▶ TDM OVERFLOW .001

[prismods]

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!

Comments

[abracafcku]

[You know what? Taako doesn't need dignity. He just needs to be alive, so he extends his arms out as far as his encroaching paralysis will allow him and returns Shun's deadpan gaze.]

Let's do this then, handsome. I'm not getting any more mobile the longer we stand-- [His knee buckles and he barely manages to stay standing through sheer willpower.] --here.

[yarinaosu]

[ Fair enough. He gives a quirk of an eyebrow at 'handsome' but doesn't say anything. Soon as the man wobbles like that, Shun is crouching down and reaching out to sweep his legs and back under his arms.

That's right. It's bridal style. He's surprisingly light so Shun doesn't have a problem, but- In this wasteland, it's likely going to be a while before they find anyone. Hm. Maybe this 'helping out' and 'being better' thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. ]

Is this fine?

[ Just making sure before he starts the trek to the direction he thinks is where help might be. ]

[abracafcku]

[It's more than fine. Taako likes being held bridal style more than a fireman carry, and he is already feeling the relief. As soon as he's off his feet, the fuzzy numbness in his limbs starts to abate - a phenomenon he attributes to the fact that he's no longer putting pressure on them.

Also, this guy might be gruff and a little stern in the face, but damn! He's strong enough to carry him like this and Taako's not about to let this free ride get away from him.]

Oh, more than fine - you're my hero. ....Whatever your name is. What is your name anyway? I'm Taako.

[yarinaosu]

[ He's definitely got some lean muscle to him. It's nothing extraordinary, but he's strong enough for it to count when it needs to. Which apparently includes bridal carrying a magician across a neon wasteland.

He wonders fleetingly how his life came to this. ]

Shun, [ he supplies, short but not terse. He just isn't too much of a talker. That's especially true when he has something to focus on. Still, making conversation is probably better than a trek in silence and even can recognize that. ] Is it getting worse?

[ Just in case there should be more of a sense of urgency to his stride. ]

[abracafcku]

[To lie or not to lie?



Fuck it, this is Taako we're talking about here, of course he's going to lie. The elf sighs faintly, giving Shun a pitiful look.]

I can't tell. It might be, but everything is so numb already that it's hard to say. I'm just glad you came along, handsome. I'd have died out here without you.

[yarinaosu]

[ Hand... some... ???¿¿¿

He's not actually that oblivious. He keeps saying that and he just isn't expecting it. People don't usually comment on his looks in do or die situations. People don't usually comment on his looks much at all.

He tries not to think too much of it beyond the fact that it just strikes him as odd. ]

I'm sure anyone else would have helped. [ He isn't about to pretend what he's doing is all that noble. ]

[abracafcku]

[If Taako can't hit on a guy while he's nearly dying, then what is life for? It's how he met the Grim Reaper, so why not other guys, too? Seems to be his best strategy so far which is....fucked up to say the least. But if this is his life, he'll take it.

Taako smiles up at Shun with a shrug.]

Maybe, but you were the one who answered my call and I haven't exactly seen a whole lot of other people out here. Have you?

[yarinaosu]

[ Look, considering Shun's own track record (which is practically non-existent) he has absolutely no room to judge how people get their flirt on. He's still going to find it odd, but he finds plenty of things about his entire day thus far odd.

Kind of like the fact Taako was supposed to have lost feeling in his arm but shrugs with ease. Hm. Hm. The wheels in his brain turn just slightly but he tries to have good faith for, like, one of the only times in his life recently. Give the benefit of the doubt. ]

Only a couple people so far, off in the distance. Looks like we're all a little lost right now. [ A beat. ] Is this anything like where you're from?

[abracafcku]

Um.....

[Taako takes a look around the area, eyes scanning the horizon and seeing nothing but distant people, also wandering aimlessly, and crystal. It's almost like Lucas' lab, but there's no crystal golems that turn into badass hotties and much less crystalline spread.]

Mmmmnoooope. We did the crystal thing and that's one and done, so I can't imagine this is the moon base or that nerdlord's lab. Big lack of domes, too.

