▶ TDM .003

[prismods]

Fear is never boring

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"The Raisins : Fear Is Never Boring" (Watch on YouTube)

▶ Tales from the Crypt
Moon Iris | top

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. 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 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? Why did I eat those fifty cent street truck tacos last night? — 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, you may freely roam around the government center. Alternatively, you can ask the staff about the moon base. They suggest that you visit one of their excavation sites nearby: an enormous hole known as the Glory. The scientists have been excavating this site carefully for years, searching for a legendary ancient tomb sleeping within. They’re accepting volunteers if anyone is inclined to aid in their efforts. Perhaps the Moonblessed have the knowledge they need to make it a success!

A ⬤ A chroma-powered lift made of magically fortified crystal is used to access the lower grounds. Be careful not to fall off! On the way down, some translucent caterpillars and crystals light your way. Be quiet and keep an eye out for Queen Bowie beetles: these glowing neon bugs are attracted to music, and a single note will send them flying into your clothes and hair. Putting the beetles under pressure is not advised, as they will explode and send their sticky insides flying throughout the airspace, potentially stinging your eyes. This will make moving around in dark, cramped spaces all the more difficult! Thankfully, they get bored if no one tries to sing for one whole minute.

B ⬤ Scientists, engineers, miners, and archeologists are at the unearthed antechambers, hard at work. They will assign you to different tasks: recording observations and taking down notes, digging with advanced excavation tools, or collecting fragile relics with metal and crystal detectors. The Moonblessed may also assist with solving riddles the ancients left in the tomb’s doors, chests and walls. Solving them may lead to either treasure rooms or trap walls that close in on unsuspecting grave robbers. Others, well...

Golden jellyfish statues line the walls, encrusted with glistening jewels all over, some worse for wear. Tall pillars have numerous ancient runes which the Prismals are struggling to decipher. Soon, an eerie whisper reaches your mind: “Wander no further. A curse awaits all who enter our kingdom. Disturb not those who slumber in the deep.” True enough, the floor from this point onward appears to be blue sand combed in the pattern of ocean waves... Are you brave enough to continue drilling through?

C ⬤ If that is not enough to send you scrambling out with moist underwear, perhaps the seismic jolt to the ground will. A slimy substance begins to ooze out the tomb’s cracks, glowing lilac like the Iris moon... The Prismals are quick to usher everyone out before the shaking gets worse. As the lift may be too dangerous, climbing equipment will be provided. Watch out for falling debris or collapsing rocks while assisting each other out of cramped passages and up the walls to safety. Try not to get stuck in the slime!

This little adventure might leaving you wondering what or who exactly lies deeper inside, but the Prismals are just as clueless as you are. Cave-ins happen from time to time, but this might have been the strongest one recorded on this site.

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




▶ Those Kicks were Fast as Lightning
Higher Lunatia, Level 1 | 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.

With the end of Harvest Boon, the city is calm once more. The streets of Level 1 and 2 are now sparkling clean as always, but Level 3 is still in the process of cleaning up. There are confetti and deflated balloons strewn all over the streets, but Swiffy bots are on the scene, sweeping up whatever waste they can get their hands on. Sometimes, they might even play tug-of-war with you for it. At one of the train stations, a Prismal doomsayer screams about the apocalypse returning. Passersby shrug at the conspiracy theory and move on.

A ⬤ In response to the unexpected rough events during Harvest Boon, the Moon Knights decided to hold free-for-all self-defense seminars at a large park near Lunatia Square. The live demonstrations include proper monster-wrangling procedures and how to efficiently keep a rogue moonheld (read: transformed under the moon) Prismal away. Participants are encouraged to learn and interact with each other to learn various safety practices and techniques. The training visors provided enhance the seminar experience, changing whoever your eyes focus on into a cerberus or other rogue moonheld Prismal on the visor’s display. Don’t use the visors for too long, or you’ll be seeing everyone as a cerberus well after you take the visors off! Fortunately, the effects only last for an hour. Energy drinks and free snacks are available to any worn-out Prismal or Moonblessed.

