▶ 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

[mcring]

[ He's suffered worse than being grabbed, so it's not like he can blame her. Especially once she mentions that 'doctor part.' She was just looking out for him. Noctis feels even guiltier for not explaining the potion before using it. Not like it's commonplace, even back home. He's spent way too much time with just the four of them... ]

I've got plenty. Don't worry about me.

[ Who does he sound like now? Damn, he really has been spending too much time around those guys if even Specs is rubbing off on him. ]

All I really need is a nap.

[ He moves around on the bed, trying to get out of her way as much as possible, and lean up against the opposite wall. There's not a lot of space, but at least they should both be able to lie down. Noct's head drops back against the wall, and his eyes go half-lidded, but before he even tries to sleep, he can't help asking. ]

Is your friend alright?

[ She wouldn't have left him out there alone with that flying horse, right? The guy may be an idiot, but that doesn't mean he should be alone out there with some big monster he's pissed off. ]

[cadeuces]

( Angela doesn't mind his not explaining it; it came from a good place (so far, provided there's no ill effects to come), and she can't fault anyone that. He'd healed her ankle for her and saved her hours of throbbing pain only partially dulled by her nanites, and he's sharing a place to rest even after she's caught him off-guard a few times and left him tense. )

If you're sure, then. Really, thank you, Noctis. I appreciate it.

( And he mentions a nap, which only has her smiling after and huffing out some soft sound of amusement, nodding and shifting to take up as little space as possible while he shifts beside her to get comfortable, and she supposes she should do the same as her hips tip and one leg curls atop the other, narrowing the space she takes up as well even if she's still sitting up. )

He's just fine, yes. He continued to look around once we arrived, while I came in to rest. Which is what you should be doing. I'll keep an eye out.

( Or she will until she inevitably ends up drifting off, herself, some half hour down the road. )

[mcring]

[ Sounds like everything's neatly tied up, then. It was rough out there in the desert, no supplies, no map, no clue what was going on. And it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense, this moonblessing stuff, and whatever's going on with the crystals... But the people who found them only seem to want to help. Angela's the same. Seems like they can take a well-earned break. Eyes closed, Noct intones. ]

If you want. Don't stay awake on my account.

[ How some people can stay awake when someone's in bed asleep right next to them is a mystery to Noctis. But then, he's always been an easy sleeper. Dust still clinging to his cheeks, a dull hum in his ears from the ship moving, and the warm, solid presence of Angela on the bed next to him, he couldn't stay awake right now if he tried. ]

[cadeuces]

( It was rough, no matter how used to roughing it most of them had likely thought they were. The effects of the mosquito bites in her still left faint echoes of that craving for others, the desire for something as simple as company and warmth, and she's been gifted that time and time again already in her time here.

Even now, with the sound of the young man's voice drifting beside her, she can feel his warmth at her side that only seems to radiate once he's asleep, and all she wants to do is brush the hair from his face and watch him. Like some part of her still thinks it isn't real. (She manages to rein that in, at least. He's a good kid but she's only just met him, and they spooked each other enough.)

Angela's efforts to keep a lookout are valiant, perhaps, but incredibly short-lived. His breathing eases and she feels herself winding down with it, not even needing a blanket before she nods off mere minutes later. Somewhere in her sleep, her head's come to rest against his, cheek at his shoulder. Sorry about that, Your Highness. )

[mcring]

[ If there's anything Noctis is really good at, it's passing the hell out. It's been a long couple days without anywhere that really felt safe to sleep, and now that he's in a bed, in a moving vehicle, with a warm body next him? Yeah, it's all good night, moon. He sleeps like the dead for who knows how long, and wakes up slow and stiff, sometime later.

It's not until he's moving to sit up, the weight on his shoulder slipping down to his chest, that he realizes... Oh, she... fell asleep on him. Noct's breathing goes shallow, and he tries not to move more and disturb her, while also looking around. The cot. The transport ship. Right. The ship's not moving anymore, so they must have made it to wherever they're going. How long were they asleep?

As much as he'd like to let Angela get the rest she needs (and, honestly, drift back himself), he doesn't want to risk getting to where they need to be. Gently, he shakes her shoulder. ]

Uh... Hey, Angela? The ship's not moving. We should get going.

[cadeuces]

( It can't have been more than three hours; that's about as long as she ever sleeps in one go, or at least that's what she believes. Perhaps she had been so truly exhausted they'd surpassed that, but who could say? It wasn't as though they had accurate watches anymore.

She wakes easily and she's already rousing with the change in his breathing, moreso as he moves beneath her and her head tips off his shoulder and down his chest, nearly nodding back off when he stills there as she shifts some hair's breadth closer...

...And wakes quite promptly to the very touch of his hand to her shoulder, though at least she doesn't fly upright and risk smacking her head into his jaw. It's with a sharp breath and an instant alertness to her posture, giving it a few seconds for his words to sink in and listening to the surroundings before she's finally moving.

No danger. Just her new friend Noctis, the wonderful pillow prince. )

Right— right, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you.

( Still sleep-slurred, just for a few words, and then she's twisting to use the momentum to sit up and reaching to right her hair. The rest of her would just have to exist as it is. Hopefully she's out of his way so he can get sitting up properly as well. )

[mcring]

[ It's almost weird how fast Angela wakes up, and Noctis startles a little in response. She's one of those, huh? He woke up before her and still feels like he's thinking through a fog, slow to sit up, shake his head and answer in a voice that's sleep-rough. Damn, he's still really tired. ]

You're fine. Actually, it's nice to be on the other side, for once.

