prismaticrap | ▶ TDM .013

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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.

▶ Welcome to the Jungle
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.

▶ Let’s Do the Time Warp Now
Lunatia | top

Time is relative, but the days do seem shorter — or longer — than usual. A minute passes like an hour. An hour passes like a minute. Everything appears to be moving along as normal, but the numbers and hands on clocks flicker and spin with an unusual and worrying slowness or quickness. Eventually you notice that the darkness of the night barely lasts long enough for you to fall asleep while the sun seems to glare down upon you for an eternity. The temporal shifts disorient your body, which now grows lethargic from being overworked and underslept. Soon, the temporal abnormalities reach a critical point…

B Due to the temporal distortions, Prismals and Moonblessed new and old feel their bodies sporadically transform in the strangest of ways. Your joints ache like they’ve carried a lifetime’s weight of misfortune and regret. Your voice turns high-pitched like a certain pair has yet to drop. You turn into a confused infant in one moment and the seasoned fighter you always wanted to be in the next. Your memories also shuffle around along with your apparent age, leaving you confused and unsettled. The transformations can occur and last for as long as the 11th, when everything turns back to normal without incident. That time your baby self peed in your pants? Never happened. Until then, moonlacing seems to stabilize the weird abnormalities.

▶ Starlight, Star Bright, First Star I See Tonight
Lunatia | top

The city’s landscape is not spared by the erratic flow of time. Buildings and streets continuously flicker between the beautiful and vibrant paradise it has become to the ruins of glory days long past. Your eyes may struggle to adjust as you try and convince yourself of what is real and what is not. High rise towers one moment will become wreckage the next, filled with technological debris and the echoing cries of the terrified, and the mighty wingspan of an unknown creature continues to hovers in the distance. The illusion will only last but a minute before you’re back in the present, going about your daily business. However, your trip from the future and back is far from over.

Soon, breaking news reports will inform the city about the sudden vanishing of certain celestial bodies in the sky. Though the moons remain where they should, the nights grow longer and darker as the stars in the sky start disappearing one by one until only the sun remains, eclipsed by some mysterious force. Lunar Scientia has already sent capable teams to investigate the abnormalities, so they ask the public to be patient as they wait for the reports. Until then, they have issued safety guidelines and measures to effectively light the city. The Caelus Tower appears to burn brighter than ever.

C For these dark hours, Lunar Scientia releases their latest Chroma-powered technology for Moonblessed use: star lanterns. When a star lantern is held by two Moonblessed, it absorbs newly generated Chroma from them, enabling it to light up the missing stars in the sky as you travel from place to place. The light’s color and intensity will depend on you and your partner’s bond, the spectrum ranging from a violet of hatred to a red full of love. Indifference, however, will not light the lantern at all. It also comes with a float function so that it can be released into the atmosphere without needing to carry it everywhere. Since the technology is limited in stock, Moonblessed may only have one star lantern in their possession.

One of the issued guidelines is to never walk through dark alleys alone even with the lanterns, as the crime rate has increased lately due to those taking advantage of the chaos. This is especially rampant in Level 3, at the mouth of the Lightless.

▶ Oh, They Just Can’t Wait to be King
Outside Lunatia, Port Sylvel | top

On the ides of the third month, an emergency broadcast appears from Captain Natela:

Captain Natela

Greetings, Prismals and Moonblessed.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Port Sylvel has been completely crystallized. The Moon Knights are currently recruiting willing explorers and scientists to investigate the cause. Investigations are still pending, but the outlook is grim. The only survivors were among the few we carried out of the city last month. The rest perished from the crystallization.

Our heart goes out to those affected by this plight. There is no cause for panic. There is no sign that the crystallization is spreading beyond Port Sylvel. We Moon Knights stand with the people of Prismatica, as we have done for centuries. We are not mere defenders of a city but protectors of a planet. We endeavor to find the cause of this tragedy and bring peace and justice to the lives it claimed. Until then, we ask for your cooperation. Stay calm and press onward.

Those who volunteer to participate in the expedition will be rewarded for their efforts. They will be assisted by experts from the Lunar Scientia as well as the bear Prismal and Moon Knight Fahrouk, who looks worse for wear after hearing the news.