B ⬤ Virtual lunar conditions are also available via multiplayer VR pods in Lunar Scientia headquarters, simulating the Moonblessed/moonheld experience under full moons. Mental exercises and magic practice sessions are accessible in the virtual spaces, allowing people to test out their magical abilities and transformations. Simulation participants can either train by themselves, with a partner, or through a tutorial of instruction-based movements. However, the program is still in beta. You may experience errors or bugs like lagging, NPCs phasing into things they shouldn’t, weird physics, or body glitches.

▶ Meas Trees are the Bee’s Knees
Middle Lunatia, Level 2 | top

The rows of Meas trees planted this Harvest Boon are blossoming beautifully into view, painting the fields in Level 2 with colors of spring. Meas tree saplings each have a small sign next to them, displaying their owners’ written wish if they chose to disclose it. Interestingly, the color and aroma of each flower depends on the owners; fiery personalities might have red or orange flowers, those born in a coastal town might have flowers that smell like the sea near their hometown, and so on. Maybe you’ll encounter a familiar aroma if you’re lucky enough.

The Moonblessed who were most active with moonlacing the past few weeks have the largest trees, nearly rivaling the oldest Meas trees around. The older trees planted by Prismals over time can be seen in the next field, standing majestically with their swaying branches and flying petals.

A ⬤ Picnic grounds for flower viewings can be found near the fields. There are plenty of stalls selling homemade bruschettas, crostinis, sandwiches, wines, cheeses, and other enjoyable finger food. Notably, some wines may give you an insatiable desire to whisper things in someone’s ear. Sweet nothings, death threats, your secret kinks—no matter the words, you’ll want to kill someone softly with them.

B ⬤ The Swiffy bots that are assigned to the parks and gardens in Level 2 help keep things spick and span, but they’re due for maintenance and may attempt to sweep off any unfortunate picnics with their high-powered vacuums or leaf blowers. As they zoom across the paths, they chirrup about not treading on the grass and take off with picnic blankets, table cloths, and people’s clothes. Any nearby maintenance staff (who are all desperately trying to chase the bots) yell that a conk on the head will immobilize them. Once the malfunctioning bots are stopped, the staff approach to wheel them away while apologising profusely for the mayhem.

▶ Questions

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

Comments

steve rogers | marvel cinematic universe

[assembles]

i. survival mode

[ Steve's been walking for a while at this point, weaving in between crystal growths that jut out of the ground like trees. Some of them are enormous, so tall that he actually has to pause and take a moment to stare, but he can't avoid to waste any time or to let his guard down in this situation. With no knowledge of how he got here or who's behind it, he has to assume the worst.

The last thing he can recall is falling asleep on some ratty motel bed, and while this seems far outside of Ross' jurisdiction, it's not like he's the only one who might have some sort of vendetta against Captain America. There was that whole instance of getting attacked by an alien race bent on conquering Earth. Maybe they've finally come to collect on that, somehow.

Either way, he's in an unknown place (on an unknown planet, even, and this really isn't how he pictured his first trip out to space) with little more than the uniform he's wearing, and he has no answers.

When he spots a strange creature that also has crystals growing out of its body, Steve follows after it, at least attempting to be stealthy and light-footed so he doesn't scare it away. A sign of life might lead him somewhere, but as he rounds a particularly large crystal, he almost runs directly into someone. Not another creature, but an actual person. His quick reflexes stop him from crashing into them, allowing to to skid to a halt instead.

With no idea of who this person is, or how they might or might not play a part in why he's here, Steve's initial response is wary. He scans them over, then asks: ] Are you all right? [ Unsure as he might be, he isn't going to start things off on the wrong foot. ]

ii. tales from the crypt

[ When it comes to whether or not to help, there usually isn't much of a question for someone like Steve Rogers.

At this point he's been recovered, subjected to a medical exam, and had at least some of his questions answered by the Knights and other staff at the government center. Apparently they'll soon be leaving for an actual city, which is where everyone who's found themselves in this strange situation is taken, but for now they've been given the chance to go dig around in the mines of this moon.

It doesn't exactly sound like a fun time, but this is also Steve's first journey out into space, unplanned as it might be. He knows that he needs to get home and back to his people (being displaced like this again is something he'd rather not dwell on), but learning more about this strange place he's found himself in isn't the worst idea either.

Which is how he ends up in one of the antechambers with a pickax in hand, swinging it at a wall of the cave that's yet to be excavated and could lead the archaeologists to the answers they're seeking.

