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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Blame that awkward moonlacing that did previously from before! That memory is still fresh in Jingyi's mind. ]

Why would I want to hang out with you! [ Oh gods please don't say cultivation partner!!! Jingyi suddenly imagines himself kissing Jin Ling (as Wei Wuxian) and his face turns tomato red, when he hears Sizhui's voice. ]

S-S-Sizhui... [ Sorry, Jingyi is a tad too embarrassed now to nudge Jin Ling's elbow away. He gives Sizhui a sheepish smile and a wave. The scene must look rather strange. Jin Ling plays the part of Senior Wei perfectly, but Jingyi? Embarrassed, awkward teenage Hanguang-jun? He blurts the next thing that comes to his mind as he points at Jin Ling, putting aside the fact that he just got called an "idiot". ] We're NOT cultivation partners!

Edited 2020-01-09 05:13 (UTC)

[ It's not a bad impersonation, but at this point neither young master Wei nor Senior Wei call him Lan Sizhui. So, for a long moment, he blinks between the two too-familiar figures. And two too-familiar, but in a different way, speeches. ]

Jin Ling? Jingyi?

What... happened? Are you both unhurt?

[ #priorities ]

I pressed the random button and this is what we ended up with. [ He says, thumbing back towards the booth.

At least he’s taking responsibility?

He was still leaning his weight on Jingyi (it felt too nice to stop), but turned his head to look at him and poke a finger at his cheek. ]

I blame him. For thinking about Hanguang-Jun so much. He’s lucky I don’t fight him just for making me turn out like this.

[ So much for responsibility. ]

Edited (i know how words work i swear) 2020-01-09 13:54 (UTC)

Yes, it's us. And yes, we're both unhurt. Other than being turned into this.

[ Not that Jingyi is complaining, because hey, he's in the spitting image of the great and awesome Hanguang-jun! Of course, there's also the pressure of not ruining the man's reputation by acting unseemly.

Except Jingyi ends up sticking his tongue out at Jin Ling in response, and even then he doesn't shake Jin Ling away. ] By logic, that means you were thinking about Senior Wei too. [ He sends Sizhui a mortified look. ] What if I accidentally tarnish Hanguang-jun's name because of my actions?

Edited 2020-01-09 14:00 (UTC)

Random...? [ He hasn't been in the booth! He doesn't know. But his eyes jump up to Jingyi's... Hanguang-jun's... face. ] Is that like a random filter?

[ Couldn't you two like. Ask him to take a picture of you?

Anyway. ]

I think Hanguang-jun can handle his name. I mean, would anyone dare to say anything to him?

I was not! And even if I was, I can if I want! I can think about revenge any time I want.

[ Sure, Jin Ling, because that's definitely what you're thinking about now.

He looks at Sizhui, frowning a little. ]

What's a filter? No. It's magic. It makes people look like other people.

I'm going to do it again. Who wants to stay like this, anyway? Jingyi you can just stand there and stare ahead if you don't want to embarrass him.

Come on, Sizhui, you should try it, too.

[ And he'll finally take his elbow from Jingy's shoulder and turn back toward the booth. He's not staying like this a moment more than he has to!! ]

Fine, suit yourself.

[ Jingyi folds his arms, huffing. Then remembers whose image he's wearing now, and drops them. Sizhui has a point in regards to Hanguang-jun's name, and yet he wants to at least uphold his role model. ]

They won't say anything to him, of course. Anyway, it's somewhat similar to the camera filters we played with before, but this one is slightly different. More of an illusion.

[ Jingyi adds on to the explanation as he follows after Jin Ling, one hand reaching out to tag Sizhui along as well. ]

I'm not going to stand here and watch you turn Sizhui into something awful. [ He turns to Sizhui and whispers lowly. ] If you're going to give it a try, don't let Jin Ling press the "Random" button. Look what happened to us!

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...?

[ Jin Ling crawls into the booth and moves over to the side to make room for the other two.

Once they’re all inside, having not heard Jingyi’s warning, Jin Ling is already prepared. ]

Alright, you guys ready? Let’s do this—

[ He goes to slam his hand on the button, so if anyone wants to stop him it’s gotta be now. ]

[ There certainly is no telling how much worst this could get. So Jingyi and Sizhui squeezes into the booth, and Jingyi is a step too late to stop Jin Ling from pressing the button. ]

JIN LING!

[ Hm, whatever appearance will they have now? Jingyi doesn't dare imagine as the booth begins to work its magic on the three boys. ]

[ Sizhui seems unchanged. For a moment, at least. Then he blinks, raising his hand up to feel his bare forehead, and he grows pale-- and even more so when he catches sight of the edges of the sleeves of his still-white robes.

Instead of delicate pale blue cloud patterns, there are bold, scarlet flames licking up the sleeves. The same flames edge the entire outside rim of the fabric, and Sizhui's lips tremble only once before he clasps his hands, letting the flowing sleeves cover them. ]

Oh.

Um... I guess it really is... random.

[ Not even remotely random. ]

[ Jin Ling also feels unchanged as they stumble out of the booth again. He’s still wearing the same robes he was- mostly- so he looks at his hands quizzically until he gets up in front of a mirror. Then he feels the blush immediately flood his face.

He looks gorgeous. As if he had a twin sister...

He swallows thickly and then rounds on the other two boys. ]

You better not lau—

[ Blinks. ]

Sizhui, why did only your clothes change? What Sect is that, anyway?

[ Jingyi too doesn't feel any different. He's still in his Lan robes, though if he remained as Hanguang-jun is yet unknown until he looks himself in the mirror. There's a rather long beard down his chin, though. Lo and behold, he now resembles Lan Qiren. Where are the Lan sect rule scrolls he could recite from, huh?

