▶ TDM .002

[prismods]

Don't, don't, don't throw it away

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▶ That’s Not a Space Station, It’s a Moon

You awaken amidst the darkness with only a faint light to greet you as you awaken. 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. Even the few shy moon creatures you find in the wild have strange crystal growths on their hides. This is far from home— perhaps a dream? You pinch your skin and slap your cheeks, yet nothing seems to do the trick. Searching for answers yields nothing but an endless expanse of purple dust as far as the eye can see. You have four options: one, panic; two, soil yourself; three, admire it all then soil yourself; or four, go into survival mode. Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re not alone.

After a day or two of living off the crystal wilderness, a group of people find you worse for wear. They are the gallant Moon Knights from the planet of Prismatica. After the strange phenomenon during the third month when scientists observed the sudden appearance of rainbow crystals in the sky, the government has been feverishly combing through the moon for any 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? Am I paying for all those drugs I took back in the '70s? — 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.

While waiting for transport to be prepared, they recommend that you visit the government archives. The collection features a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, including an eclectic romance and erotica section with titles such as: The Moon Knight's Ravishing, Armed and Amorous: A Forbidden Tale between a Dragon and a Moon Knight, and Silk and Satin, Leather and Moonlace. Also notable are informative textbooks such as Delightful Dragons and Where To Do Them and From Argos to Zhavidar: A History of Alchemy. As you read these books, the photos and illustrations come to life on each page, moving within their borders. It seems this is the norm on Prismatica.

A ⬤ Several librarian droids like to move in and around the archives, zapping anyone who dares utter a single word above a whisper. Silence is absolutely crucial for study and concentration, thus these droids have zero tolerance for sound. If you are caught making noise, be prepared to be chased and have your eyebrows singed off by a disgruntled droid.

B ⬤ Within the library, you will find an occult section which contains various low-budget spellbooks. This section houses a variety of cantrips and basic charms that don't seem to work for the Moonblessed except the occasional, odd fluke spell which will shrink you to the size of a thumb or cause odd sound effects such as fog horns or pterodactyl screeches to come out of your mouth. Please use with caution! The librarians aren't responsible for any mishaps that occur as a result of reading spells out loud, but if you ask nicely they might direct you to a book that has a way to immediately reverse it if you don’t want to wait it out. All effects are temporary.

Eventually you’re called to the docks and led onto a large transport vessel. Destination: Prismatica.

▶ She wants to lead the glamorous life

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.

Before you can enjoy the surrounding shopping centers, they will be dealing with all the standard security checks from some handsy droids that will feel you up, examine your weapons, possibly even cavity search. Nothing like the loving touch of a cool metallic hand.

A ⬤ There’s a gift shop right outside Crystarium Moonports with a huge, eye-catching poster promoting their 80% clearance sale. A must-have souvenir from Lunatia is a memory stone — special blue stones mined from Cordis that can project a happy memory from your days in the city if you rub them the right way. If you need new clothes, this is the perfect chance to grab a shirt with media sweetheart Maria's lovely bedazzled face on it. You might even hear her hit song playing in the store...

While browsing, you overhear a crisp zap! followed by a group of children jumping for joy. They got just the toy they wanted from the high-tech gacha machines lined up in front of the store. Since you have some chroma to spare, why don’t you give them a go? The Mallow Bunnies is all the rage among all Lunatians. Adults are particularly fond of their sleepy series. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also these... uh... what are these? If you can’t whale get the one you want, don’t worry! You can always trade with your fellow Moonblessed. It might pay off to get some extras, too. You never know when you’ll need to sweeten your deals...

B ⬤ The ads are all over the billboards with their neon colors, energetic beats and seductive billion-polygon assets: you too can be a goddess with a blade in League Match Action Online, Prismatica’s number one VR MOBA game! The next LmaO world championship is later in the year, and the grand prize is rumored to be 15 million demichroma. If you want to get a team together, now’s the perfect time to start. In the meantime, try your luck at the smaller tournaments in the lower Levels. You might meet your future teammates and rivals there.

Or you know, just have fun with it. Relax, it’s just a game!

▶ That Smell is Exactly What You Think It Is

On Level 1, you may encounter construction workers rebuilding damaged properties. When asked they’ll answer, "Oh, it was just a bit of a mishap a while ago. It's all been contained now. Nothing to worry about." A couple of streets are cracked and covered in debris, as if a huge monster had crawled under the pavement. Surrounding walls have gaping holes, and dried up viscous white fluid stains some buildings.