[Doesn't look like Faerun either.]

What about you? Anything here look familiar?

[yarinaosu]

[ ... He'd be fascinated by the kind of life Taako led, probably, if entirely disinterested in the hotness ratio.

At the mention of it being nothing like he's used to, at least not regularly, Shun's frown only deepens. If that's even possible. He doesn't seem like a particularly emotive dude to begin with. ]

Not at all. Where I'm from, it's a lot more... bleak. [ Earth was going to hell in a handbasket and the Origin wasn't the most welcoming experience either. If his grip tightens a little at that instinctively, well- Taako's just imagining it. Totally. ]

[abracafcku]

[That's...not fun. He likes to pretend he's a dumbfuck of a elf and he's not exactly the most perceptive or empathetic, but it's hard not to notice how Shun tenses at talk of home.

Not good feelings there, then. Good to know. Time to stay off that particular touchy subject in case this guy turns out to be some kind of berserker who can Klarg out and suplex Taako into the dirt. That is the last thing he needs unless he wants a cherry on this shit sundae.]

Damn, my guy, when a pink psychedelic crystal-- well, no. That's fair. Not much can be more extra than this place. I mean, holy shit - look at it?

[He laughs and tries to gesture around them, forgetting that his arms still aren't working so well. He ends up dropping his umbrella and huffs.]

I think my eyes are bleeding out. Or I'm just bleeding out. Can you bleed out without getting injured? Asking for a friend.

[yarinaosu]

[ Not at all. Whether it be earth or the Origin, he doesn't exactly have the most positive memories. He's not about to go berserk or anything but he does appreciate the sudden shifting of gears. ]

It's all I can look at. Unfortunately. [ Look at that, he has some sense of humor after all. Nevermind that his delivery is as dry as the neon cheetoh dust they have out here that he can only presume is sand. ]

But I don't think that's how bleeding out works. [ Not like... he would know. Ahem. ] I've been surprised before though.

[abracafcku]

You know....

[He's feeling remarkably better the longer Shun holds him and Taako has to wonder if the numbness was exhaustion or something else. The bug bite doesn't itch anymore at least and while the mark is still on his skin, it's fading too, like it was all some weird fever dream. Which it could have been. Or could still be considering their current environment.

Taako arches an eyebrow at Shun and gives him his best suggestive smile.]

You could look at someone a lot more pleasing to the eye. I know I am.

[yarinaosu]

[ What.

You know, when he woke up in a Lisa Frank-esque desertscape, getting hit on by a wizard wasn't how he imagined his day would go. He's not actually sure how it would go, but this definitely wasn't it. It's bizarre and seems oddly fitting for how uncertain he feels about... everything. ]

Flattery isn't going to make me go faster. [ But nice try. ]

[abracafcku]

Could make you come faster though.

[He winks at Shun and then laughs light and easy. Maybe this'll go nowhere like most of his goofs do, but if it does? No skin off his back. At least he's having a great time while being princess carried across a psychedelic wasteland. If this is his afterlife, he'd have thought Kravitz would be there to send him to ghost prison or whatever, so he can't be dead. This? This isn't so bad at all.

Especially now that the numbness is nearly completely gone.]

Who knows what your secret kinks are. No shame in admitting it if I hit that nail right on the head.

[yarinaosu]

[ That's a lot more forward than he's used to when directed at him. For one, he's Japanese. For another, there just wasn't a lot of time for flirting aboard the Origin after sleeping for two years and then having more important concerns. It doesn't make him uncomfortable or anything like that though.

Honestly, he has to kind of respect this guy's confidence.

Unfortunately, Taako is ( in Shun's opinion ) wasting his time. The man isn't very interested. Not just in Taako, but in general. It's going to be fun for him to find out how this city is practically fueled on intimacy. He gives a raise of an eyebrow as he finally dips his gaze to look at the magician. ]

Aren't secret kinks usually secret for a reason? [ He'll play along a little, at least. ]

[abracafcku]

Usually, but we're in the middle of a fever dream so what's the point of secrets, right?