Jin Ling's appearance gets a surprised look from Jingyi before he begins to laugh, despite the blush forming on his face. Because Jin Ling does look rather pretty as a girl, but the laughter immediately dies down upon seeing Sizhui's robes. ]

I've not seen it before either. Looks familiar. Is that a flaming fire motif?

[ ... at least Jin Ling and Jingyi's appearances distract Sizhui, and he helplessly raises a (strange) sleeve to press his wrist against his lips, though his eyes do crinkle oh so very slightly, for a moment. ]

Perhaps we should... take the pictures so nobody can use it as blackmail later and go somewhere else. Jingyi is clearly our chaperon now.

[ Poor Zizhen should he run into them...

And Jin Ling really does look gorgeous. Still.

A moment, and Sizhui does answer. ]

It's Qishan Wen. The robes, I mean.

[What an odd coincidence that Zizhen happened to be passing by at almost exactly this time. Because he hadn't been playing around with the pictures, he still looked like himself. But when he encountered this group of three, he had to pause, looking at them all very confused]

Sizhui? ... Master Lan? ... Maiden?

[Nope, can't look more confused than he does right now. This is not the group he expected to run into, especially since Sizhui wasn't wearing the right robes either]

[ Jin Ling can't help but smirk a little at Jingyi's form, but that smirk disappeared when Sizhui explains what he's wearing. ]

Wen? Seriously? What the hell kind of game is this thing playing.

I say we get back in the damn booth and redo it until we find something we--

[ He stops dead when Zizhen approaches, and then turns beet read when addressed as Maiden. ]

I'm not a maiden! [ He definitely looks like one. ] I'm Jin Ling! It's just this weird booth. You should try it with us, maybe it'll give us better faces this time!

Sizhui didn't even get a proper face. I think this thing is just trying to mock me.

[ So that's what Sizhui means by "chaperone". Unable to help it, Jingyi imitates Lan Qiren as he strokes his beard, giving Jin Ling a meaningful look. ]

Language, please, Jin-guniang. [ He's about to say more when Zizhen appears, and the act instantly drops. ] Zizhen! It's me, Jingyi.

[ This time, he's quick enough to catch grab onto Jin Ling's arm. ] Oh no, you don't. Both times we've changed into something weird. We'll let either Sizhui or Zizhen press the button.

Zizhen.

[ Sizhui's voice is a touch quieter than usual, but he also does sound certain. ]

If you want to join us in trying to fix this, of course. [ He smiles at the Ouyang heir, then tilts his head towards the booth. ] It's like a random filter, except it applies it to the actual us. We don't know yet if we have to fix it like this or it will wear off on its own.

[ Or it would get better with moonlacing. As so many thingsi in this world try to do. ]

[Okay okay. Wait, this is going to take a moment]

So... what? You're not Master Lan? You're Jingyi? [He pointed at "Lan Qiren"]

And you're not a maiden? You're Jin Ling? That's so weird. You do make a pretty girl.

[There, he said it. It had to be said by someone]

What robes are tho- I can try to help. Is there another option than random?

[He's trying to be helpful here]

[ He was a prettier girl two seconds ago when his face wasn't flaming red and his face wasn't scrunched up. ]

I make a prettier man!! [ ............ that didn't come out how he meant it.

But he's also not moving from Jingyi's grip. You can thank moonlacing for that. If Jingyi wants to hold onto his arm, he isn't going to complain. Whatever. Don't @ him. It feels nice. ]

They're Wen Clan robes, [ Jin Ling answers before Sizhui gets a chance too. ] And it's lame. We should all change again. [ A glance at Jingyi. ] Why couldn't we have been Daozhang Xiao and Daozhang Song? That would have been cool.

There's another button but I don't know how it works.

Edited 2020-01-16 03:11 (UTC)

It's a good thing only our outward appearance change, so our voice remains the same. I don't think I can stand being Master Lan for more than five minutes.

[ Jingyi steps closer to Jin Ling, grinning even as he keeps his hold on the other. Yeah, the moonlacing is nice. ] Still pretty no matter a man or woman.

[ He looks over the four of them cramming into the booth. ] There's four of us. Someone will have to be Xue Yang. Or little A-Qing. Jin Ling, you can be A-Qing.

[ Turning to Zizhen and Sizhui, Jingyi points at the other button. ] If the earlier one is randomising, then I think this one lets us choose what we want.

... Jingyi, the Maiden Qing who is here is about our age. Not that little.

[ But he is definitely smirking a tiny bit at Jingyi complimenting Jin Ling, even if it's even fainter than it would usually be because ...

Wen robes. ]

Zizhen? Will you try it?

Everyone think of what you want, this time...

... not that I'm sure what I'd like, if I were to change.

[Sorry, Jin Ling, he can't help the snort as Jin Ling said he was prettier as a man. Best thing. But he didn't focus on that any longer than that. There were other things... like trying to figure out how to help his friends, two of whom were stuck looking very different than normal]

Alright. Here goes nothing.

[And he pressed the random button]

[ Jin Ling feels like he’s about to combust, his face so hot it could set fire to this whole booth. He doesn’t even have a wity (is he ever wity??) retort, he’s just going to try not to think too hard about how Jingyi thinks he’s pretty, thanks. ]

Whatever, Lans are prettier. [ Grumbled half under his breath. ] Sizhui should be A-Qing if we’re going by that standard.

[ He closed his eyes tightly, trying to think hard about what he wanted to look like and not the fact that he sort of wanted to die, and thus did not see the fact that Zizhen presses the random button anyway.

When they piled out of the booth, he went straight for the mirror. And then choked.

Cool, great, he was a girl version of himself again, but this time he was in Lan clan robes. As if he’d married int— ]

This thing is broken!! I wanted to be Song Lan!!

Edited 2020-01-17 11:55 (UTC)

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