When he senses someone behind him, he lowers the pickax for a moment and turns toward them. ] Here to help? I'm not gonna say no.

iii. those kicks were fast as lightning

[ The city of Lunatia is a far cry from Iris, a shimmering metropolis completely unlike anything Steve has seen before. Stepping off of the transport and into the main square, he realizes he feels almost the same as he did when he woke up in 2012 and stumbled out onto Times Square. It's not really a feeling he ever wanted to repeat, but there it is all the same.

With no money to his name (though he's already heard some talk about Chroma and Demi-Chroma), Steve still wants to get a lay of the land, and so he relies on his legs alone, wandering around the immediate area to take it all in.

Unsurprisingly, he ends up stumbling upon a public self-defense seminar. There's a lot of people gathered around, which means that it's simple enough for him to find a spot on the periphery of all the action to observe. Most people are sparring in pairs, wearing visors that probably give them some kind of feedback or information about their opponent.

It's all fascinating to watch, but he has to wonder at the reason for it. For this many people to subject themselves to this kind of training, it has to be a response to something. Or a preparation for something to come.

When someone else wanders near him, he glances away from the action to look them over. ]

What is it they need to defend themselves against?

[ For someone like him, that may be the most important thing to find out. This place may look like a glittering utopia at first glance, but those Moon Knights must exist for a reason. ]

iv. wildcard

[ If there's something else you want to do that isn't covered here, go for it! You can also PM me or hit me up at demonology if you want to plot something in advance. ]

iii, say bye to your inbox court

[barkonthetree]

['Wanders' might be a generous term. The next soul Steve sees is a red-clad figure that has dropped from the streetlamp nearby. His arms are folded underneath billowing sleeves and he takes in the seminar with a low-lidded glower. Whatever he's gathered, he's not impressed with.]

More than what they're telling us, probably. [Ahead of them a leader demonstrates a basic strike. The crowd follows en masse. It's pretty pathetic looking.] You've heard about the moon crap, right? Some assholes used it to turn into three-headed dog-beasts. Tried to rip the place up.

[He casts that disdainful stare upon Steve now. The man smells mortal, and yet a fair bit not. Like something layered, burning incense to mask the smell of corpses. Nothing so grim as that of course, but it was a similar effect and one he couldn't quite understand. The second scent was...false. Like so many things in the city. Not of the earth.]

Then there were the laughing puppets. Something was bewitching them for sure.

you cursed me

[assembles]

[ It's not every day that someone leaps down from the top of a streetlamp, and Steve has to wonder what the young man had been doing up there in the first place. Getting a bird's eye view? There's a haughty way in which he addresses both Steve and the activities taking place, which seems unwarranted.

Sure, these people might be amateurs, but the whole point is that they're here to learn. There's no reason to be dismissive of that. ]

I've heard some. [ He knows he's considered "moonblessed," but doesn't have a full understanding of what that means. Thor had filled in some of the blanks, but not all of them. ] Are you saying that they transformed at will?

[ His attention remains primarily on the kid now, as he's been watching the demonstrations for a good while already. Besides, the sort of stuff he's casually referring to can't be that easily ignored. ]

Puppets? [ Steve's seen a lot of strange things during his superhero days. Puppets haven't made the list. ]

iii. Hi Court!

[the_archivist]

[He had tried the visors, but there's something about them that makes him uncomfortable. He thinks it's the illusion that it provides. it leaves him feeling dizzy in a physical sense, and uncomfortable in a way that is far from natural. A more modern form of illusion he supposes, something else he has to See through and he'd rather not exhaust himself doing that when the number of statements he has here is limited.

Instead he finds a place around the edge to watch and learn.

He glances over at the man who'd spoken.]

I don't know. There was an attack during the festival but I don't know how common that is.

hi zalia!!

[assembles]

[ If Steve weren't so new to all of this, he might have been joining in on the activities himself. There are VR consoles too, set up for simulations, which he can't help but be curious about. Maybe later.

For now, he doesn't mind hanging around the periphery and enjoying the fact that he apparently doesn't have to stay in the shadows here. No one in this place has recognized him. No one who he doesn't already know, anyway. The anonymity is a breath of fresh air, the one upside to this situation. ]

Festival?

