Prismatic Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
prismods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
prismaticrap2019-04-07 08:37 pm
prismods) wrote in prismaticrap2019-04-07 08:37 pm
▶ TDM .002
▶ 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.
▶ 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.
▶ 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.
▶ Questions
If you have any questions regarding this test drive meme, please ask them in this thread.
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’twhaleget 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.
no subject
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?
no subject
[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.]
no subject
[This was part of the problem. He could read, but there were plenty of characters that still vexed him. Couple that with the books being full of otherworldly spells and he was well over his head. This strange fellow, though. The words were less mysterious to him, even if he couldn't parse the diagrams. That was forgivable. Neither one of them belonged here.
Or did they? Inuyasha squints, rising from his chair to look him in the eye. His nose gives a near imperceptible twitch. No, he's a human all right, his scent doesn't have that odd crystalline curl that wraps around the locals. Plus he's walking around with that dumb look on his face.
But he could read well. With luck maybe he had stumbled on someone useful for a change.]
I'm trying to find out about the magic here. If a spell brought us all here, there should be one to send us back. You're not a monk by chance, are you?
no subject
[Not a holy man, though as a Druskelle he had been taught that his mission was holy.]
And I don't know anything about "magic". There is no such thing where I come from, only in stories.
[What Grisha do is called "the small science". He does not know the particulars - ignorance is a tool that keeps fear alive, for in ignorance, all the dark gaps are filled in by nightmares. But Nina had explained it a little bit, about the components from which all things are built, and how like calls to like.]
But I can help you look.
no subject
[Inuyasha drops back into his seat and kicks a chair loose for his new reading buddy.]
Try not to freak out or anything. [Says the man who bit into his communicator.
He draws the largest, mustiest tome from the unused pile. It's as long as his forearm and would be lethal if thrown. He parts the pages between them and leans closer to the sprawling script.]
It smells a bit damp.
no subject
I don’t see how it’s any less annoying for you to be here.
[Selecting a book at random from the pile Inuyasha has amassed, he sinks down into the open chair.]
These books must be hundreds of years old. They should be taking better care of them.
[The musty smell of years gone by rises up from the pages as he rifles through. It is a little bit like looking for something in a haystack, but nobody has told you what you’re supposed to be looking for. As he skims the complicated text, he tries to hold in his mind what little Nina had taught him about Grisha abilities – this is the closest analogue he has, although he isn’t sure how such dim understanding will light the path to understanding this nonsense.
And the thought of Nina makes his heart clench like a fist. He tries to push the memory of her away so that he can focus. Yet always in the dark of his mind is she. Stumbling toward her. Reaching out. One last time.
He turns the page with more force than intended, tearing it from the bottom edge.]
no subject
[Practically old hat.
He's obtuse and distracted, but one ear swivels to the side at the sound of severing parchment. He raises one hand and it claps down on the top of Mattias' head. He levels him with a too pointed look from the edge of his lashes.]
If you break it and get cursed, I'm not saving you.
[Be careful.
His attention returns to the book in front of him and he lifts the hand away.
Except there's a sizzle-pop-crack, and something stronger than Miroku's Kazanaa suctions his hand back down, this time clapping over his ear and half his cheek.]
Wha—?!
oh no how could this have gone so awry
He is about to retort that he won’t need to be saved, when the sizzling snap at the top of his head interrupts him. Suddenly, the boy is practically cradling his cheek. Although “cradling” implies some degree of gentleness, whereas this boy is all clumsy.]
Quit joking around.
[Then he shrugs heavily and ducks to the side, purposing to disentangle from Inuyasha.]
I didn’t even tear it that badly. Who will notice in a book so old and decrepit?
[Except shrugging him off doesn’t work. So he snatches at the boy’s wrist, prying his hand off — only to discover with another snap, like a log cracking over a flame, that he is now stuck holding that hand.]