A ⬤ While most of the streets are back to normal, there are several areas that local Swiffy bots have yet to thoroughly clean such as the sewers and the backstreets. If you’re interested in helping, necessary tools and materials will be provided. You may team up with your fellow cohorts to scrub, scrape and sweep the vines’ remains. It is very likely that you will find some decaying roots with a rotting, corpse-like smell that makes your stomach turn. Though these plants have already dried and wilted, there are still a few stubborn vines and dried sap that won’t come off no matter how many times you try. Good thing they let you borrow nifty liquefying rayguns! These guns can turn natural waste into clear, thin and biodegradable slime that rolls off surfaces and into the sewers if not sucked into the vacuums of Lunatia’s trusty Swiffy bots. Careful: the raygun also works on fabrics!

H ⬤ Getting around is another adventure. When you head to the subways, you will be met with the misfortune of train carts stopping abruptly at intervals, making you careen into other passengers. Maybe you’ll accidentally land on someone’s seat or get someone pinned against the wall. The trains aren’t fully functional at the moment due to recent events, so doors might not open and stops might be missed as you circle through the endless track.

Might as well strike up some conversation. The news is seen overhead, detailing the attack of the Vinea vehementi from a few days ago. The reporter warns of increased robbery incidents since the attack. Due to the grief, trauma, and debts accumulated from the damages, some Prismals have resorted to pickpocketing in an attempt to recover their losses. Of much less importance is the uptick in stolen underwear cases in the city after the planet-wide release of the B movie Stalking Panty, in which the main character Knickers gains newfound confidence after discovering his talents as an Iris Moonheld and an undercover panty thief.

Moon Knights and kind neighbors warn you of the dangers, but will that stop you from going out at night? You can start hiding your Midlife Sanguis Ninja Turtle boxers, or you can take justice into your own hands.

▶ Questions

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

Comments

Matthias Helvar | Six of Crows

[enelmord]

(ooc: Spoilers for Crooked Kingdom. Character is 18. I’m on mobile at an airport so everything is a mess, please forgive me. More icons will be scrounged up soon...)

I. that’s not a space station, that’s a moon

[He remembers the sharp report of a bullet. The twist of pain blooming in his body, the cold ground meeting his cheek. The look of righteous hatred burning cold in the boy’s eyes, the mirror of his old self. He remembers the image of Nina shimmering in the gathering darkness. Thinking how he must get to her, how he must see her again, how he had made a vow. Then the darkness was complete. He thinks he remembers the sensation of moving across a white expanse, as if he were the wind, rippling and reaching out for her. There was darkness, and then suddenly there was not.

He prowls through the crystal tundra with his face as white as snow. As white as a ghost. His instincts, sharp enough to cut through the chaos of confusion, urge him into survival mode, even as he wonders if the matter of his survival is already a foregone conclusion. That bullet had certainly felt like the end. This is not the afterlife he was promised, but then again so much of what he had been taught turned out to be wrong.

Even the Moon Knights’ answers cannot satisfy all of his questions. But he manages to tuck the preponderance of his doubts and fears behind a stoic countenance, a true son of the Fjerdan ice that raised him. Only a frown marks his features as he wanders along the silent aisles of the library, eyes dusting the spines of books without interest.

Until, perhaps, he happens upon somebody caught in a magical mishap. Perhaps you have accidentally shrunk yourself, or upon levitating you have got yourself stuck against the ceiling like a helium balloon. Whatever the magical malady, Matthias first stares as if thinking his eyes faulty. Then bluntly he asks:]

What happened to you?

II. the thirsty train prompt duh

[The city is too loud, too bright, too squeezed together. Worse than Ketterdam, which at least has the benefit of the sky stretching over its crooked and narrow streets. Matthias finds himself frustrated with the sea of bodies swelling around him at all times, the endless crush of metal and glass.

Still, he cannot help but be awed by the technology the city boasts, far more advanced than anything he has beheld or even imagined. He feels an unexpected pang as he pictures Wylan’s excitement for such sights, the gears in his inventor’s brain turning fast.

