prismaticrap | ▶ TDM .011

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You awaken amidst the darkness with only a faint light to greet you. 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. After an hour or two of wandering through the crystal wilderness, a group of people find you worse for wear. They are the gallant Moon Knights from the planet of Prismatica. Because of the strange phenomena during the past months when scientists observed the sudden appearance of rainbow crystals in the sky, the government has been feverishly combing through the moon for more Moonblessed to be rescued. You’ll eventually be brought into Iris’s moon government center.

You all may have your usual inquiries — Where are we? Who are you? What's going on? — and the Prismals are almost too eager to answer. They tell you about their world and about the first appearance of the Moonblessed as the medical staff give you an examination to make sure you’re not carrying any viruses or biological hazards. If you react violently, you may be restrained and nerfed with a specialized neurotransmitting gun that releases a numbing agent through the top of your spine. Once the examinations are over, you’re informed that you will be provided accommodations on their planet during your stay. You will then be escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel that makes frequent trips back and forth between the Iris moon and the planet. Faces onboard vary from both old and new Moonblessed as well as the local Prismals.

The next destination: Prismatica.

▶ There and Back Again
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and Planet Prismatica, City of Lunatia | top

Welcome to Prismatica’s hub, Lunatia, the city of your dreams! A bustling metropolis lush with bright lights, vibrant colors, luxuriant plant life, and all the conveniences of technology absent from your own world… It seems like paradise to all the uninitiated. After a quick tour of the city, new arrivals can find themselves getting cozy in their new homes.

A Settle in your new home at Level 2 to find new roommates and say hello to your neighbors! City officials will give you directions to the designated districts across Level 2 and instruct you to pick out a unit. Each apartment complex has a different aesthetic, some may look cozy, some stylish, and some bizarre. The free accommodations have a basic living space that can only fit two or three people at most in one unit.

Starter Chromaspace furnishings are provided which can be controlled with the touch of a built-in panel. Examples are color-changing curtains, transforming sofa beds, cabinets turning into tables, etc. Customizing your apartment or moving out will have to wait until you earn more chroma. Until then, why don’t you check out your new neighborhood or explore the city levels? Maybe your new roommates or neighbors can give you a “hand” with allowance for dinner.

B As a Remooning gift from the Lunar Scientia Headquarters, the dedicated team from the Amphoria Room has released their latest perfected technology: Amphoria Pods. These VR Pods, which can fit up to four people at a time, have been set up in the gaming hub within Level 1’s PrismaPlace. They allow users to upload sceneries of their world in order to create a realistic holographic landscape of their homes that others can access and play around with, granting everyone the means to relive past memories with their loved ones as well as interact with the bestiary of other worlds. The pods also use the same technology that enhanced the popular virtual game, League Match Action Online (LmaO), which means you’re liable to feel the chill of cold environments, the burning heat from boiling water, the hard slap of your ex-lover, or the biting sting of a stray wasp. All who use the Amphoria Pods for the first time this year will also receive a small amount of Chroma in case things get too real.

▶ God Save Us from the Queen
Level 1, PrismaPlace and Level 2, Greatmoon Groves | top

The first month of the year is packed with two of the most important winter events this season: Queen Elara’s birthday and the League Match Action Online (LmaO) PVP semi-finals. It just so happens that the Queen of Lunatia is also a huge LmaO fan. Coincidence? Definitely not! LmaO players and royal family fans alike can meet her at PrismaPlace, where she will be appearing in cosplay of her favorite hero, Ah-Kari, while holding a body pillow of Commander GareBear. You, too, can get an autograph or selfie with the birthday girl if you’re willing to fall in line! Her bodyguards will also be in LmaO cosplay, keeping the crowd under control during the long wait.

Queen Elara

Good day to you all! This may come as a surprise to our guests the Moonblessed, but I am a normal person despite my exalted position. Please do not think of me today as Queen Elara. Instead... my name is Ah-Kari, sorceress of the crystal! With my soul fan blades, through the darkness, I shall slice all who dare hurt my commander in twain!

But when she is not meeting and greeting...

Queen Elara

My comrades, we're going to make history today. We're going for a new record. Perhaps the highest kill counts or the fastest clear for this map — it matters not. We’ve practiced day and night for this tournament, so let us show everyone that we’re not to be taken lightly! Also, the livestream is going in the royal archive, so make your successors proud!!