Officer Fahrouk

Oh, Moonblessed. It's you. Yeah, Hala is doing good. Won the spelling bee! I think she might make the nationals. ... I… I don't think I ever told you. Port Sylvel was our hometown. My wife is buried there. We’d go there every spring. Hala loved picking the flowers there. Did you know that different flowers grow in Port Sylvel compared to Lunatia? Haaaah...

Moonblessed! I know you think I'm not cool enough to hang out with you, and all I do is ask for your help, but please let me go with you! Please… This is something I have to do as a soldier, a husband, and a father.

… What? You always thought I was cool?

Finding strength and resolve after the participants tell him he's supposed to assist them on their mission anyway, Fahrouk distributes LIFE suits to the participants as he briefs them on what they're about to do. He and the participating Moonblessed will then be transported via a large transport vessel.

Port Sylvel is hardly recognizable. What was once an idyllic coastal town is now a site of tragic beauty — crystal formations encase buildings and Prismals like jagged glass coffins, as if preserving life in its final moments. Readings from life detectors tell you that everyone in the crystal has passed on, but you and your fellow Moonblessed think you can still hear their cries of distress carried along by the wind, warning you about the Prideful King.

D Gigantic crystal lions flank the passage of the port city, their wings spread open and blue flames pouring forth from their mouths. You hear rumbling guttural noises, and if you approach them, their roars will escalate to warn you about proceeding any further. Beware: a single bite from these lions can easily tear through the LIFE suit and cause your body to crystallize quickly unless someone rushes in to moonlace with you to halt the effect. These lions are unlike the beasts you’ve fought before: their otherworldly strength is overwhelming, and nothing seems to wear them down. Destroying them seems pointless, as they quickly regenerate the minute they are obliterated.

Eventually, transmissions from the LIFE suits announce an order for escape. Buildings collapse and shatter in your wake, and the ground quakes violently as something awakens in the far distance...

▶ questions

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

WHO CAN POST? ▶ Test drive memes are for new characters only. Existing players may not post starter threads in the test drime meme. 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.!

IS THIS CANON? ▶ 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.

ANNIVERSARY ▶ Happy first anniversary, Prismatica! Thank you to all of you who have been with us since the beginning. We appreciate it immensely! Remember that we always welcome input and suggestions from players. This event is a little out of the ordinary because of our anniversary celebration.

OPT IN AND OUT ▶ For current players, please do not be alarmed! As always, you do not have to be affected as there are safe areas across Lunatia that remain as is.

AGING UP AND DOWN ▶ You have free reign over how long and how many times your character will be affected. If a character doesn’t have a canon appearance from the past or future, you are welcome to provide one of your own from imagination and use your own PB. You are allowed to speculate on how they’ll look, act, their potential future, and so on. All of these will be temporary to this event. The intensity of the effect is also up to you: whether it will only affect appearance alone and retain their current memories.

IMPORTANT ▶ As a reminder, writing sexual content with characters below 15 years old is a violation of the game's rules and potentially Dreamwidth’s ToS. Players caught doing this will be banned from the game.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[ Whatever store that Hijikata has wandered into, it seems to be something similar to a 7/11. The first thing Hijikata will see is a rack of condiments in the store and a price tag that reads mayonnaise. Low and behold, it is vacant, indicating they're sold out.

However, just shy of the condiment station stands Gintoki with a bottle of mayonnaise in his hand-- the very last one in stock. It's identical to the mayonnaise that Hijikata is familiar with. The bottle shape-- the size-- the color of it. It's just what he needs.

Gintoki doesn't notice Hijikata cause he's talking with the store clerk and stroking his chin. ]}

Aaa, but are you sure this is the highest quality dog food you have? It looks like the cheap stuff to me.

[When he sees the empty space where the mayonnaise should be he nearly has a heart attack.]

[When he spots that unmistakable fluffy white hair and hears that familiar voice he nearly has a heart attack again.]

[When he sees the pale yellow bottle in that cloud-looking bastard's hand he really feels a palpitation.]

[He approaches from behind and clamps a heavy hand down on Gintoki's shoulder.]

Yorozuya.