Yet even such advanced technology suffers its limits. Matthias discovers this as the train he is on lurches to an abrupt halt, and he stumbles into the nearest person. Perhaps he pins them against the wall of the train car, or perhaps he falls across their lap. Or perhaps somebody stumbles into him instead. Regardless, he stammers an apology to whomever he is pressed against, or offers to help the other person up if they have fallen into him. Or maybe you don’t want help?

ii.

[raws]

[ With six powerful wing at his disposal (currently vanished into the ether, or wherever his wings go when they're not in use), Belial really has no use for public transit. A creature of his stature really has no business being holed up in a sweaty train, crammed against far too many depressing individuals. It's too idle and too quiet but—sometimes that's how he prefers to operate.

And sometimes, he gets thrown into a handsome treat's lap, moreso due to his own theatrics than the rocking of the train, but it would be difficult to guess that given how the train does become more unsteady. ]

Ah... [ Luckily, Matthias as no one next to him, so Belial can easily plant himself onto his lap, gripping his shirt with one hand for additional balance.

Completely unphased by his little tumble, Belial smiles easily at him, ] Excuse me.

[ Help, I've fallen sexily and can't get up! ]

of course

[enelmord]

[Fortunately for Belial, Matthias is a little too dense in the lascivious arts to realize that this entanglement is not so accidental. Otherwise, he would be more likely to unceremoniously push the man away. But happily guileless as he is, he instead places a steadying hand on each of Belial's arms. For the moment, concern override annoyance in his expression.]

Here, I've got you...

[Expecting that the man will now attempt to extricate himself from him, Matthias pushes lightly against his arms to provide support. His brow twists in confusion as the man, in turn...doesn't seem to do much of anything to end this awkward scenario.]

Are you quite comfortable?

[raws]

Yes. [ His answer comes quite peacefully.

He shifts so that he's more comfortable on his seat, and no one seems to be paying them any attention, which is fine by him. All the less reason for this kid to get riled up. ]

I don't think I could get up without tumbling down again, so I'll just stay put.

[ He punctuates this with an affectionate press of his palm to Matthias' chest. ]

[enelmord]

[His blood pressure is rising... Now annoyance dominates his expression. Such antics would be welcome from only one person, and Matthias suspects with a sinking heart that he will never see her again. But he swipes that thought away as he narrows his eyes at the man sprawled indecently across his lap.]

Then take my seat, and I'll just stand.

[He actually tries to slide out from underneath Belial now. The full weight of a man, however, is not so easy to overcome from such a position - not even with those strong muscles Belial can feel, firm through the layers of this clothing.]

[raws]

[ Most men would object to a stranger planting themselves in their lap, especially when that stranger happens to be a grown man (perhaps Mattias would be more obliging if Belial were a beautiful girl), so the reaction doesn't surprise him in the slightest. The irritation does little to move him however, and instead he plants his elbow on the back of the seat beside Matthias' shoulder, his head propped up by his head looking far too comfortable. ]

Now that sounds like a lot of unnecessary hassle. What's the hurry? I'll get off at the next stop.

[ Or whatever, it's not like he actually cares where this train is headed. ]

Or perhaps you're concerned about my comfort? Don't worry, I won't be bothered by whatever takes place in your pants.

[enelmord]

[He would be raising a fuss whether it were a man or a woman in his lap. Some would call him a prude, but he prefers to think of it as being respectful and appropriate. Such matters are best kept in private, and between two people who care for each other. And this is the polar opposite of respectful and polite. When the man speaks so crassly, the effect is instantaneous: Matthias turns the shade of a beet, and his annoyance evolves into a dark scowl.]

Nothing will be happening in my pants!

[His deep flush renews for having to say such a crude thing. This poor delicate flower.]

What is wrong with you?

[Matthias tries pushing against the man’s chest to force him off. He doesn’t want to start a scene — more more of a scene than this already is — but he cannot abide this harassment.]

twisting I a bit, maybe they can find a spell together kath!!

[barkonthetree]

[What happened indeed. The boy who turns to meet his query has suffered some unholy transformation. His eyes are golden and the pupil is slit, his hair is silver white. There's thick, curving claws coming off each finger. The line where his jaw might meet his ear keeps going straight and disappears into the broad sweep of his hair, and perhaps it leads instead to the pointed, swiveling, plushly furred dog's ears that stand tall at the crown of his head. When he opens his mouth long canines stretch past the line of his teeth.

