prismaticrap | ▶ TDM .012

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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.

▶ I am the Terror That Flaps in the Night
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 Your new flat is covered in a sprinkling of feathers here, there, and everywhere! They appear to be coming through the air vents. This seems to be a city-wide problem in all buildings, as many news outlets are informing people to stay alert. They believe the feathers are from the masked seraphim, King Majestas, who attacked the Elaran Amphitheater a few weeks back.

You are advised to destroy the feathers on sight. Prolonged contact with these feathers cause hallucinations and paranoia. You will feel as if winged creatures are always after you, be it one-winged angels or dark-winged ducks. Other side effects include hearing the chanting of voices in an indecipherable language out of this galaxy. These hallucinations may cause headaches, dizziness, or nausea. Thankfully, a bit of moonlacing will heal these symptoms away.

▶ Got Milk?
Level 2, Crystal Beach | top

With the Coiled Hearts Festival fast approaching, local fishermen have already begun procuring food across Crystal Beach’s clear waters to meet next month’s demands. Around this time of year, the popularity of octopus dishes dramatically rises. The Lunatians have an annual tradition to prepare flavorful octopus dishes for the romantic season, such as the much-lauded dark chocolate-coated octopus or the mouth-watering octopus braised with red wine.

Everyone is welcome to join this heart-throbbing affair. During the Second and Third months, everyone is encouraged to give your loved ones something special for a long, successful relationship. Friends, family, and new acquaintances are traditionally given a small amount of Demichroma in tiny cute cases, while lovers are given something that reminds the gifter of their homeland.

A Interested in catching your own octopus? Horned taurus octopi very frequently migrate to the shorelines to perform their elaborate mating rituals. It’s easy to find clumps of taurus octopi participating in a vigorous dance, filled with undulations and strange moaning noises that octopi should not be making. You can lure the octopi by either using a special flute which mimics their moans to gather them in heavy droves. It’s ideal to have a partner with you to scoop the octopi quickly into water containers once they’ve become entranced enough.

Play the flute carefully! If the taurus octopi grow too excited by your music, they will squirt white ink. If you are spritzed with the thick substance, you will start either randomly puking or uncontrollably secreting a milky sweet substance from any body part that secretes liquids. Luckily, the high-end boutique Prissy Polyp is nearby in case you need a change of clothes due to any sizable stains. Effects will naturally wear off after an hour.

B Come with a friend and enjoy learning some octopus recipes together. The Crystal Beach Resort has opened a seminar where several professional chefs will be demonstrating and teaching how to cook various dishes of different flavors and ingredients guaranteed to impress your date, and taste-testing is free!

One dish makes use of horned taurus octopi skin as the star ingredient, renowned for its irresistibly delectable scent. The chefs explain the palatable skin is a potent ingredient in various love potions and aphrodisiacs, so add or mix them to your dishes in moderation! The effects have a significant delay, so you may feel fine for a while, but when it hits, it hits hard. You will become enamored with every little thing — hey, you just met them and this is crazy — but that person’s smile, the sound of their voice, or the way they say your name will make you unable to resist the urge to shower them with your affection.

▶ Going Viral
Level 2, Moonlight Medical Center | top

“Help Wanted” posters can be found on virtual forums and announcement boards across Level 1 to 3. The Moonlight Medical Center has put out a call for volunteers due to a recent shortage of medical staff. The work involves filling in for overworked nurses, performing tasks such as feeding patients their meals, wiping away their sweat, changing their clothes, encouraging their spirits, and so on. Any volunteers may directly walk-in at the hospital. You will be provided a nurse uniform and any necessary equipment while on the job.

The shortage has resulted from the hospital recently taking in a severe number of patients from a nearby small village to the west of Lunatia, Port Sylvel, a known shipping and freight destination. The number of patients worryingly keeps on rising by the day and will soon fill all available rooms.

A Some of the patients are experiencing varying degrees of paralysis. The worst cases have crystallizing parts of their body. The hospital staff will stress that you should be careful around patients with crystallized limbs. Patients like these have a history of aggressively biting anyone who comes close hard enough to draw blood. Those bitten will exhibit similar symptoms as the victims, including crystallization on their bodies, and experience a steady drop in Chroma. An uncomfortable heaviness will cause you unable to move without the aid of others as well as an uncontrollable urge to aggressively bite someone.

While affected Moonblessed can cure it by moonlacing, the Prismals can only be cured by a gluteal inoculation the Lunar Scientia has recently managed to develop. The sick and beleaguered will probably hate you less if you aren’t the one trying to stabbing them with injections in the hindquarters.

B Aside from nursing duties, other available tasks to be completed include making coffee for fellow nurses and doctors, delivering flowers to patients, and general housekeeping. Specifically, disinfecting medical equipment, tidying up rooms, and cleaning the spaces around the hospital. As a result of the current situation, many crystal shards can be found decorating multiple surfaces, such as floors, walls, toilet seats, and so on. These will have to be swept away!