I'll help you find the dog food.

[He'll save the "What the hell are you doing here" for later; this takes priority.]

_{[ It's hinted at that Gintoki may have sensed Hijikata was nearby. Some way. Somehow. He's got a sixth sense when it comes to identifying cops. ]}

Yeah, yeah.. it's especially loved by the exotic.. Marlboro Pomeranian.. the one with the signature V bangs.

_{[ Then, there's a grip on his shoulder and Gintoki casts him a glance. ]}

Ah. Can't you read? It says no pets allowed inside.

What?!

[His blood pressure is going up at the same rate one of those falling towers at an amusement park goes down.]

Did you just call me a pet?!

[He's pretty sure that's exactly what happened, but he wants to confirm before he goes berserk on Gintoki. He's so taken aback by him being here in the first place, he doesn't even have a snappy retort ready.]

_{[ Gintoki waves his hand in dismissal, as if Hijikata being here wasn't much of a surprise at all. ]}

A pet to the government.

_{[ Now he's really sounding like a Jouishishi member. Katsura would be proud. ]}

... Well. I guess it depends on what you remember last.

_{[ He's aware of the time shenanigans that happens here and quickly offers a dip of his head to the store clerk before turning-- not quite seeing himself out but allowing Hijikata to follow with him. They need a little corner of privacy here. ]}

_{[ Now it's time for his teeth to clench cause he doesn't have to be cordial to anyone anymore. In a hushed tone, he speaks to Hijikata: ]}

I didn't expect the fuzz to show up here before the real main characters. What the hell are you and that other sadist doing here first, aaaaa? Are you trying hard to make a better appearance in a sequel?

_{[ Okita was the first one he saw. It was just this morning when he found him sleeping on his couch. ]}

[He follows alright, especially if Gintoki keeps holding on to that mayonnaise bottle.]

"That other sadist"? You are the other sadist!

[Hijikata knows Okita is here, and he's anything but happy about it.]

Look, I don't want to be here! Unlike you I have an important job to do back home! Who's going to pick Kondou-san up from the street after that woman throws him out of the hostess club after midnight? And what makes you think we'll get a sequel?! Anyway, Sougo and I should be the least of your worries in that case. Have you seen the people here? Every other person looks like a main character!

Edited 2020-03-14 20:30 (UTC)

_{[ He does have that bottle. It's so tempting. So tantalizing. ]}

Aaaa, well.
Won't the zoo keeper take care of him? Consider it job security for them.

_{[ Then, Gintoki's mouth hangs open slightly, his half lidded eyes drifting off from Hijikata for a moment. ]}

Yeah, actually. I've seen a bunch of main characters here. I just assumed this is JUMP afterlife when your manga ends.
I haven't seen Naruto-kun yet. _{Unfortunately.}

Hrm. I guess the other guys can step it up for once...

[He doesn't sound convinced that they'll be able to do that, but he's trying to stop himself from fretting. Hell, for all he knows an actual zookeeper may happen to pass by the hostess club and bring his commander ~~back~~ to the zoo. At least he'd be safe and well-fed there.]

So they sent us to the afterlife already? I guess that adds up, but I thought they'd at least have waited until the movie's aired. Also weren't some more merchandise lines in the plans? You'd think they'd notify us of something like this.

[He's not shocked or surprised, but kind of disgruntled. Then again it's probably not for the worst if he doesn't have to dress up as an American 50's diner server or whatever else for acrylic stands and keychains again. It's always an awkward grouping too.]

Gahh. You know how they are.. they just change plans..! At least we won't have to pose awkwardly together for new merchandise for awhile. That's one good thing.

_{[ They can at least agree with this. ]}

I just don't get why you money-grubbing idiots are here and not my punchline and adorable heroine. I mean, look at you.. you look like shit.

_{[ A beat. ]}

Aa, nothings really different, actually.

_{[ Gintoki won't admit it easily, but something about having Hijikata here is.. nice. It's a sense of normalcy that he hasn't gotten in awhile. ]}

Edited 2020-03-19 03:20 (UTC)

Will you stop moaning about that already?! I told you, I didn't choose to be here, nor did Sougo - unless this is one of his messed-up games again, but I doubt it. As for your kids, I heard someone say that children aren't allowed here.