Then he speaks.]

What are you talking about? [He snorts, leaning forward over the open book he's been tracing a finger through for the past ten minutes.] Go away. I'm trying to figure this shit out.

sure! i'll dm you l8r

[enelmord]

[Annoyance settles into his features as the boy dismisses him. (Even if he himself had perhaps not been so polite either...)]

I'm just saying you might want to check out a mirror.

[He points to his own head, mirroring the location where the boy's strange canine ears sprout from. This whole place sprouts from madness, he thinks.]

But I suppose it's none of my business.

[barkonthetree]

[There's a long pause in the gulf between the pointed finger and the next words out of this grousing dog-boy's mouth. His gaze turns flat. Those unsightly ears twitch.]

I'm not rich enough for a mirror. Do I look like a lord to you? [He lays his hand flat on the page and turns slightly to better stare down this interloper. He's one of those foreigners, looks like. Kagome had pointed them out on her Tee Vee, or a few times in the streets of Tokyo. So of course he wouldn't know anything, he could expect that.

It was just the phrasing that bothered him. What "happened"? Like he'd been cursed or some shit? Fuck you.]

You've never seen a half-breed before.

[enelmord]

[He puzzles over this strange remark. Mirrors are not the first good he would associate with nobility - cheap handheld mirrors, gaudily framed, were readily available at souvenir stalls throughout the Barrel. But perhaps this boy is from some far-flung rural corner of whatever country he calls home.

The second remark only adds fuel to his bemusement. To the point where he can only blankly parrot:]

A half-breed?

[It seems an ugly term. Uncomfortably, it reminds him of the imprecations with which he once branded Grisha: witches, monsters, something less than human. He begins to realize, at the very least, that the boy's strange appearance is no curse or disfigurement, and he adopts a sheepish look.]

I'm sorry.

[What he's apologizing for, though, he cannot say for certain.]

[barkonthetree]

[Far flung and rural, yes. Very literally.

Inuyasha watches the discomfort settle ill on the boy's face. Which, in turn, makes him uneasy, compounded by an apology he didn't ask for. Inuyasha frowns before turning away with a haughty scoff.]

Keh!

[His eyes are back on the page, flipping it over in thorough disgust at the continuing inanity of strokes on parchment.]

You'd be sorry if it were a full youkai. Anybody that has ears like yours but pointed at the top? You run, or they're likely to kill and eat you. [A friendly word of advice in this strange land.

His scowl intensifies. He lifts the book off the table and holds it on end at his eye level, then upside down. The runes make no better sense with his twisting.]

This fucking thing! Hey. [The book is thrust towards the stranger, expectant and nearly poking him in the sternum.] Can you make sense of this?

[enelmord]

[A little dry, a little uncertain:] Thanks for the advice.

[Matthias is curious to know what exactly a youkai is. In his mind forms the hazy image of the elves from old stories of good and evil. But before he gets a chance to ask, the other boy is shoving one of the tomes toward him. He throws his gaze over the jumble of unfamiliar words and complicated diagrams for a few moments before shaking his head.]

I have no idea.

[Snatching the book from Inuyasha, he flips to the cover to read the title embossed there:]

"Silvius' Book of Sumptuous Spells"...? Djel, what is this nonsense?

[He rolls his eyes and hands the book back.]

i

[pokexplorer]

[What careless person just left a pile of books in the middle of this aisle? The least they could do is put things back where they found them!

...but upon closer inspection, there's a tiny person stuck underneath those books. He doesn't seem to be crushed or anything, but he's definitely wedged in there good. And boy is he glad someone happened to come this way.

He offers a sheepish laugh to his hopeful savior.]

That's the question of the hour, isn't it? I'd like to know the answer, myself! One moment I was perusing these intriguing texts, and the next, I was beneath them!

[Well...at least he's not panicking?]

ugh i still need to set up icons

[enelmord]

[He had stooped to pick up a book from the top of the haphazard pile, whereupon he discovered the miniature man. A toy, he initially thought - but then it had moved and spoken.

Presently Matthias kneels to better inspect this oddity, astonishment still stretched across his countenance. His hand hovers at the ready, as if anxious to provide help although he has no clue how he might do so.]