However, as your work day progresses, some of the shards can be seen suddenly moving on their own. These crawling shards will start clustering together to turn into elaborate, floating monolithic formations that will then begin attacking anyone nearby. Their main ability includes shooting diamond spears to impale any unfortunate victims in their line of sight. In the midst of the chaos, nurses and doctors will beg the Moonblessed to please protect the sick and wounded. The crystal formations can be destroyed by any method, though because of their incredibly sturdy composition, they require multiple hits before they shatter into dust.

▶ Questions
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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah," Tachibana nodded. "Near the scrapyard."

As if Hajime had any way to know about where that was.

At the second question, Tachibana looked away slightly. "Something to worry about after we test it out."

This told Hajime absolutely nothing. "So do you want to try it now, then?"

There's a moment of hesitation as Tachibana very clearly was Not So Sure about that Idea, but he pushed it aside. "May as well."

Better to find out sooner, rather than later.

"It's a plan, then." And with that, he started walking in the direction he figured the quarry would be in. It probably wasn't the right one, but he was going to try.

[[TIME SKIP~]]

With armored fighting not really working, especially with how both of them tended tended not to really fight hand to hand, with Hajime more fond of just hitting things with his bow and Tachibana more prone to shooting things, it didn't take too long for them to break transformation and go for a more traditional sparring match.

...it also didn't take too long for Tachibana to start doing rather badly in it. Hajime had always been far better than him at fighting, the Undead being faster, stronger and overall just better at all things combat related. Still, he put up his best effort, his stamina still being his greatest strength.

If he had still had Galen's curse, Hajime beating him wouldn't really have mattered, but without a healing ability to rival his Undead friend, there were starting to be small physical signs of injury, including a cut across his cheek that was starting to bleed a proper red...

Oh.

Shit.

Hajime abruptly pulls back, halting the round of attacks he'd been prepared to launch. He's an Undead and he's aware of Galen's curse--in other words, he's entirely too aware of blood colors. "Hold on, hold on."

Tachibana paused, chest heaving slightly from the exertion of trying to keep up. "What?" he asked, reaching up to rub at his cheek, only barely aware of the cut that had formed.

He had been so utterly focused on the fight -- something he had to do to give Hajime anything resembling a chalance-- he hadn't even noticed his own state.

...well. Outside of the general ache that was reminding him that he hadn't been regularly practicing for a few months now. But he was very used to just ignoring that.

"If we keep going like this, I'm going to put you in the hospital." It could have sounded like a threat, but no, Hajime just seemed concerned.

A small huff escaped. "I'm not that out of shape!" Tachibana protested, even as he avoided looking directly at his friend.

"You're already bleeding." Humans. They're so fragile. ~~Physically, emotionally, both?~~ "And it's red. Just red."

Tachibana reached up to his cheek again, lightly touching the slowly drying bit of red before looking at his fingers. His lips pressed together as he continued to avoid looking over at Hajime.

"None of the physical changes from Liminal stayed," he explained, voice soft. "Without Liminal to fuel them..." he trailed off before a small huff escaped him as he almost idly kicked at at bit of gravel by his feet. "Like transforming, in a way. With the sync lost, you just return to yourself."

"Huh." There was an irritated sigh. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, if none of the other transformations stayed."

Hajime took a couple of steps towards Tachibana. "We should probably find you some bandages." Not because he cared or anything.

"Finding out that my blood was human normal was the first thing I found out," Tachibana pointed out with a faint shrug. "Asked to see the test results from the physical they give you before they let you on planet. Didn't hear a damned word they said afterwards," he finished with a faint huff. "Didn't even try shifting forms after that."

There was a small hesitation. "... Until you showed up, I'd almost wondered if somehow I'd just hallucinated the whole thing somehow."

"...it was the sort of weird that would lend itself well to a mass hallucination, yeah," Hajime allowed. "Or I'm told human biology lends itself well to strange dreams after eating a great deal of unhealthy food and then immediately going to sleep."

"Far too many moments of things going right for it to be anything I'd dream," Tachibana returned with a rueful huff.

"...Sorry I won't be a very good sparring partner for you."

If that was what Tachibana was worried about...Hajime snorted. "I can teach you a couple of other ways to fight, you know. Like that kung fu I picked up; I still remember that."

Tachibana blinked, eyebrow raising with interest. "That has a lot of physical, hand to hand elements?" He hadn't... actually seen Hajime use it that much. Normally in the times his friend had call to use it, he had been a bit busy with his own battles...

"The infiltration I picked it up from was just a normal human." Hajime shrugged. "And it's pretty hand-to-hand. So you should be fine."

"Worth trying," Tachibana nodded, before carefully rotating his shoulder, wincing as he did so. "...Another day," he amended. "Starting to feel my age," he quipped, as if it was just standard human aging plaguing him, and not the fact that Hajime had been going all out, thinking Tachibana still able to rapid heal.

Hajime arched an eyebrow but let the age remark stand. "Then I suppose we should get you home." There was a pause. "Get you bandaged up, if nothing else."

▶ TDM .012

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