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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...if it's about Wei Wuxian, [ Jiang Cheng sighs, feeling a pang of guilt at how badly he upset his nephew with his reaction while at the same time torn over the fact that Wei Wuxian is all he really has here. He smooths a hand over Jin Ling's hair, giving a hard swallow as he tries to think of how to handle this better. What kind of tenderness his sister might offer. What kind of stupidity Wei Wuxian would spout. He actually manages a ghost of a smile just thinking about it. If only the three of them, or even just two of them had been able to raise this child, everything would be so different.

Anyone but just him.

Anyone but him.

You'll never be anything compared to him, his mother voice reminds him, sharp and cutting in his mind.

He swallows it down, swallows it down again. ]

...can we just forget him for now? Tell me about what you like. What you're good at. What you're proud of. What kind of man do want to be, A-Ling?

[ But everything in his life comes back to Wei Wuxian somehow, doesn't it? He can't tell him anything that happened recently, that much is obvious.

What kind of man do you want to be? he asks, and Jin Ling feels his heart constrict.

He finally pulls back out of the hug despite not wanting to, lifting his sleeve to run it over his face and dry the tears that still waited there.

Then he looks at the floor and mumbles: ]

I only ever wanted to live up to you.

[ He lets that hang for a second before it makes him so uncomfortable that his skin starts to crawl. One admittance too much. ]

So it doesn't matter. Isn't it easier to just start new?

[ The answer stuns him into pulling back himself, giving Jin Ling a wide-eyed, bewildered stare of disbelief. Live up to him? What is there to live up to? What could've possibly changed between now and then to make him someone to look up to rather than down on? Jin Ling's a little old to see him with a child's forgiving wonder. Does he grow into his own, then? As sect leader, as uncle, as—

...but that's it, isn't it? No Yanli. No Wei Wuxian. Just Lotus Pier with none of its familiar faces and his sister's orphaned child.

He can't see it. He can't picture it at all.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he swallows hard. ]

...I'm sure you're already there. It can't have been easy, growing up with me.

[ He thinks of how he was after the loss of his parents. Imagines falling into that deep, dark mire all over again without his sister, furious again with Wei Wuxian. And without Wei Wuxian to mend things, without anyone, with just an infant, as alone and bereft as him. Unable to give up like he did in Yiling, because a child, his sister's child, needed him.

...Jin Ling saved his life, surely. And here he's been, threatening the boy, making him cry. Jiang Cheng lets out his breath, placing both hands on his nephew's shoulders. ]

What you want matters. If it's to start new, that's fine.

[ Maybe it'll help if he finds some common ground with Jin Ling, so he mulls the thought over in his mind. ]

How's your archery?

[ That earns Jiang Cheng a sharp look. ]

What's that supposed to mean? [ He asked a little testily. ] I don't care if you don't remember, you don't get to say bad things about my uncle. Whether you changed or not, you don't get to!

[ He might be... a little defensive.

He dropped his eyes again, glaring at his shoes. ]

I'm the best, obviously. [ Grumbled. ] How could I live up to both clans if I wasn't the best? I'd be a laughing stock.

I can out shoot anybody.

[ The staunch defense of... Jiang Cheng, against himself, comes as something of a surprise. Jiang Cheng is left crinkling his nose in uncertainty, then decides to let the topic go before he and his nephew find something else they don't agree on. Their number of safe topics is rapidly decreasing, and he really doesn't want to ruin this relationship before it's even begun after that rough start. ]

Oh, thanks. Thanks for that. [ Jiang Cheng retorts this dryly, smiling faintly at his nephew all the same. ] I'll have you know I wasn't even third best in Lotus Pier when I became sect leader. The trick is to never let anyone laugh.

[ Jin Ling tsk'd loudly, turning his eyes away. Third best! He didn't believe it. His uncle was just trying to make him feel better.