What in Djel’s name—?
what a terrible tragedy
I'm not joking, it's stuck!
[For all the ducking and dodging Matthias pulls, Inuyasha counters with a yank and a wrench. He's not even gripping anything. The skin itself is fucking plastered to the boy's head, like metal seared on metal.
When he grabs his wrist and pulls, there is a full second wherein he believes that the problem is over. They can move on. Forget this small strangeness and live their lives.
Then their hands cinch together, fingers laced and reluctant to uncurl no matter how he wills them loose. Inuyasha squawks indignantly and leaps out of his chair, dragging at his ensnared hand and intent on shaking the hanger-on off. Fat lot of good it does.]
What did I tell you! You've pissed it off! Idiot! [He plants a foot on the edge of Matthias' chair and begins to bodily yank away. Considering his strength? It's a little overkill.] Of all the stupid fucking things—
no subject
[Underneath his irritation, however, panic begins to ignite. Could it be possible that the book itself contained a curse, some sort of unnatural force, which he unleashed merely by turning the pages? When Inuyasha yanks away from him, he tries to hold steady in resistance, pushing his heels into the floor and his back against the chair — but the other boy proves stronger than expected.]
Stop! You're going to dislocate my shoulder, you podge!
[With another tug, Matthias jerks forward and crashes into Inuyasha. So now, not only are their hands stitched together by an unknown will, but also Matthias' cheek is crushed against Inuyasha's chest. And given how much taller he is than the half-demon (blame the sturdy Fjerdan stock of his ancestors), this puts him at an awkward angle. Assuming they can remain upright at all, that is.]
no subject
[Honestly! Future people were so careless.
They dislocate all right. Matthias is vaulted forward into his chest and he is knocked down to the library floor by the upset. Hoisted by his own petard. Inuyasha gasps as his back cracks on the stone floor. The boy's head should have at least bounced from the collision but the sizzle snaps again, and he just knows the guy is stuck two fingers shy of kissing his sternum. Not only that: the inside of Inuyasha's right leg seems to have welded to the guy's ribs.
Perfect.
He lays still, seething evenly under the weight of the larger boy.]
That's...that's enough.
[He twists, raising his left hand high enough to slap around the edge of the table. The book is clumsily snared, and he carefully draws it down one handed, cautious of jarring the hefty form. He props it upright between them, angled so the other boy can see.
The rip, though small, has suddenly taken on a browning, vein-laden appearance of a bruise.]
Do you see now?
no subject
In this moment, he can’t help but think of the Ravkans and their endless stories of the Saints and their miracles. Here was Sankta Whoever and her book that miraculously ensnared the dim-witted Fjerdan. He sighs against Inuyasha’s chest.]
Fine. So how do we undo the curse?
[What would Kaz Brekker do? he asks himself, and then amends: Aside from avoiding this whole mess in the first place. Matthias knows he must be in dire straits if he’s trying to think like the demjin, but Kaz has a way of viewing a problem from a dozen different angles to arrive at the best solution, and it is this ingenuity he wishes he could tap.]
What if we just fix the torn page?
no subject
Thankfully the dumb lug was cluing in. This was going to be painful enough as it is without fighting to make him see reason.
Inuyasha clumsily flips a page, eyes glazing when the spells therein turn into spiraling lines of nonsense. Where was Miroku when you needed him?]
How can we do that? Can you mend parchment? [He pushes upward. With difficulty. The guy is welded to his front and he can't get his own ass under him without pulling him into some fucked up contortion. Inuyasha grumbles.] Can't you move? I can't read like this. It's hard enough right side up.
[A grim thought strikes him.]
Maybe it needs our blood or something.
no subject
[Drüsje. The word carries a heavy weight where he's from. How many times had he used it to justify his persecution of innocent people?]
And I was thinking paste more than blood.