[ He turns toward the stranger, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. ]

What kind of attack was it?

iii. in fact it was a little bit frightening!

[cadeuces]

( It's the sort of question only a newcomer would have; he hadn't been here the couple weeks prior when the damage was done, and Angela's found herself at his elbow when he asks, watching the training with some little bit of fondness— not quite CQC, but some similar elements.

The uniform alone and the jawline remind her of Jack in his glory days, though Jack had never had quite a beard (it's out of regulation, of course). Always clean-shaven for the press; his morning routine.

This man has the air of a commander (or a captain), military bearing, but nothing else to signify it. No branch of service visible, no insignias or cords or velcro name badges. Just a mildly patriotic suit and a straight spine.

That fondness turns to him, now. )

Have you only just arrived? I'm Angela Ziegler, a doctor that arrived much the same as you must have, a couple of months ago.

( And she offers him a hand to shake. )

That means you've missed the last couple festivals here; every time they hold a celebration, it seems something goes awry. First there were some flowering vines that were going after others and destroyed some bits of the roadways and infrastructures, and just a couple weeks back, some gang of the Prismals here— the native people, I mean— were attacking anyone in their path when all the moons aligned. Everyone was affected by them, I'm afraid.

I suppose they're at least trying to prepare others for what sorts of things may happen. It seems our presence has increased their troubles.

[assembles]

[ At this point, the people who Steve's interacted with could be broken down into three categories. People who just arrived here with no clue of what's going on, like him; people he knows from home, who have varying levels of comprehension of their situation; and then people like Angela Ziegler, who've been here for a month or two.

There are the natives, too. Prismals, they call themselves. It's mainly the Moon Knights who he's dealt with so far, but it's clear that the city's packed with plenty of people who aren't "moonblessed."

Steve takes Angela's hand firmly, shaking as he nods in response to that question. Her explanation is one that he accepts gratefully, all of it given in a calm tone meant to set him at ease. A doctor through and through, then. ]

So the moons don't just affect us, but the Prismals too? I haven't seen any of that in action yet.

[ Given that he's been here for less than half a week, he's still not sure what all the hubbub is about with the moons. ]

ii. tales from the crypt

[thunders]

[ It's been a couple of weeks now, and Thor has more or less come to terms with the fact that he isn't getting back to the ship with any particular immediacy. Any relief he felt at the reprieve has long since dissipated. Wherever he is, even Heimdall cannot hear him.

In his restlessness, he's taken to keeping himself busy. Any chance to learn more about why he's been brought here is one he's more than willing to take, if it will bring him back that much sooner. It's how he ends up in the mines with a sledgehammer resting against his shoulder. They've wisely put him on a task that requires little more than brute force.

When he arrives, someone is already working away, and even from the back Thor recognizes him instantly. That's America's ass. ]

I sensed you were in dire need, as usual. [ Thor grins at him and steps in closer to throw a friendly arm around Steve's shoulders. ] It's good to see you, my friend.

[assembles]

[ The familiar voice is almost entirely unexpected, and as Steve turns, his eyes widen and something like relief finds it way onto his weary face. It's been some time since he's seen Thor, as he'd taken his leave after Ultron to look into the threat of the Infinity Stones. It's probably for the best that he hadn't been anywhere near Earth when the mess with the Sokovia Accords took place. ]

It's good to see you too.

[ Thor's arm is a heavy yet welcome weight on his shoulders, and Steve wraps his arm around the middle of Thor's back, giving a quick squeeze before he pulls away to more properly face him.

Somehow Thor manages to be almost casual about greeting Steve even though both of them are presumably stuck on this strange planet. Then again, if there's anyone who could get them out of this predicament with a flick of his wrist, it's the God of Thunder. There is one hiccup to mention, though. A pretty big one. ]

Did you just get here too? You know Loki is here, right?

[ There's also a spider kid running around, but Thor hasn't met him before and the presence of his brother is a lot more urgent and alarming. ]

iii.

[hymnals]

[Adra has no strong interest in these demonstrations; nevertheless, they're public, which means passing by on the way to other business is unavoidable. He pauses when he's addressed, leaning on his winged staff, frowning slightly.]