The defiance in his face faltered, though, turning into something closer to shame and annoyance at the last. ]

Yeah, well. I wouldn't let them if they didn't keep trying to fight me in groups. [ Grumbled. ] One on one, I could beat any of them!

[ His heart thumped, his face falling. He'd had this conversation. He'd just had this conversation, with Senior M-- No. Wei Wuxian.

He couldn't help the flicker of emotion across his face as he tried to stabilize himself. ]

Doesn't matter. None of them are here anyway. I'll just keep getting stronger.

[ A deeper frown touches Jiang Cheng's expression at the mention of his nephew being bullied, hand curling in a fist around Zidian all over again at the thought alone. And he let that happen? The more he hears of his older self, the less he likes the man. Good for nothing who can't protect the only member of his family he has left. Worthless.

He doesn't voice that to Jin Ling, instead slapping him across the back. ]

Yeah, you're right. They're not here, so you can focus on other things. Why do you need to be stronger? This place is different than where we're from.

[ He casts his nephew a wry look, lips pursed. ]

You can do things... for fun.

[ Jin Ling’s eyebrows pinched sharply, looking quickly up at his uncle like he’d grown another head.

Focus on other things?? For fun?? ]

Getting stronger is fun! What else am I supposed to do here? Drink??

[ ...now there's a thought. Sitting up a little straighter as though struck by inspiration, Jiang Cheng slaps Jin Ling on the back. ]

Absolutely. Why not? Come on, let's go drink.

[ Jin Ling stares at him.

His uncle has gone mad.

Is this really what he was like when he was young??? ]

That's-- Are you-- With me??

[ He's so confused, but... the back pat feels really nice...

He recovers quickly, clearing his voice. ] I meant- sure. Fine. Whatever. If that'll convince you I'm having fun.

Do you see anyone else here?! [ Jiang Cheng demands in return, the look he shoots his nephew incredulous. Hauling Jin Ling up by the arm, he dusts the boy off, checks him over, and then nods in approval before motioning him out of the empty apartment. ]

Come on, I don't live far. We can get into the booze stash, [ It's Wei Wuxian's booze stash. ] I'll put out some snacks, and I'll tell you about back when we were all studying in Gusu and had to drink in secret.

Edited 2020-01-17 03:44 (UTC)

[ Drink in secret—

Jin Ling nearly chokes but he lets his Uncle haul him up anyway, his face starting to get a little red. ]

Fine, fine, if that’s what you want to do I won’t complain. [ Tsundere. ] But I’m pretty sure you’d murder me normally if I went out an got drunk in a place like this!!

Yeah? Probably because you'd make a fool of yourself.

[ This is how you uncle, right? For sure. ]

I won't let you do that, so it's fine. [ Keeping a hand on Jin Ling's back as though worried about losing them, he takes them back to the place he shares with Wei Wuxian. It looks a little lived in but the pair of them don't own much yet. It's decorated as close to Lotus Pier as the pair of them can manage on their own, a lotus shaped lamp there, a few lotus paintings on the walls.

He gestures for Jin Ling to make himself comfortable and goes to break into Wei Wuxian's booze stash, bringing back some hard liquor and a few mixers just in case his nephew is a wuss. ]

What kind of snacks do you like?

[ He lets himself be led, even though he's flustered, and Fairy follows along behind them, happily wagging her tail at the family reunion.

When they arrive, Jin Ling can't help but look around, gently touching some of the lotus decorations when he doesn't think Jiang Cheng is watching him. He's still looking at one of the paintings, his other hand firmly in Fairy's fur and giving her a pet, when his Uncle returns. ]

Ah- I like peanuts and things like that, [ He says, feeling absolutely put on the spot. He's not even sure he does like peanuts, but he's heard that it's the sort of thing you eat when drinking and he wants his Uncle to think he's cool. ]

Uh... What are all those? Are they different types of wine?

[ Fairy is the only valid member of this family.