[But he can move, with great difficulty. When he begins to lift himself from the floor, the weight of Inuyasha's body acts as ball and chain. Eventually, he manages to wrestle the both of them into an upright-ish position: with his legs splayed, his head bowed and pressed against Inuyasha's chest, and the other boy halfway in his lap.
(Nina would think it a riot. She was so beautiful when she was howling with laughter, even when it was at his expense.)]
Is this better? [His voice cuts dryly.]
no subject
It's a monstrous struggle to get upright for the both of them. Inuyasha pushes with his one hand to floor, though there's little helping the cumbersome knot they've been tangled in. Once they're up he realizes far too late that with the guys head to his chest and his own leg on those broad ribs, he's almost sitting on the foreigner. His lengthy hair has even folded over the boy's one shoulder, all but blinding him from the view of the rest of the library. He pushes his left knee to the stone floor hard and makes damn sure he's going to be kneeling, suspended above his thighs. Not touching once.
His skin is painted pink over his nose. His glower is molten gold. He speaks in a dangerous rumble.]
Let's just get this over with.
[He reaches for the book again, dragging it closer for both to see. The bruise is creeping further along the page.] Where's your paste?
no subject
Well, I don't have any with me...
[Who would carry around a jar of paste? But then a new thought strikes him.]
Is there a clerk around here? Maybe they would have materials for repairing the books.
[He has never been a scholar; he can count on one hand the number of times he has set foot inside a library. But he thinks it a logical conclusion to make. He hopes it is, anyway.
Eager to reach the end of his troubles, he makes to stand, struggles immensely, and falls still in frustration. He does not sound pleased by the proposal he then makes:]
Hold onto the book. I'll need to carry you if I'm going to stand up.
no subject
[They had no paste, but the did have plenty of his own suggestion pumping through the old veins. Inuyasha pulls that knot their hands make towards his mouth.] Gimme your finger!
they're so dumb
Are you crazy?!
[He tries pushing the boy away with his free hand, but of course only further entangles himself. They're basically a cartoon fight cloud at this point, without the benefit of an obscuring cloud.]
no subject
Shut up! Stop struggling! [Inuyasha snarls and twists, failing to dodge the pushing hand that hits his jaw. It sticks there, because of course it must, and he shakes his head like a dog with a rat in its teeth to dislodge it. And of course, it doesn't work.] I'm trying to fix this, you dumb fuck!
[One of Matthias' fingers dusts the edge of his lips. It's able to reach so far from where his palm is wedged against his jawline. Inuyasha doesn't question it. He stops tugging at their joined hands and dips his head to catch the outstretched digit in his mouth. His bite is soft but the canine strikes true. A dribble of blood leaks onto his lip and down the boy's knuckle.
He wastes no time in vaulting them sideways, slamming his head into the book and pressing face down into the pages. Matthias' hand is trapped between what may as well be a rock and a hard place.
For shit's sake, let this be enough.]
no subject
Rolling sideways, Matthias lands on his back beside the heap that is Inuyasha. He yanks himself up into a sitting position and looks in astonishment at his bleeding finger, then at the open book. The edge of the page crackles with energy as the tear is mended. Then all is quiet and still.]
Good Djel, that actually worked.
[He remembers now to press the bottom of his shirt around his finger to staunch the bleeding.]
no subject
The boy makes no further suicidal moves. Just stifles the swell of blood with his shirt.
Inuyasha growls. An accusatory finger is thrust his way.]
Yeah! What'd I tell you! Jackass! [Next thing you know he's upright with his back to the scene, stomping over to a shuttered window.] This is useless. This whole place is a fucking waste of time, don't know why I bothered with these stupid books.
[He all but rips the window open, clambering onto the sill with one contemptuous look behind him.]
And don't you ever speak a word of this to anyone! You hear me? Ever!
[He drops from view. If Matthias cares to look he'll see a silver and red blur jetting from roof to roof, dead set on putting the maximum amount of miles between it and the library without a plane ticket.]
no subject