... she will be furiously grinding her character and training her skills in LmaO in the hopes of qualifying for the finals. Spectators will see her bring her own team full of hapless palace attendants who are there to either serve as her practice match partners or provide support to the one-woman army that is Queen Elara.

PrismaPlace is packed with giant crowds, many of them also in cosplay. While the semi-finals are taking place, new and old LmaO players alike can participate in the game’s current campaign: players who form teams get an improved chance of spawning unique monsters as well as winning rare items and skins in those prized lootboxes! Teams can also try to clear the event’s story together, featuring an aerial battle fought on griffin-back, which is heavily inspired by the popular Lunatian epic, The Battle of Abraxas, a colorful and complex story about the conflict between two families fighting over the fictional land of griffins, Abraxas.

A Progression in the event requires acquiring a griffin mount and getting it ready for battle. You can lure a wild one to yourself with a special veggie pie on a fishing pole. Should the griffin reject the lure, your character will be caught in a wind gaol and can only break out with the help of other players. Should you succeed, raising the griffin is a tedious task that involves players training alongside their respective griffins, running laps with them, taking them to hunt monsters, and feeding them properly. Depending on their diet, the food you give them will affect the color of its plumage and their battle stats.

Or you can skip the hard work and simply moonlace with your teammates through all the progression bars and required materials to save time. Once finished, you’ll be able to battle one another through the thunderous aerial domain of Abraxas. Clearing the event will net you an event-exclusive skin inspired by the royal family’s shining celestial robes and a weapon skin of a body pillow with your favorite character, so do your best!

B In celebration of Queen Elara’s birthday, the office of the royal household is hosting a modest tea party in the Greatmoon Groves. Swiffy bots that are normally programmed to remind visitors to keep the groves clean are now playing a birthday jingle on repeat. For people who prefer to be away from the blinding neon lights and the thumping techno music of PrismaPlace, this is the ideal escape. Unlimited tea and cookies are being served!

The tea is a soft-colored lilac concoction made from Ehrysian tea leaves that are known to cause a huge spike of alertness and is popular to Moon Knights and office workers with long night shifts as well as gamers for those all-night grinding sessions. The assorted cookies have either Ah-Kari or Commander GareBear printed on them. In case it isn't obvious yet, both are the birthday girl’s favorite LmaO characters.

Any Moonblessed looking for extra income is welcome to be royal attendants for the day; the hours are paid by Demichroma. They must be properly dressed up as maids or butlers (outfits provided by the royal household) as they serve tables.

▶ Say Cheese
Level 3, Caihong | top

Meanwhile, Caihong is in the midst of Remooning festivities in celebration of the new year, and merriment usually lasts a fortnight, filled with fireworks in the sky. Upon entering the district, beautiful Prismals with rat ears and tails greet you with a Happy Remooning and eagerly tug you along to join in.

Those welcomed will receive a pack of multi-colored sparklers, mooncakes topped with cheese, and a glowing drink called Champagne Supernova, poured in a thin glass in your hand. If you are over eighteen, the rat Prismals will ask if you prefer your drink with a kick. If you say yes, then they will add flavorful ice that causes extreme intoxication and might leave you to be susceptible to all levels of suggestion. Saying no (or if you’re under 18) will simply leave it as a sweet drink.

A One of the party games being played by the locals is called Lucky Tail, which is basically pinning the tail on the holographic rat stand-in — with a twist, it must be played with a partner! Another participant will blindfold you, spin you around, then push you forward. The stand-in is located at the end of unsteady elevated platforms forming a maze, filled to the brim with distracting objects underneath. They’re long, they’re thick, and they’re vibrating furiously in an attempt to knock you off the platforms.

Your partner must guide you by voice to successfully navigate through the maze! The game is rigged with various mechanisms, so stepping on specific platforms will activate a number of traps against you or your partner: machines that may tickle, drop colorful slime, or cause the platform to repetitively spin, and who knows what else?

Should you manage to get through the obstacle course and pin the tail successfully, you and your partner will win copious amounts of Demichroma, courtesy of Buwan from Buwan’s Stop.

