prismaticrap | ▶ 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Pfft, backwards is literally the only direction I know we can't travel.

[Mostly because he's already covered that distance and he isn't going to have been walking this long just to find out the place he was supposed to go was right where he started out. He would kill whoever set up that particular puzzle, foreign god or not.

It's a little hard to hear as Garyl's spectral hooves thunder over the dirt, and Taako has to maneuver around crystal formations, tugging on the binicorn's mane this way and that as they go. It's not exactly hard riding, but it isn't easy either. The wind and scenery whipping by does make the time pass a little easier, and eventually they crest a hill and Taako pulls up short. To the west he can see a system of caves, holes leading down into the earth, and to the east some pools of water.]

Well, since you chose so well last time - which way?

How about the east?

[After all, there’s water there and they both need that in order to survive.]

[And surely, surely, not all the water in this place shows people visions of their death, right? Right?]

Sure thing, homie.

[As for that water showing you your death thing? Mmmmmmmmmm???? Let's find out.

Taako turns Garyl's head to the east and starts him on the trot toward the waters. Makes sense - shelter doesn't seem like a huge issue here where there's no sun and no weather, but water? That's an issue. So is food. Taako can conjure and transmute enough to stay alive, but it isn't going to be filling. He's hoping there's at least fish in the waters here, or algae if he's hard pressed, or else they're going to having one fucking hell of a time surviving.

It takes longer than he likes to pick his way down the steeper side of the hill, trying not to let Garyl slip and crash into any of the crystal shards everywhere. By the time they're trotting up to the water's edge, Taako can feel the magic starting to wane.]

Mm, you're gonna want to dismount. Like now. Or you're going to end up on your ass.

[Temple, honestly, would prefer algae to fish. He has had way too much fish in his underwater base and in prison. But if fish is there, he’ll eat it.]

[When Taako tells him it is time to dismount, he does so.]

[He definitely doesn’t want to end up on his ass.]

Water.

Finally!

[He shuts his eyes, kneels down, and takes a drink of the water.]

[Taako's on the ground not a moment after Temple dismounts and gives Garyl a pat on the nose as the binicorn whinnies and disappears into thin air. He hadn't realized Temple was so thirsty (haha), but while he rushes over, Taako takes his time. He isn't quite as desperate and he remembers that glimpse he got of the water before - not pleasant.

Also? Who was to say the water was safe to drink??

He waits as Temple drinks and then peers into the disturbed surface cautiously. So far? So good.]

If you were that thirsty, you shoulda told me. I could've done something about it sooner than this.

[Temple raises his head from the water, and then laughs.]

I think you’ve heard way too much about my thirst.

[He smiles at Taako.]

And the water’s fine, don’t worry.

[In fact, drinking it is making him feel really good. Maybe a bit more than water should.]

[Too much? No such thing. Taako leans down, resting his arms on Temple's back, as he peers into the water. No prone bodies are showing up in them, so? So far, so good.]

You go ahead, bubelah. Taako's good out here.

[Waiting. Because if that stupid bug has taught him anything? This world has a lot of deadly shit that looks innocuous until it bites him in the ass.]

[Temple feels a little thrill go through him at Taako’s touch. He smiles.]

Well, if you’re sure.

[He then dips his head back in the water and returns to drinking, trying to get as much of the water as he possibly can.]

[He suspects that he looks almost feral, with his head in the water, gulping it down the way he is, buuut... he supposes that can’t be helped. Even though he is very embarrassed to be like in front of a hot guy.]

[He'd be even more embarrassed if he knew what Taako was thinking.

The elf watches while Temple drinks, eyes narrowing at the surface of the water. There's no phantom visions here and no sign of anything breaching the water to come toward them either. If there was danger to be had, it'll be in the water itself, whether or not it's safe to drink or will cause them to hallucinate crazy shit or turn on each other or straight up fall into a coma.

Taako's put up with hunger and thirst for long enough that he can suffer through it until he finds something safer, so he waits. And watches. And gets an undeniable urge to tip Temple straight into the pool by putting a boot to his ass and pushing him in. It'd be hilarious and maybe it'd get the guy to lighten up a little.

But it also might make his own ally here hate his ass, so probably not the best idea.

Of course that does leave Taako staring at Temple's ass while he debates this particular point with himself. To shove or not to shove? That is the question.]

You know how to swim, right?

[Temple raises his head back out of the water to answer Taako. But he lets Taako continue having a view of his ass, even though he doesn’t mean to and honestly has no idea that Taako’s looking.]

Yeah, I can swim.

I used to have an underwater base sooo... I kind of needed to be able to.

[Just in case he fell in the water while fishing, or needed to escape his own base through the water.]

[Neither of those things had ever happened but... better to know how to swim and not need it than to not know how to swim and to need it.]

[Welp, that's the worst answer he could have possibly given. Taako smirks, arms crossed over his chest as Temple talks. It's just.

Too tempting???

Now he just needs some dumb reason to...]

Oh? That's fascina--oops!

[He takes a step forward and just oh-so-casually pushes Temple forward, trying to shove him into the water.]

[Temple doesn’t weigh much so it is easy for Taako to push him forward and into the water. He lands with a splash, and makes a startled cry.j

Aaah!

[He raises his head out of the water, and gives it a shake, trying to dry it.]

[And then he laughs.]

I guess you don’t think the water’s that dangerous, seeing as you shoved me in it.

[In that moment, Taako really reminds Temple of his best friend, Biff.]

[Biff was that playful, and about that much of an asshole sometimes, back when he was alive, and this is totally something he would have done. And Biff also is the person Temple cares about the most.]

[So, though it may surprise Taako, Temple’s not mad. And he’s not being a stick-in-the-mud about it either.]

[Temple is laughing about it, so that's good. He also gives him a convenient out for why he just shoved the guy into the water. Honestly, it was to make sure the water wasn't dangerous. A huge splash usually draws any beasts up to the surface and if the water was going to, for example, turn into acid, it would have by now.

With an easy shrug of his shoulders, Taako holds his hands up in surrender.]

You got me, my dude. Just couldn't resist a little harmless fu-UUUUCK!!!

[He cuts off suddenly with a screech as a giant spaceship drops out of the sky not but a few dozen yards away. Taako hits the deck and pulls his umbrella up, readying a spell in case this is hostile. The tip starts to glow a nasty orange as flames gather and he whips the staff around, pointing it at the ship until he notices that someone is waving at him from the cockpit. In a friendly manner.

Huh.

Tentatively, he waves back and the ship settles into the dirt.]

Uh...I think we just got rescued?

▶ TDM OVERFLOW .001

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