Jiang Cheng doesn't particularly mind Jin Ling touching his stuff, at least not this stuff and at this age. None of it is of particular value, just stuff he and Wei Wuxian picked up together to try to feel a little less homesick, not like anything that survived the Wen occupation of Lotus Pier.

They do have peanuts, but they're spicy Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian bought them. At least the request gets a slightly impressed 'huh' and a nod out of your uncle? He pours some spicy peanuts into a dish, puts out some assorted crackers and dried fish, then starts pouring their drinks. ]

Hm? Oh, no. This is the wine. [ He points to the kind of clay jar Jin Ling is more familiar with. ] These are mixers, to add to the wine so it's easier to drink for people who aren't used to the flavor.

[ Nice. Coolness achieved. He tries not to look stupidly pleased about it, and grabs half a handful of spicy peanuts and tosses a couple into his mouth, to look more cool.

But he--

He wasn't expecting them to be hot--

His face heats up and he swallows quickly, trying to pretend that he's not secretly dying on the inside. ]

I don't need any of that, I've drank plenty of wine before! [ Please just give him something before his mouth bursts into flames. ]

[ Wh⁠— Jin Ling, what part of the enormous whole peppers failed to tip you off about the peanuts being spicy? For the moment, though whether or not it's a mercy is for Jin Ling to decide, Jiang Cheng fails to notice the immediate consequences of his nephew's hubris. Instead he gives Jin Ling a skeptical look at having the mixers refused, then just shrugs and pours him straight baijiu. He sets it in front of Jin Ling before pouring his own, munching peacefully on some rice crackers as he sips at his drink.

He watches Jin Ling, curious about how the alcohol will go down for him. ]

How much do you drink? Do I know you've had plenty of wine?

[ Look he saw them but he thought they were decoration!!!

He takes the wine as soon as it's offered, and - downs it.

And then he chokes.

He ... he may have been lying.

It wasn't that he'd never drank anything before, but his uncles were pretty strict about this kind of thing...

He shook his head roughly, ignoring the question and clearing his throat, trying to save face by saying: ] Peanut went down the wrong way.

[ That's totally why he's flushing now. ]

Oh? [ Jiang Cheng asks blandly, watching Jin Ling barrel through his sequence of mistakes with skepticism and, if he's honest, at least a small amount of respect. It's impressive, doubling down that hard in an effort to save face. ] It looked like you were choking on the baijiu. But I guess that wouldn't happen, since you drink all the time.

[ A pause. Is it cruel if he tries to see how deep of a hole Jin Ling is willing to dig for himself? Does this make him a bad uncle? He has another sip of his own drink as he mulls this over. ]

Do you eat a lot of spicy food too?

Depends on who makes it. [ He coughs, think of Wei Wuxian’s terrible congee. ]

I can eat anything, but some people are just better at cooking than others!

[ He holds his empty glass out. Come on. He’s fine. Let’s do this. ]

[ It's your funeral, kid. Just kidding, Jiang Cheng probably won't let you die of alcohol poisoning. He's not that terrible of an uncle, even at 20.

He does top Jin Ling's drink off, keeping track in his head considering he's still on his first cup. ]

What do you usually eat? Do I cook, or are there servants, or...?

[ He figures the more he learns about their life together, the better he can try to pick up the slack here so... Hopefully Jin Ling's a decent storyteller and feels up to recounting. ]

[ At least he’s learned his lesson somewhat, and just sips at the drink rather than downs the whole thing. ]

What do you mean ‘do you cook’— of course you don’t! You’re the Sect Leader for one of the most powerful sects in the world!! Do you cook...

[ He scoffed, and took another sip. ]

I don’t know, we eat pretty much everything. Lanling doesn’t exactly skimp on dishes! We’re not Lans!

Yunmeng is a little more - I kind of like the food there more, I guess, it tends to be heartier. Like people actually eat it rather than make it look pretty. Not that it — it’s still pretty!! It just is always nice to eat there because then I have plenty of energy to do anything, afterward, and you always make sure I’ve eaten plenty!

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▶ TDM .011

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