Reading a book caused this? That's like something out of a book itself...

[He then raises an eyebrow at the poor man.]

You seem awfully calm for somebody who's the size of a potato.

you got this!

[pokexplorer]

[Colress answers that last bit easily enough, shrugging from his place under the books.]

Considering the fact that I woke up on a foreign moon just days ago, I'd say I've had a bit of practice dealing with astonishing things happening to me. This probably won't be the last, either!

That said, the books here certainly are something. The pictures and diagrams move, if you can believe it. [...] You wouldn't mind moving the ones on me, would you? They're a bit heavy for me to deal with at this size.

GOT THIS

[enelmord]

[He complies with a sharp nod, shifting aside the book that lies open across the man's legs and tidying the stack to give him clearance. As he completes this task, his hands slow over the open pages of one book. Noting the shimmering illustrations of different plants and their components, he blinks hard, but the images do not fall still. Shutting the cover and setting the book aside, he looks at the diminutive man again.]

What if you're stuck this way now?

[That's one way to reassure somebody. But he cannot believe how unruffled this guy is. While it is true that little here can be considered ordinary, so many changes at once have proven difficult to adjust to for him.]

[pokexplorer]

[Finally freed, Colress eases himself up and back onto his feet. He beams up at the giant of a boy, who's looking through the books he once was.]

Thank you! You have my utmost gratitude.

[And now that the first big obstacle has been removed...the even bigger obstacle comes next. How is he going to get back to normal? The boy brings up a good point, however...]

It is a possibility, yes, but it is the worst case scenario. I prefer not to default to that if I can help it. I've not tested any possible solutions yet, after all!

[enelmord]

[Tall and broad even on an ordinary scale, Matthias must certainly appear as a giant to Colress. It is a most fortunate thing that he did not unwittingly step on him or crush him underneath the books.]

Maybe it will wear off after a while. That's how it is with tailoring...

[While not exactly the same, Grisha tailoring is the closest analogue to the present phenomenon that he can think of. And while perhaps he doesn't owe this stranger much of anything, Matthias cannot on good conscience abandon somebody in need.]

ii.

[hymnals]

[Adrasteius--a short man with very little muscle tone--yelps as Mathias's crashes into him; his back cracks as he slams against one wall of the train, and he gasps from the pain of it, reaching out blindly to find purchase on this stranger's shoulders. If Mat recoils, Adra is definitely going to fall on his ass.]

Light--okay--just back away slowly. If you can.

[enelmord]

[Their difference in height is great enough that while Matthias's body is cushioned by Adrasteius's, his forehead slams right into the train window. Still slumped against this stranger, he clutches at his head and grimaces. Then he very nearly pushes off the wall to regain his balance, but the man's clipped instructions and clutching hand halt him. Slowly, carefully, he straightens himself out.]

Are you all right? Sorry, I didn't mean to...

[You know, crush him.]

[hymnals]

[Adra huffs as he manages to get his balance back--a delicate process that involves one hand pressed flat on Mat's chest and the other on the train car's wall. Once he's upright, he squints at the man before him.]

I'm fine. What about you? Did you hit anything? Any bruising? You were holding your head.

[He's got an appraising eye, pretty much exactly like a doctor.]

[enelmord]

[He looks embarrassed to receive a stranger’s concern. He immediately drops his hand from his head.]

Just bumped it against the window.

[At this point the train rumbles into motion again, and Matthias grabs onto one of the straps hanging down from the ceiling of the train. He jerks forward into Adrasteius’ hand but remains upright.]

What is wrong with these things? [Casting a scowl up at the roof of the car, as if the train might answer his complaint.]

[hymnals]

[Physical contact like this creates Chroma, of course; it's a sensation Adra's recognized by now, and though it's pleasant, he frowns that it's coming from something as awkward as this. It does fortify him, though, enough that his other hand glows with Light.]

If you're aching, I can help you.

Can't do anything about the train, though.

[enelmord]

[As the erratic jerking of the train prolongs their contact, Matthias becomes aware of the faint warmth bubbling at his chest. Not to mention the glow emanating from the stranger's hand. Confused, he pulls away and redoubles his grip on the overhead strap to better maintain a respectful distance.]

You're a Corporalki?

[He didn't intend for the question to sound so...accusatory. He amends:]

I mean, you're a Healer?