block their getaway path, so whatever yan qing did, it probably was pretty bad.

it's also getting dangerously close to catching up to them... ]

... It's not that bad. We can probably make it.

[ keyword is probably. ]

Probably?!

[He's hurt, Ye Xiu. Wounded, even. How can he ever find faith in himself now?

Just kidding, he has a huge ego. Said ego is what pushes him to climb up in one final burst before he dies from the shame of getting murdered by a flying horse. The pegasus swoops up the crystal formation, and Yan Qing feels time stop for a moment, his heart skipping a beat as he soars over the Crystal's edge, before he and Ye Xiu slide down the smooth sparkling surface at an incredible speed. Needless to say, it's a wild ride. He lets out a whoop!]

Hahaha! Damn, I'm never gonna try riding a pegasus again.

[ this is some shounen anime bullshit right here: a murderous animal, the casual time-stop, and two idiots narrowly escaping death right before it catches them. it's the wildest thing that has ever happened in ye xiu's life, and amidst the rainbow sparkles and rapid winds whipping through during their insane descent — he laughs. ]

You tried riding it? No wonder it hates you!

[ but you know, the bottom of this slide is rapidly approaching. ]

Do you have a plan for how we're gonna handle things when we make it to the end?

[ who's going to catch who- are they even going to live through it? who knows. now's the best time to figure it out, right? ]

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▶ TDM OVERFLOW .001

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yan qing... is so cute...

he's trying

my heart is full of love (also what happened to sleeping)

i stayed up and got sick but i'm crawling back from the dead now

omg yana... take care of yourself

tags from bed

wakes up to this

hi

i laughed so hard

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