Strange magic abounds, bringing with it strange effects. Lunacy, in the most direct sense of the term, and other dangers besides.

[He glances towards the sparring, then back at this new face.]

In any case, I've never come to a world that didn't need its people to fight. A pipe dream to hope otherwise, I suppose.

[assembles]

[ Strange magic. Is what they're calling it? Even though this would not be Steve's first time coming across so-called magic (his run-in with Loki only reinforced that), he still finds himself balking a little at the term. He's seen a lot of strange things, but most of them were based in science in some way.

Not that he has a scientific explanation for the moons causing people to physically transform, but that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. ]

So some people go berserk because of it?

[ He has no idea which moon he's aligned to yet, or if he'll even be affected given the serum.

That last statement certainly rings true for Steve, and he nods slowly. ] Have you been to a lot of worlds? [ This is kind of new, for him. ]

@ iii.

[divaricate]

[ Wanda hasn't been here in this world long, but she does walk closer to someone who has a familiar stance. And familiar voice. ]

Unexpected aliens crashing down on a heavily populated city? Sudden robots planning to blow up earth? Surprise Hydra people in the government? Or just unannounced regular dumbasses in government who think it's cool to toss people in prison and basically torture them for helping in all of those circumstances?

[ Yep, that sure was delivered in a subtle yet deadpan sarcastic way, yet with a friendly and amused smile. Her point being: Expect the unexpected. Or something like that. She shrugs slightly. ]

[assembles]

[ As soon as Steve hears that accented voice, he turns sharply to face Wanda, not having fully realized who had come to join him. So there's himself, Queens, Thor, Loki (if he counts), and now Wanda. Just how many of them are here? ]

Wanda...

[ Though it's been a few months now since he broke her and the others out of the maximum security prison that Ross tossed them into, Steve's chest still twinges with guilt. He'll never forget the impressions he'd seen on her neck from the restraints they'd put on her.

She's doing a good job of referring back to all of it with some dark humor in her tone, which is probably a good sign. At least, Steve hopes that's the case. ]

It's good to see you. [ He takes a step closer, nodding in greeting. ] How long have you been in this place?

iii / wildcard

[byanyother]

[ She doesn't much like machines. Yes, they create, cut corners, and build things in a rapid manner that would take days to years for mortals, but they also destroy with reckless abandon and a brutal efficiency she doesn't like to think about.

Also—they bug out a lot.

Rosetta has, with great reluctance, seated herself in one of the VR pods, repeating to herself silently that this is all for the greater good and that the fewer secrets this place holds for her the better. That doesn't reassure her as she blinks open to an eerily sleek training simulation—and also to the sight of herself in a bit of polished glass off to one side.

She frowns. Wiggles a few fingers. Frowns deeper. Then she turns to a nearby participant, raising one hand and balling it into a fist. ]

Can you see this?

[ 'This' would ordinarily be the hand she's holding up, but under the circumstances, her left arm seems to be missing.

What the heck!! ]

[assembles]

[ VR simulations can be a useful tool, one that Steve's made use of on the Avengers compound for training purposes in the past. If he can take advantage of the modules here to prepare himself for whatever might happen with the moons, then it's worth investigating so that he's ready for when it's time for the real thing.

He's paired off at random with another person, and when they both load in, everything seems fine at first. Until she lifts her arm, anyway. There's nothing there. ]

Yeah. I mean, no. [ He can see that there's nothing to be seen, anyway. ] It must be some kind of glitch in the program. We can try resetting if you want.

[ There's no need to panic, he's hoping, and so he keeps his tone calm and his posture at ease. ]

iii.

[braverpath]

That I do not know.

[Answers the strange looking fellow in the mask and horns. Yoshimitsu sticks out like a sore thumb here but not for the most obvious reason. Yes, while he's clearly the strangest looking bloke anyone has ever seen, the ninja's surprising lack of interest in the self-defense seminar is telling.

Yoshimitsu seated upon some short pillar with his legs tucked under him. He has a short sword at his hip and one long sword strapped across his back. It's clear that this man isn't new to this topic of self-defense but he should at least be paying attention. However, the eyes of his mask is dim and void of sight. He's not even watching any of this.]

...Most of them are noncombatants. [The ninja idly says as the eye sockets of his elaborate oni mask start to glow green.] Civilians.