B Another attraction is a fun magic glamour booth known for its face or body swap features. The booth staff, clad in their festive rat paraphernalia, will encourage you and your friends to take aesthetic shots using an illusion generator. The effects last an hour. Photographed images can be instantly uploaded and shared in Prismagram. New year, new you! Why not take the chance to celebrate this momentous occasion in a unique fashion? It’s all in good humor.

There are two buttons to press: (A) CUSTOM or (B) RANDOM. Pressing A will allow participants to customize their desired effects. Pressing B will cause the illusion magic to randomly rearrange participants in questionable positions, new outfits (or lack thereof), and you may even come out of the booth looking like your best friend or your worst rival. The possibilities are endless!

▶ Questions
If you have any questions regarding this test drive meme, please ask them in the Questions thread below.

▶ As a reminder, test drive memes are for new characters only. However, current players are more than welcome to use these prompts for their own posts in the IC communities, personal inboxes, catch-all posts, etc.!
▶ As our test drive memes are game canon, feel free to keep any threads that happen here as canon for your character should they be accepted.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Some? Are you saying that there are people from other sects here?

[it's reassuring in a way. it means he didn't fall into a trap, or at least he didn't fall into it alone.

zixuan glances away at lan xichen's advice. he can't admit that he doubts that he does know what he needs better than anyone. what he wouldn't give for a small army of servants. or mianmian.

but it's not like he's about to fall into dispair about it either. he has more pride than that.]

This one will do. [zixuan decides it with a flap of his sleeve.] Zewu-Jun, please. If you have time, have a seat. Allow us - allow me to serve you something.

[ venus just sort of stares at anna. from multiple angles, mind you. it's not a trust thing, really, so much as... ]

Is that really going to be enough?

[ several eyes on her wings blink in unison to underscore that problem. ]

[ Exactly. Martin just shakes his head. ]

That is one of the refrains of our lives.

[Sephiroth sees it happen before him like it were a stage play. The gamut of realization, faint apology, embarrassment that flirts with shame. Interesting, in its own way, and he wonders what that speaks for in the other man. If this doctor is the sort who has simply accepted too much of the wrongs done against himself; if that should be considered the weakness of a too-kind heart. Of strangely humorous self-deprecation.

Maybe. He cannot quite say. But Sephiroth did not speak with the intent to chastise, though it is sometimes so difficult to tell with him — he may be sparing with his words, but raised and marketed as a great weapon in an army for years, gentleness is foreign to him. A sheathed blade still possesses cold edges, after all, though he does not mean to cut.]

I’m SOLDIER. [One might not hear the all-caps in speech, but the way he says it, there’s meaning behind the word.] I know that means nothing to someone who isn’t from Gaia, but consider it an elite, highly-trained unit.

[There’s not much to say on the imposing front, though. Sephiroth knows it’s true. Sometimes he wields it purposefully, other times? It just ekes off of him for all the world to notice.

Without preamble, half testing Julian’s reaction—]

Why? Do I intimidate you?

Edited 2020-01-10 18:32 (UTC)

Fufu...I’ll gladly sit down with you to explain it all. Perhaps over tea? Another day.

[ Julian is just as fun to fluster as always. He feels light, happy, at least until that last question causes something to cross over his expression. It’s distant, the look he glances away with briefly, and even when he smiles back, his eyes aren’t as bright. Still— ]

He isn’t here. [ He’s answering what he takes the question to be, though he does squeeze gently at Julian’s wrist afterwards. ] At least not anymore. Ah, there’s Sen-chan who remembers, however... and though I never knew him there, Yaotome-san told me he was stuck in that same city.

Anyone else who I might recognize from there has no memory of it. [ He thinks that’s all, at least... ]

[ Sizhui brightens just a bit more, because... yes. It's a good thing. He's not sure everyone does approach this with kindness...

But more do than don't, he thinks.

Then he blinks a little. Meant to be... ]

Young master Wen... May I tell you something that might... also sounds strange.

[ Because it's not like most of the conversation hasn't been strange. ]

[A few of those words mean nothing at all to Geralt, but he gets the gist of it: it's an invention of some kind that works for the humans. He turns his attention on the girl instead: she's young, with the kind of beauty that reminds him of sorceresses. There's no magic in the air around her, though.

Someone comes by and gives him a teacup. He turns it in his hand. It's possible it looks comically tiny in his palm.]

