▶ 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

[harai]

[This situation isn't a nice one and yet seeing Nikkari does ease his nerves somewhat. It's probably the comfort that comes from being with a friend, but Ishikirimaru doesn't care about the specifics. Even though they've found themselves quite thoroughly lost, at least they're both safe and together now. It's the small things.

There is that strain in Nikkari's visible eye that Ishikirimaru notices, but he doesn't call it out. And when Nikkari answers him, he knows it's because of what he saw. That's understandable.]

'Interesting' is certainly a word for it, though not the one I would have chosen.

[Worrisome springs to mind, for starters. But he offers Nikkari a smile in turn, trying to remain calm and give off that kind of feeling, even though his own peace of mind is a little shaken.]

The feeling is mutual, Nikkari-san. If nothing else, I am glad for your presence, as selfish as that may sound.

[wails]

Mutual selfishness. I like the sound of that.

[ his smile broadens, then falters. ]

Could it be possible for our bodies to truly be split between places like this implies? Or perhaps it is a vision of another- [ a sudden, uncontrollable dryness in his throat cuts him off, and he stretches towards the water. ] E-excuse me.

[ with one hand holding his hair away from his face and the other scooping the unnaturally reflective water into his mouth, nikkari drinks deeply. the rune that peeks from under his right glove has darkened, the point of the triangle bright red on his pale skin. the water slakes his thirst for only moments, it seems. ]

[harai]

[Nikkari's question is...difficult. Both because Ishikirimaru simply doesn't have an answer for it, but also because one idea that's niggled at the back of his mind isn't a happy one. If the vision is even real, what it shows is disturbing. Surely they can't be...dead...]

It could be another timeline -

[That at least sounds more plausible than some alternatives. But the thought is forgotten as he watches Nikkari desperately drink. It hurts to see a comrade like that, even if it is just an intense thirst. But there's something wrong about and Ishikirimaru knows how that feels, having been through the same.

He lifts a hand and begins to reach other toward Nikkari, intending to rest it against the other sword's back in some attempt at a comforting gesture, but watching this all happen only causes his own thirst to return and he frowns before dipping his hands back in to refresh himself.

His sleeves take on more water.]

[wails]

[ nikkari had collapsed to his knees in his desperation to drink, the purple grit another uncomfortable ache to add to the many others he was suffering both physically and mentally. and when he hears ishikirimaru splash back into the pond next to him - that's just one more.

eventually he's able to lift his head and breathe again, his throat cold and hands trembling. despite his attempts to keep his hair from the water, the fringe that usually covered his eye hung heavy, soaked at the tip. he pulls his sopping gloves off and rolls up his sleeves.

the bite mark and strange rune catches his eye, finally. looking from it to ishikirimaru, he laughs somberly to himself. ]

That can't be good. Aah, this is a bit of a problem...

[ shuffling over, nikkari reaches out and gingerly pulls ishikirimaru's sleeves back where he can. he intended to hold them free of the water, above the ootachi's elbows like a sword tasuki, but as soon as his fingertips brush ishikirimaru's skin a sense of relief comes over him and he ends up leaning bodily into the larger sword's side in surprise. ]

[harai]

[Almost distantly, Ishikirimaru can sense Nikkari getting a hold of himself again, but his own need to drink keeps him from showing concern immediately. Just a few more handfuls will do the trick, surely...

And then the wakizashi reaches out to him instead, so kindly pushing his sleeves out of the way, something Ishikirimaru had never even been in the proper mindset to do. It's a lost cause at this point, but the gesture resonates.

Though, it doesn't resonate perhaps as strongly as when fingers touch his skin and not only does Nikkari find relief, but as Ishikirimaru lowers his hands to the water again, he suddenly feels full. Watered down, so to speak. He pulls his hands from the water and tries to shake off the excess without disturbing Nikkari, chuckling softly in the process.]

Oya? What's this? I hope my presence hasn't put you to sleep that easily.

[Apparently his humor is in better standing with the sudden righting of...whatever had gone wrong.

But as he looks down at Nikkari, he notices the odd markings on the other man's wrist. A tattoo? No, he's sure Nikkari doesn't have one. But the more he looks, he notices irritation around the rune, almost like some sort of bug bite.

...Bug bite? Didn't he have discomfort earlier?

Raising a hand to the side of his neck, he gingerly rubs at it, but it doesn't bother him as much as it had before.]

Nikkari-san, might I ask if I have a similar marking here?

[wails]

[ still in the stupor of sudden freedom from the desperation he'd been feeling, nikkari blinks dully for a second before snapping back to alertness. he politely extricates himself from ishikirimaru's side, leaving one hand on the ootachi's back both as a comforting gesture and a stabiliser for himself. the contact somehow felt right as well, in a strange way, but nikkari wasn't willing to pay that mind. like the thirst, there was something off about that sensation. ]

Sorry. It was a surprise, to suddenly feel... [ hm. he pauses, a flicker frown of consideration crossing his face. ] Fulfilled.

[ he's about to ask about his comrade's condition as well, but ishikirimaru's question startles him. blinking owlishly behind his hair, nikkari mutters an 'let me just-' and carefully lowers the collar of ishikirimaru's robes, smile turning to a grimace as he matches the symbol he finds there to the one on his own hand. ]

It appears we've been afflicted with the same effect. Haha, the shock made us let our guards down, I suppose?

[ backing up, nikkari leans back on his hands in the purple grit and he sighs up at the unfamiliar sky. ]