It's not hard to believe that they faced an grievous defeat prior.

[assembles]

[ At the voice, Steve turns, eyebrows shooting upward as he takes in the stranger's dramatic appearance. Both the mask and the outfit are ornate and bordering on over-the-top, but given that some of the native people around here have animal traits, this isn't so out of the ordinary. From what Steve can tell, most of the look is due to the man's attire, rather than any permanent physical changes.

There is a delay in his response as he takes it all in, but then he adjusts and shoots back a reply without a larger reaction. ]


I would have to assume that, for a response like this.

[ It had been clear to Steve as well that these people were civilians trying to learn how to defend themselves for maybe the first time. That's not worth protest, in his opinion, but he still has to wonder what made it necessary. It's a public event with a large number of people, which isn't usually how this kind of training is done, at least in his experience. ]

Are you new too?

[ Since they're both just speculating. ]

i

[arachnidic]

Uhhh, yes! I'm alright. Totally fine, never better! Well, actually, I've been a lot better than this - [ Although he has his uniform, so that's good? He doesn't have the mask on, but it's not like Steve hasn't seen the Spider-Man getup before, or heard Peter rambling aimlessly, so this shouldn't be too novel an experience. For all that he should probably be relieved about nearly being run into by Captain America - because, hey! Cool! An Avenger who has some chance of maybe knowing what is actually going on, which Peter sure the fuck does not - but mostly he feels - ]

- You know, jeez, talking to you just makes me feel like I'm in detention when you say things like that? Like, So you're in detention! Are you alright, kids? Don't give into peer pressure. The whole shebang.

[ As always, he's talking with his hands, nervous energy filling up and overflowing as he chatters, completely missing the part where he could maybe give a normal greeting and forgetting for a second to ask "hey so what mission briefing did I 100% miss and can I copy your notes on it, please".

For all that Peter's a bundle of nerves, he does seem fine. No worse for the wear, just sort of baffled by all the space and the fact it was not space he had previously been in (he thinks).

(Maybe he just wasn't paying attention?????) ]

What if I want to give in to peer pressure, Captain America, at least peer pressure would not be [ He gestures wildly ] spacenapping, although you know, actually maybe that is peer pressure? Superhero peer pressure, to go to space.

[assembles]

[ It doesn't take too long for Steve to put it together. The getup is pretty memorable, and while it's been a few months since that fight in Germany, the kid had made an impression. Not just because they were from the same city, but because of that webbing he'd used to snatch Steve's shield, not to mention the fact that he'd been able to catch debris with the sort of ease that spoke to super-strength.

Steve had never seen the kid without his mask on back then. He'd figured from his voice and demeanor that he was young, but now he can see how young, and the motormouth only adds to that image.

Where the hell did Tony even find this kid? And why had he pulled him into that fight?

The mention of Steve's PSA videos earns a brief frown, but he's ultimately more concerned with how both of them came to be here. ]

Okay, whoa, Queens, hold on. [ He doesn't know his name, and their brief exchange had only been about their hometowns, so to speak. ] I know this is a lot to take in, but we should compare notes. I'm guessing you don't have any memory of how you got here, either.

[ It's a worrying pattern, and while Steve could understand how he might have pissed off some alien race and ended up "spacenapped" as a result, he isn't sure why the kid would have been dragged into it. ]

i. but I'm removing the last line, if that's okay with you, because idt Steve would ask, oops

[mischiefandice]

[It's a testimony to how exhausted Loki is that he does not hear Steve approach until he's directly in front of him, almost bumping into him as he too rounds the misshapen crystal pillar in hopes of seeing something new on the other side. And something new there is, in the form of someone wearing a uniform that does not bring back fond memories.

Stepping back sharply, Loki summons his daggers with a burst of magic, holding them deftly despite his fatigue, ready to throw. His eyes narrow in deep suspicion, but he cannot comprehend what Captain America could have to do with his current predicament. The fact that the man looks scruffy and just as surprised as Loki feels adds to his confusion.]