[Taako shrugs again and relatively at peace with this whole thing. He's pretty sure he'll either wake up, break out, or get rescued anytime soon because Magnus and Merle really do have a soft spot for him. One that he secretly shares, naturally, but that's a secret buried so far down that not even Taako actually realizes it.]

Either you're some hottie demon, in which case? Please don't eat my soul. Or you're some figment of my weird imagination. In that case? Go me. Good taste.

[yarinaosu]

I think I'll keep mine.

[ Spoilsport.

They have that in common though. While there was someone on the Origin he trusted more than the rest of them, there were still a few he hoped were alright. It was a little... intense there near the end. ]

Demon is subjective. [ Considering that's something he's actually been called before, Taako isn't actually as far off as he might think. Humans can be just as much of demons as those of myths. Sometimes, he thinks they can be worse. ]

[abracafcku]

[Total spoilsport. Taako sighs dramatically, laying a hand across his forehead in mock distress.]

How will I ever live without those deets?

[But the act is quickly brushed aside in favor of that little tidbit - demon is subjective.]

And I mean, if someone's using it like a moniker, then sure - subjective as hell, my guy. But in general? Most demons are like, hellbeasts from the Plane of Fire or Air or whatever, kinda hard to mistake for a person unless they go a glamour goin' on, which? You could, but you don't seem all that magical to me. No offense.

[yarinaosu]

[ He has to resist the urge to actually roll his eyes. So, Taako's one of those. Baum wasn't nearly as dramatic but definitely seemed to like gossip, what was going on with who- He'd always found it suspect but it only occurred to him now maybe he just found it entertaining. ]

None taken. I'm not. [ While he might have been able to guess from the outfit and threat of a curse alone, it doesn't really sink in until this moment that Taako is magical. ] We don't have magic where I'm from as far as I know.

[abracafcku]

A shame. Magic's hella useful.

[Except when it comes to needing the type of magic that you don't specialize in, as with Taako's current situation. He could turn into an Aarakocra on a whim, but healing himself from whatever numbness had been overtaking his body wasn't in his wheelhouse.

Weirdly enough, however, now that he thinks about it, that creeping loss of feeling? It's gone. And he can feel his arms and legs again like nothing had happened.



Huh.]

But whatever you're doing? It's totally working for me, so I might just have to keep chillin' in your embrace for awhile longer. You don't mind, right?

[yarinaosu]

[ He doesn't doubt it. But he's also not about to believe magic is any kind of fix-all either.

The temptation to drop him is strong at the question. But then there's something in the back of his head (his conscience? hasn't heard that in a while) telling him that'd be a bad move. He needs to... work with people here. Or, at least, he needs to try. ]

It's fine, [ he says even though it's absolutely not. ] You just owe me now.

[abracafcku]

Oh ho? Already lookin' for that angle, huh?

[Well, if it means he can get a free ride across this shitty crystal desert? Why not? And if they die out here in the wilderness, it's not like Taako will ever have to make good on his promise.]

But sure, my dude. I'll grant you one favor from ol' Taako - within reason, natch. What kinda boon you want from me?

[So he knows whether or not he has to disappear from this guy's life lickety-split.]

[yarinaosu]

[ Well, at least he's a man who considers all his options. Shun isn't planning on dying out here in this desert though; he can't, not after everything. ]

A question for your question: What are you willing to give me?

[ That seems like a safer place to start then just making an absurd demand. ]

[abracafcku]

[Smart guy trying to see how far Taako's willing to go, but unfortunately? Taako doesn't go very far at all. He shrugs and starts ticking off a list on his fingers.]

Money, within a reasonable amount decided by me and what funds I got available. [To be vastly underestimated at the time of appraisal.]

Given enough time? Could do a transmuter's stone. [That would stop working once he got his other one working.]

Could give you a coupon to cash in for one spell Level 3 or lower. [Saving his bigger ones for himself just in case.]

Or could conjure up one free meal. [Which is easy as heck to do.] Since there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of food here yet.