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.

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[ Oh. Hux was here, too. That instant flare of intense hatred was familiar but it didn't last as long as it used to. Even so... he hopes he doesn't see the other man.

Kylo was dangerous, yes, but in an unpredictable way, probably even to himself. Jagged edges, wandering directions- Finn could see some of that now. Hux, though. Hux was driven and smart in entirely predictable ways. He wanted to do horrible things for his gain, whereas Kylo did horrible things for-

For something. Finn wasn't totally sure anymore.

Either way, the point, Finn didn't want to start a new life here by committing a murder, no matter how much his instincts were already yelling at him to eliminate the threat. Not to mention that Kylo brought him up on purpose. So Finn only reacts with his head dipping forward hardly an inch and a muscle jumping in his throat. ]

You're crazier than I thought if you assumed he'd help you. What makes you think he'd bother? He's a weasel but a survivor. He's not going to trust someone who could kill him with a thought, especially without their leash. [ Bit of a mean jab but... eh. Kylo started it. ]

He wasn't giving me information because he wanted to help me. He understands how the chain of command works.

[You know, given that he's the Supreme Leader and all. That didn't terribly matter much here, but it was nice reminding Hux now and again that he was beneath him. It was up in the air who was the bigger threat to him: Finn or Hux. Either of them was capable of making his life hell if they wanted to.]

[ The chain of command...

Finn actually smiles, something sarcastic and a little cruel, a laugh bubbling out of him. ] Yes, I'm sure he does... [ Then he sobers. ] Once something realizes it's at the bottom of the food chain, it starts working to get on top.

[ Oh, there was no doubt that Hux was still afraid of Kylo Ren. Fear is what made people like him particularly dangerous. ]

That's definitely him, in the simplest terms.

[They could definitely agree Hux was a worm. Perhaps maybe even aligned in that fact.]

Rey is here as well.

[He runs a hand through his hair, not quite meeting his eyes. In some part of his heart, he wonders if it might have been easier for her if it had been FN-2187 here with her instead of himself. She had taken personal risks being with him intimately. Hux had made that more abundantly clear lately that it wouldn't bee a fraternization met with understanding. Yet, he had seen more unorthodox unions if his parents were anything to go by.]

[ Finn frowns, not as angry as he was at the mention of Hux but guarded at the very least. ]

I know. She said that you two... reached an understanding.

[ He has his own guesses, actually, considering how this place worked, how the Force worked. They're guesses that he can't really imagine and certainly doesn't understand, but Kylo not meeting his eyes doesn't strike any of them down.

He wants to threaten him. "If you hurt her-" etc. etc. It'd be hollow on Kylo's ears, though... And he'd be right. Finn's abilities hadn't carried over from Vaikuntha. Most of them, anyway. Besides, if he hurt her, she would do worse than anything Finn could come up with.

Though he has a lot of other things to say, he doesn't and just waits instead. ]

Yes. Something like that.

[Of all the things he expected to be on the list of things that just were too embarrassing to talk about, it was his relationship with Rey. With Finn, of all people, it only made things worse. He opens his mouth to elaborate, to actually get the words out, but decides against it. He clears his throat before trying again.]

If you plan on being the jealous, scorned, lover or some nonsense then you can take it up with her. Just don't- don't cut her out for it.

[ ... Wow. Wooooow.

Finn's eyebrows crawl up his forehead, genuinely shocked that Kylo just admitted it. So shocked, in fact, he kind of wants to just start laughing again. But he probably wouldn't be able to stop so he resists starting. ]

Rey and I have only ever been friends. [ Tackling that first. That one was so much easier than the rest of it.

But, after a beat, he lets himself accept it and heaves a sigh. ] She said you've both been here for about seven months now, and I know that people can be dragged back to the light kicking and screaming. [ Learned first hand, in fact. ] I trust her to know herself, protect herself. I trust her judgment, for the most part.

But some things about people don't change, either because they can't or don't want to. Some pieces of us never go back to the light at all.

[ He let go of his somewhat stronger handle on the rage building in his chest, lips sneering and voice turning into a growl. ] So excuse me if I can't bring myself to buy your chivalrous act yet.

[ He couldn't cut Rey out of his heart, could never do such a thing, but if the other man proved himself to be everything Finn thought he was, he wouldn't have any problem cutting Kylo out of hers.

~~Or trying to, anyway. Lost your power, Finn, don't forget.~~ ]

[He listens and didn't immediately regret telling him until he starts talking about how some pieces of people never go back to the light.]

It's not chivalrous nor is it an act. [His tone is actually icy now.]

You can hate me all you like. I won't pretend to suddenly be a changed man, but the fact that you're still breathing at all should be an indication of that in its own way.

Edited 2020-01-10 05:22 (UTC)

[ Honestly, honestly, the threat feels empty. Finn's not sure if it is or not but he knows that he doesn't care.