[That sounds kind of questionable, but so far everything's looked family-friendly enough to him. Still...]

Are we sure this is the afterlife and not some kind of unauthorised collaboration? Maybe whoever runs this show just snatched whoever's highest-up in the popularity ranking of their show, and now they're filming us and raking in money from airing that.

Edited 2020-03-19 12:35 (UTC)

I've seen plenty of kids. It all depends on the timing.. the timing, Hijikata-kun!
Last I remember, Kagura-chan, well.. you really couldn't consider her a kid anymore.

_{[ They grow up so fast. ]}

What else do you expect when a manga finally finishes, huh? Everyone grows up and the last few chapters are just the writer tying up loose ends, killing characters off or even worse... panic-pairing characters off to make a canon couple!

_{[ A beat. ]}

O..oi, do you seriously not remember that?

Remember what? Won't the movie take care of all that? It's the final chapter, yeah?

[This all adds up to him. The manga plot may be nowhere near finished, but Sorachi wants to quit and become a cheesecake, so Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya will wrap it all up with a bow (and yes, Gintoki's kids will be grown up; he's seen the teaser art). And apparently he, Okita and Gintoki got sent to the JUMP afterlife prematurely, unless they were instead kidnapped for an unlicensed crossover.]

_{[ Something seems a little weird in Hijikata's word choice, but there is supposed to be a movie. The movie the ties up all ends for anime only fans. The ending that embarks on Utsuro's fate and Shouyou's identity. The ending that explains the Shinsengumi and where they go from there. The End-End for real this time.

Alas, he's an idiot and doesn't catch that Hijikata is referencing to a movie that, in his own timeline, has already been released. ]}

Guess you're right. Then the gorilla-mangaka can finally rest and put his focus on something new. Something that isn't trash.

_{[ Bless his heart.
STILL... something doesn't seem right. ]}

Edited 2020-03-23 16:10 (UTC)

[Meanwhile he thinks it's odd how much emphasis Gintoki is putting on the manga ending and all that might entail, as if it weren't just being hurriedly wrapped up - axed, really, by all appearances, and given a movie-only send-off. But he, too, is an idiot and doesn't think about it any more deeply.]

Yeah. Talk about unrewarding.

[They probably outsourced the production of the movie and that's why they aren't needed anymore. Some generic-looking stock characters will replace them and it'll be handwaved with the time skip. Damn, he needs a cheer-me-up... his eyes wander down to the mayonnaise bottle in Gintoki's hand.]

Do you really want to feed this to your dog?

Sadaharu...? He's here, but..

_{[ Gintoki looks down at the bottle. ]}

Don't think he'd actually eat this.

So can I have it?

Have it? Have what?

_{[ Oh. Now he's just being an ass. ]}

The mayonnaise!

[Why did he outright ask for it?! He keeps expecting these sadists to throw him a bone when he should really know better. But damn it, he's high-strung and this bottle of eggy goodness is all he needs to soothe his frazzled nerves a little. Give it to him, Gintoki.]

Mayonnaise? What mayonnaise? You mean this dog food?

_{[ You're not getting it until you admit it's dog food. ]}

I'm talking about the bottle you're holding! This bottle!

[He's pointing at it!]

This? Um..
What is it again? It's dog food, right?

_{[ He's not one to give up easily on his sadist tendencies. ]}

Edited 2020-04-01 17:56 (UTC)

It's mayonnaise, you stupid bastard!! It even says so in print! See? Ma-yon-nai-se!!

[He grabs the skinny arm of a store clerk nearby and pulls him in none-too-gently.]

You!! Tell his man what he's holding! He's confused and needs help!

Edited 2020-04-01 18:15 (UTC)

_{[ This poor clerk gets dragged into this dumb argument and looks at the mayonnaise bottle, then back to Hijikata.

"Ah, you mean that bottle of dog food?" ]}

That's what I've been saying all long, Clerk-san.
You want this dog food or not, Hijikata-kun?

▶ TDM .013

welcome to the jungle;

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Fixing a typo a day later, don't mind me... and while I'm at it let me add some more ranting!

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