So now that I know what they are...who might you be?

Unfortunately, yes.

I miss the days when I could blame it all on Leitner.

[zixuan was speaking more of the rudeness. the crying, the yelling...he's curious about the reasons for that too, except those are connected to emotions and he's Bad at that.

he does lift his brows at the boy's words though. is he talking about his father? there are things that could be said about jin guangshan, but he'd never heard a member of the jin clan who'd actually dared to say them.

zixuan places his arms behind his back and looks back down at the boy.]

Go on. Tell me what is it exactly that they have done?

[He sees it there, hears it in his tone, in the swiftness with which he moves on-- a quick dulling of the former glitter of his eyes, something in the way he turns his head. It's a pain he's learned from himself, one he knows--

--so he says nothing of it, wrist twisting slightly in the circle of the other man's hold, the fleeting brush of fingers against Eichi's hand. He's not a man given to subtleties, but on occasion he knows how to wield them.

He lets it go. Allows himself to be drawn on towards wherever Eichi means to lead them.]

Sen! Ah, I remember her. Quite a darling.

[His voice comes, a touch over-bright.]

But I er, I hope it hasn't been too lonely for you here, in that case. Shared experience counts for something, eh?

[He knows something, after all, of holding on to one's secrets and darkness and pain, something of trapping it all inside of oneself until it begins to eat one up.]

And another day then, my dear, you can tell me everything. You'll find me a willing audience.

[The capitalisation is lost on him, but there's something in the way the other man says the word that manages to convey meaning. That SOLDIER is not the same as a solider, that it carries more weight than that.

An elite force, he says, a highly-trained unit, and observing the other man now, the way he carries himself, the discernible cool restraint-- it is something Julian can easily believe.]

Nothing I've heard of, no. No more familiar to me than the Red Plague is to you, I suspect but uh, impressive, though. Not something I could do myself. I lack the discipline.

[And there it is, again. The self-depreciating slide of his smile. He lacks the discipline yes, but more than that, besides. He's a healer. Quite the opposite of a solider.

He shifts again, briefly, from high-booted foot to foot. Fires off a soft laugh.]

And ah, well. There's a question. I wouldn't take it too personally, though. It's not hard to do.

[Which adequately conveys, he thinks, that the answer is yes. But look-- the fact is, he doesn't dislike it.]

[Shadow has this look on his face as if what she said to him was incredulous.]

I don't see a maiden here. [But he's not going to say no, so off he goes to do his part and be blindfolded and spun around and all that stuff.]

[ It’s a relief, even that small gesture, and Eichi laces their fingers together in response. Complicated, and yet he feels like this could be a fresh start, along with a continuation. Without any issues clouding his vision, they can freely spend time together, right? His steps slow when they’re further from crowds, but with enough space to move around, and his shoulders relax a bit. ]

I’m surrounded by friends... though I still do feel lonely, being unable to speak fully on all that happened. Ah, but with you, it’s as if I don’t have to say a word. I’m glad.

[ He stops now, turning and releasing Julian’s hand to gesture at his own chest, but his other hand extends out in invitation. ]

It’s no roof top, but I wonder if you might grant me another dance? No matter how much of that champagne you’ve had, I promise it will be better than the last time.

I've lived in a cave, so I can handle it.

[The rest though, how rude. Shadow merely snorts at all the questions.]

I still need to eat, yes. [And that's all he has to say on the subject. Also still not leaving.]

[Cu gives that statement a wide grin.]

That's left to be seen.

[The place they arrive to is excellent and after a moment, Cu summons Gae Bolg into his hands.]

There's no War to be had here, but it's good to keep your skills sharp, wouldn't you say?

It's certainly different from anything I have seen you wear before. [ Different, but by no means outlandish-- especially compared to some of the outfits she saw on her way up here. It honestly suits him! But back to the point-- two months?? ]

Then it is true. This place really does exist somewhere beyond the constraints of the passage of time in our world. [ Sypha finds herself shaking her head as well, a bit stunned by this latest wave of astonishment. ] It was only yesterday that I last saw you, when Trevor and I left to find my train and tell them of all that had happened.