But one edge of his lips does tip into a smile, something dark and mean. ] That's definitely not something a changed man would say, you're right. If I remember, though, you were just playing with me in that forest. Still got a hit on you, anyway.

I've gotten a little better at it since then. You're welcome to try anytime you like.

[ Maul hadn't been a kind master, but his teaching methods had been more than effective. ]

[ still without your powers, bb, shhhhhhhhh ]

You only got a hit in because I was injured. I was playing with you because you were trying to swing my grandfather’s lightsaber around like a baby with a rattle. If I recall, you received a much worse blow than what you dealt.

[If there was one thing he was assured of it was his skill with a lightsaber. Did that make him arrogant? Absolutely. Did he care if it bothered Finn? Not even a little. Suffice to say they were off to a great start.]

You got off lucky. I doubt it would even be a fair match even if you’ve improved. Who would have even trained you with Skywalker dead?

[ The attempt to jab at Finn's old skills with a lightsaber doesn't bother him in the least. Kylo's right. Swinging it like a rattle was a little too accurate.

But he doesn't like the mention of his injury. Finn's eyes narrow again, but he tamps down on that new flare of anger. The scar's there, he lived, it doesn't matter now.

Even though he doesn't plan to address any of that, Finn still pauses at the question. Kylo probably wouldn't recognize the name Maul, but everyone knew the title Darth.

And Finn wanted absolutely no one to know about... that. ]

I already told you. I was somewhere else between here and home for over a year. Why does it have to be someone alive in our time? Why does it even have to be him?

Because who else would have taught you how to use a lightsaber?

[The question of why it would have to be someone 'alive' gives him pause, though.]

You're saying someone dead taught you? [An eyebrow raise-]

That is advanced Jedi teachings and would take a normal man years to master. You're not even remotely skilled enough to communicate to the Jedi of the past.

[There's no attempt to be insulting, as if his interest is purely scholarly. He's being matter of fact, not unlike telling Rey that the effort to connect though the Force could have killed her if she had been the one doing it. He had been able to communicate with his grandfather from a young age, but then his bloodline allowed for that kind of power.]

[ He's not offended. In fact, he's kind of happy that this conversation has gone all the way back around to just being annoying. ]

I wouldn't call myself a master, anyway. I didn't have the time you had for training and I don't have the Force. [ Still got that hit in, though. ]

Rey told me about a Chiss man taken from the height of the Republic. It was sort of like that. In our time, he's... probably dead. [ Not everything came out for the better when the timelines were fixed. But even after so many years, Finn wouldn't put it past Maul to somehow still be walking around. ]

There a point to all these questions? Does it really matter that much to you?

[He will refuse to admit to being a bit of a nerd to anyone besides Rey and even then they haven't talked about it. He has a reputation to maintain which is clearly slipping.]

Morbid curiosity. I was curious who would actually teach you to use one and what you would get out of it.

[ Hmm. After a second of thinking through the answer, Finn shrugs. ]

I had a lightsaber, and he said I had potential. I had been learning how to use it from local swordsmen and... he was a little offended. Said the two practices weren't alike at all, which was true enough.

In the end, I guess it was more about what he got of it instead. All I wanted was to defend myself better. [ At first. His lessons hadn't covered much about defensive measures. ]

[He scoffs at the mention of the swordsmen. Is it possible to be offended on behalf of a person he's never even met?]

Hm. 'Had' as in past tense. You don't have it with you?

[He wasn't about to train with him, but Rey probably would be interested. He hardly had anything to teach her when she had gleaned most of it from his head already.]

[ Maul certainly had been. That was probably a good 75% of the reason he agreed to teach Finn. ]

I don't have that one. I somehow managed to lose your grandfather's lightsaber while coming here. Luckily, I had two when I left.

[ Finn didn't want to train with Kylo either, thanks. Maybe not even Rey. He was fine with his skills getting rusty, but Kylo didn't need to know that. ]

You lost- [He stops himself, making a disgusted face.]

It doesn't matter. Rey has it.

[Oh, he wanted to knock him flat for losing it though. It was best he not draw attention to them.]

If you have any weapon, I'd keep it on you. I haven't had any trouble but you never know.

[He shrugs, deciding he's had enough of grilling him for information.]

You were headed to the apartments, right?

[ He didn't mean to lose it, at least. Finn shows his hands with a little shrug as if he was physically trying to channel some "my bad" energy. ]

Thanks for the advice... but it is good to know this place has been more or less peaceful. [ He hadn't outright asked anyone, but it seemed that way. Also, look at him, making an effort to not hold on to grudges. ]

I was.

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▶ TDM .011

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this and the rey thread rn is pure gold, just sayin

i love it hahaha. i need to go catch up on the Rey thread

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