▶ 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

[bulletpointe]

Keeping a sharp eye is my profession.

[ Amelie nods, again giving a short glance to the landscape, narrowing her eyes. The light isn't close enough for her to see with her visor or her scope, but it'd be of some use later, she assumed. Turning back to him, her gaze is cold, unfeeling, like the rest of her. ]

What little there is. Perhaps we'll find a clue on where we are, exactly.

Or on how to return home.

[criminallysane]

[ Joker's brows draw together for a moment in mild annoyance. He'd set her up rather nicely for some banter, he thought; they could have engaged in some nice, light, back-and-forth teasing over the non-existent scenery. Something like, Gee, but it looks awfully crowded today, or Let's start with that giant pit of purple nothingness over yonder--pretty sure that's the one from the guidebook.

But no, apparently dear Blue wants to play it straight.

Well, that's fine. He reminds himself that, chesire whimsies or no, she's still an assassin. It's a profession that demands a certain amount of practicality; he shouldn't be surprised if she's more interested in solving the puzzle of their predicament than in joking around with him. If anything, that probably means she's not trying to manipulate him: if she were, she'd be laying on the charm a little thicker, not focusing on their problems. So that's good news.

Besides, the best comedy duos always have one person playing The Serious One. And without Bats here to reprise the role--a thought Joker's definitely not ready to process just yet--they need someone to take it over.

He puts his smile back on for her and offers her his arm, tossing her a playful wink to show that, yes, he's aware this is absurd. She can take his arm or not; he's happy to walk along beside her, either way. ]

< With you, my quail, it'll be as fine a stroll as anyone could wish for. Clues or no. >

[ Obviously, they have no real choice but to head toward the light and hope for the best. There's nothing else around them but crystal-studded dirt, and the wind's starting to pick up, which only serves to remind Joker that he could really go for a cold drink right about now. This is not the kind of place one wants to linger, not even with a beautiful French killer.

The sky's enormous overhead, dark and full of alien stars, and to a man used to life in the city and in prison, it seems impossibly vast. Joker's trying very hard not to let himself think about how exposed he feels out here, with no buildings or roads to give a human sense of scale to the place, and with the breeze tugging at his suit jacket and kicking up swirling eddies of purple dust. He also refuses to let himself dwell on how very afterlife-y this is all starting to feel, because what good could possibly come from that train of thought? Instead, he focuses on his companion. ]

< So, okay. You ever play Shoot, Screw, Marry? >

[bulletpointe]

[ Deadly serious! Amelie looks at the arm offered to her, in disbelief at first, but...she plays along. The pet name makes her jaw clench, but she remains quiet. It was unusual of her to be so trusting in any capacity, but this was a just-as-unusual situation. So, her tattooed arm slips under his, and she plays her part, just until a factor of her situation changed.

This wasn't a dream anymore, this was as real as it got. So, she would keep her cards close. ]

Not for a long, long while. No.

[ Taking a step into the expanse is quite overwhelming, but she likened it to the bustling expanse of Paris from up high, or even King's Row. It was a different world on the rooftops, it always felt like there was more air. Like here. Down below, it was claustrophobic and enclosed, and hard to see the bigger picture. Amelie preferred the sightline. Nothing could sneak up on her.

She figured this was how he'd prefer to pass the time. Skipping uncertainties--- ]

How about you go first.

[criminallysane]

[ It's equally pleasant and surreal, having a woman like her on his arm. Joker doesn't typically get to play the role of dashing gentleman escort, much less for a lady with Amelie's grace, and he finds he thoroughly enjoys it.

Her nearness also helps keep his mind from wandering, which he's more grateful for than he'd ever admit. There are too many dangerous thoughts scratching at the edges of his brain, trying to get in. But when he looks at her, walking there beside him like any part of this makes any goddamned sense, it seems easier to shove those pesky ideas down and keep himself grounded in the now.

He has no idea what sort of world or dimension she comes from, which makes choosing selections for the game tricky. But the fact that she's speaking a modern Earth language suggests that she might very well be from his own world, or one close enough to it as to be functionally the same. Joker decides to roll the dice. What's the worst that can happen? If nothing else, it'll give him a rough answer to the Where are you from? question, without the awkwardness of actually having to ask.

And, hey, at least she knows the game. That has to count for something, right? He'll just have to pick people anybody would know. ]

< Let's see...

Why don't we start with the late great peacocks of the world?

Elvis. Coco Chanel. And Andy Warhol. >

idk why i didnt get a notif for this! so sorry!

[bulletpointe]

I’d marry Coco. She is a fashion icon even in my time. A self made woman.

[ There’s a clear favorite here. Amelie’s from France, and the little black dress is still a staple. Her face remains mostly motionless as she thinks, save for a slight quirk of her brow. ]

And I have no choice but to shoot Warhol. He would not have me.

[ Amelie turns the implications over in her mind, past the obvious. The three he mentioned must have been fairly prominent in his time. Likely he was somewhere in the 20th...21st century. Amelie was well into the 22nd. ]

And what about you?