[ Always embarrassing to accidentally fall asleep on somebody when you're just trying to sleep against an inanimate surface. Even worse when your best friend has a camera and just loooves to immortalize embarrassing moments like that. If they were on better terms, he'd be just as quick to tease Angela about it. But they barely know each other. Noct climbs to standing before worrying about his own hair. The back is a bedheaded mess anyway, just how he likes it, so it probably doesn't need fixing. He combs his fingers briefly through his bangs (enough to make sure they're still in his eyes without being knotted up so he can't see. It's an art.), before his manners kick in and he offers her a hand up. ]

Guess we better get moving.

[ The last thing he wants is for the ship to circle back around to that desert with him still on it, and he's pretty confident Angela feels the same. ]

[cadeuces]

( Is it so strange? Well, perhaps to someone who didn't personally know any doctors. It's commonplace in her line of work, and she's a gentle riser at least. No feet straight on the floor marching off and rubbing sleep from her eyes, hollering orders for a cup of coffee like they're demanding forceps in their palm for a critical bleed. She doesn't even notice she startles him. That alone speaks to how exhausted she is.

Sleep beside a person and get unexpectedly comfortable with them, she supposes, to allow herself a slower wake routine. )

You fall asleep on others so regularly? Well, it was an honor to even the odds. You still have those drinks? It will help.

( She's fishing out one of her own from her bag she pulls onto the bed where he'd recently occupied it, once he draws his legs up from behind her to swing them off the mattress and stand. She's unscrewing the top as he begins to fix his hair as well, eyeing a flattened portion at the back of his head in need of a few gentle tugs, pouch between her lips to drink from when he offers her a hand.

It's taken with a little smile about the drink as she shoulders her bag and stands, and finally empties half the pouch before she's putting the cap back on to tuck away. )

Thank you. And before we get left behind? That sounds perfect. May I?

( She's raising a hand to motion at his hair, specifically toward the back of his head. )

[mcring]

Not... all the time.

[ Does he sound like a sleep slut?? It's not like he's falling asleep on people constantly, or ever meaning to when he does. Sometimes, there's a long curve in the road, or his chocobo abandons him as a pillow, he leans in his sleep and it just... happens. Thankfully, the drinks are a good distraction from his embarrassment, even though Noct knows he'd get scolded by somebody (everybody) for wasting them, so he declines with a mumbled a "Thanks, I'm alright." Not like he actually needs a potion right now. The lingering cloud of sleep will burn off.

But they're not leaving just yet. ]

Huh?

[ Noct's eyes widen at the gesture, and he looks to the side, like he could see what she's pointing at. The back of his head. Yeah, he'll just turn around to look at that, no problem. There aren't any mirrors in the room, either. A little breathless, he ducks his head in her direction and agrees. ]

Uh... Sure.

[ It's not like he's going to say 'no' to someone offering to help. And what if there's a nasty bug on his head or something? It'd be better if she'd given him a can of tuna or whatever before the petting starts, but she seems nice; strays can't be choosers. ]

[cadeuces]

Only sometimes, then. Noted. I'll remain vigilant.

( The hesitation in his reply just has her laughing quietly as she offers him one of the aloe waters— she hadn't meant his potions, no. Just a bit of hydration to get his brain a little brighter. Get the morning breath rinsed from their mouths with something a little more refreshing. Or would, if he didn't turn it down. She offers it with one more nudge just in case, and will put it back away if he doesn't take it.

It isn't wasting; she has eight more. She'd been a good sport (and a pushy medic). What he does acquiesce to is letting her fix his hair, even if it took him a moment to realize what she was gesturing at, but a few quick fluffs with her fingertips and she sees his hair sticking back up. At least the bedhead's uniform, now, and looks intentional. )

There we go; no more flat spot.

( Stop being a mom, Angela!! And with that, she begins to lead the way out of the bunks, ginger for her first few steps on her ankle just to test it before deciding it did, in fact, heal up nicely. Whether it was his tonic he'd crushed before or her own nanites or a mixture of both, she doesn't feel the slightest twinge or weakness and she stands a little straighter for it, prim and pleased. )

Is there anyone you know, here, we should be on the lookout for?

( She's already programmed Jesse and Hanzo into her peripheral, and any other familiar faces she may not be able to pin names to just yet she'd run into before settling down to rest. The lovely miss... Megumi, right. Though she can't remember the tribe name she'd claimed. It'd be difficult to miss the cat ears in the crowd. Or Vanitas, who had been numbed to the point of paralysis, along with that soldier from the news back home.

All right, the list is getting a bit long. )

[mcring]

[ It seems rude to waste her supplies, but rude not to accept what she's offering, either. So Noctis takes the water with quiet thanks it's not tuna, but, cracks it open and sips while she fixes his hair.

It's... kind of nice being mom-ed. Noct's spent most of his life being fussed over, protected, and groomed for roles he wasn't ready for. He's grown a lot, but... Instead of making him more independent, it's made him more reliant on the people who care about him. He really wouldn't be anywhere without them. Even if it's just something as simple as an acquaintance foisting water on him to keep him hydrated, and finger-combing his hair. It's not weakness to rely on people; Noct knows that more than anyone. Their friendship is a gift. ]

Thanks.

[ Speaking of... It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to contact Ignis and Prompto again, to make sure they've found their way to the center, too. And keep an eye out for Gladio, since if the other two are here, he's got to be around. But Noct's not exactly jumping to hand out his friends's numbers, either. Even to someone nice. ]

Nah. Knowing them, they'll be alright.

[ Before they can make other plans though, they're interrupted a swarm of white-coated locals asking all kinds of weird, embarrassing questions. Flustered, Noct's about to push through them, but thinks better of it at the last second. Before they get separated, he turns back to Angela. ]

Oh, Hey, Angela. ...Here.

[ Another potion appears in his hand, but he doesn't break it this time. Instead, he tosses it for her to (hopefully) catch. ]

One for the road.