Why are you here? [It comes out almost like a growl, Loki's throat still aching. While the tone of his voice is threatening enough, Loki himself looks rather worse for wear, with dark bruises around his throat, shadows under his eyes, and a somewhat manic look that bodes rather ill. ]

yes lmao good call

[assembles]

[ Of all the people to run into—

Steve's reaction is instant and instinctive. His mind barely registers that he's looking at Loki before he responds to the threat, leaping backward and out of the range of those daggers. He bends his knees enough to pull a combat knife out of his boot, then straightens, posture shifting into a ready stance in case this comes to blows.

As far as he can tell, Loki is alone and also looking worse for the wear, but this could be one giant smokescreen. Loki's a trickster, capable of weaving illusions that are shockingly realistic. Steve isn't going to take any chances.

Loki's question is almost accusatory, as if he's surprised to see Steve, but again, it could be an act. ]

I think you're better equipped to answer that than I am.

[ It's all too likely Loki himself is behind this, and it's more to go on than what Steve had thirty seconds ago. ]

Also, aren't you supposed to be dead?

[ Or so Thor had alluded to the last time Steve had seen him. ]

iv wildcard....

[mylawn]

[Jack knows he should be spending his extremely limited chroma on alcohol that barely takes the edge off, but after everything this planet has done to him and promises to do to him in the future, he thinks that, at this point, he deserves it. Besides, there's no better place to put one's ear to the ground than at a bar, so he convinces himself that he's both unwinding to the best of his ability and gathering information at the same time.

The truth is that he's largely feeling sorry for himself, given that he's mostly at a loss on this planet, but nobody needs to know that but him.

It's a good excuse, at least, to shrug off the tactical gear and walk the streets as a relatively normal person, or at least without arousing suspicion. Nobody pays attention to him like this, and he prefers it that way. Easier to people watch when said people aren't confronting you about your mask and weaponry.

He likes to think that, at this point, he's got a good eye for who's a native Prismal and who's recently arrived, like him--not so hard, based on fashion sense and general complacency when it comes to societal norms. This guy, who's a few people down the bar, seems to have neither.]

You look confused.

[assembles]

[ It's been a long day.

Steve isn't usually the type to swing by a bar after work for a hard-earned drink, and he ended up here more or less by accident, stopping in after wandering through a good chunk of the city on foot. There's apparently some housing he can claim for the immediate future, but going there would also mean accepting that he's going to be stuck here for a while.

It could be worse. Thor and Wanda are here, for instance. Then again, so is Loki. The entire situation is kind of a mixed bag in that way.

He isn't actually expecting to have any money to buy a drink, but he's proven wrong when they scan his bracelet and find that he's generated some Chroma. Probably from Thor, who'd greeted him warmly back in the mines.

Which is how he ends up with a drink, one that he nurses slowly as he tries to process everything that's happened over the last few days. Until someone addresses him, anyway. Steve glances over, spotting a guy with white hair and a scarred face; the sort who looks like he's seen some things, to say the least. ]

Less than I was a few days ago, but... yeah, kinda. [ His mouth quirks sheepishly and he takes another sip of his drink. ]

i. ohhhhh shiiit

[sidecars]

Oh just dandy...

[ Bucky is still picking crystalline growths off his blue boots and the back of his uniform when he rises up to a full grown human. Now he looks much less like a lumbering geode monster. ]

This seems more like a dream than a kidnapping. Or maybe a nightmare... [ Now that his focus isn't so much getting free of this bullshit on him, Bucky surveys the area with suspicious eyes behind a black domino mask. ] Everything's pink. Were we drunk? Was I drunk?

[ Bucky's a little too young to be getting the DTs, right? ]

ii!

[pararescues]

[ the figure in question turns out to be a familiar one, actually. sam folds his arms and leans against the wall of the cave, grin the familiar mix of warmth and amusement it always is. ]

I dunno', man, it looks like you've got it well in hand. [ super soldier strength, right? but god is he glad to see someone familiar. not just familiar, but steve. if he could have picked one person to be stuck in a situation like this with.. well, sam's not sure he'd wish this on anyone, but if he had to be selfish--

he pushes up off the wall again and steps closer, barely resisting the urge to grab him just to be sure he's real. ] Christ, I was not expecting to be dropped into the middle of Lisa Frank's acid trip after-- [ a vague wave of his hand. the last thing he remembers is watching the people around him turning to dust, feeling his own body following. ]