[ She had thought she would be cherishing the final image of Alucard flipping Trevor off for much longer before they were reunited again, with so much left to do still ahead of them all. But if she tries to tackle what this means for their reality right now, her mind may truly come unraveled. ]

Yes. [ She's definitely troubled, but returns his smile fondly. ] While I had very little time to miss you, I did anyway.

My name is Re-L Mayer. And you? [ Well if he's going to ask she might as well too, right? Still, as he's passed the tea Re-L points a pale finger to the lavender liquid, a bit bemused at the fact she's drank enough to already feel the effects.

Typically, she treats most things offered by Prismals with a bit more care, but after Regis had introduced her to something called 'Earl Grey' she'd been a little too enthusiastic to try new things. ]

Be careful with that. It's energizing in a way that far exceeds coffee... I may wear Iggy out yet at the gym after this.

[Julian's chest swells a little in something like unaccountable pride in the wake of Eichi's words, at the implication that his presence is enough, that an understanding that runs deeper than verbalisation exists between them, now. A shared experience that binds them in a world so different from the one they both occupied together, for a little while.

And he feels it, too, the possibility of complications falling away, the ghost that stood between them potentially exorcised.

He smiles a sloppy smile, falls into step with the younger man as his pace slows, and when he stops and turns and extends a hand, he's swift enough to take it.]

My darling, it would be an honour. And if you're promising me a better night than the last one, then I daresay I'm in for a treat. It was a good evening, wasn't it?

[He remembers it well despite the amount of alcohol they'd consumed-- a night of drink and conversation, of a dizzy dance beneath a starless sky.]

I!

[ Sizhui looks between Jin Ling's back disappearing into the booth and Jingyi, worrying at his lip for a moment, before he tilts his head towards the booth. Come on. ]

How much worse can it get...?

[He looked back back question in his eyes. What more could sound especially strange?]

Yes?

[ Money was a great motivator and definitely a contributing factor in making this seem like a Very Good Idea, but maybe they were in over their heads. Leon’s still operating under concepts like logic and reasoning, which don’t seem to apply here in this M.C. Escher-esque puzzle room; up is down, left is right except when it isn’t, and Leon’s too drunk and blind to make sense of it all. He’s even a little embarrassed to know that he’s still at the beginning of the room when he feels hands snake around his torso and hears his partner’s voice in person.

It’s a good thing embarrassment was a great motivator too, because as he’s being steadied, Leon uses the opportunity to collect himself—as difficult as it is—and determines that even if they don’t win the prize money, they sure as hell were going to try. He holds up a hand and waves Nero off, mouth stretched in a wry smile. ]

Yeah, thanks. Probably shouldn’t have had those drinks, huh?

[ Licking his lips, he searches for Nero’s arm and places a reassuring hand on his wrist. ]

You go on back and we’ll try this again. [ A laugh. ] If we can’t make it out of the starting area in 15, we’ll call it quits for the night. How’s that sound?

[Pidonus is following, balancing healing Siofra with striking at random creeps.]

I still don't get these 'positions'. Speaking as someone with lots of battle experience in my world, this is, uh.

Weird.

[ God. A rattling laugh. ]

I’m almost nostalgic for Jane Prentiss.

I, ah.

When I say that I come from... later. It's because I remember you like this, a little. [ Deep breath, and quiet words that are not mumbled only because he's been raised a lot like a Lan. ] I used to call you Ning-gege.

It's fine.

[ The injuries do hurt, but it's nothing that he can't endure. Ayer's used to this in a way too, due to his way of life here and even back in his homeworld. He never liked making a fuss anyway, so that contributes to his calm despite his awful condition. When seemingly kind-hearted stranger tries to reach out for him, he doesn't seem to react badly to it, remaining where he is.

Ayer would only react badly if the other would mean harm, but it's clearly done out of worry. He tries he reassure somehow by lifting his own palm, facing the man. He's not severely injured to the point that he can't stand straight or can't walk, so he really is fine, all things considered. Instead, he focuses on the man's own worries. ]

The apartment rooms are free, but if you want a bigger space or a house, then these you'd have to pay for.

[ Though, upon hearing the man is a doctor and a healer, Ayer reconsiders. ]

… Do you do healing magic? How much would you charge for it?

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▶ TDM .011

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[c]heese

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you remembered correctly!! and woah julian is so tall a;ksdfja

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he's a gangly giant, yes ;;

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