▶ TDM .003

[prismods]

Fear is never boring

QUICK LINKS ⬤ navigation ⬤ faq ⬤ world ⬤ moonblessings

"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

[assembles]

[ There's no reason for her to feel ashamed or embarrassed, and Steve musters up a quick smile to try and set her at ease. He's been in her shoes before, maybe not to quite the same level, but there had been a large number of technological advancements that took place between 1945 and 2012. A lot of people had just seen it as a way to make a cheap joke or treat him like a child, and he doesn't want to do the same thing here. ]

It's not a problem. Did you want to give it another shot, or would you rather not?

[ He can see why she'd been turned off, even if it was little more than a visual glitch. Going through the VR simulation isn't mandatory by any means, so he isn't going to judge her if she decides that she's done messing with it for now. ]

[byanyother]

[ It'd be quick enough to take the easy way out, simply shake her head and feign disinterest and use the rest of their time to casually flirt with this good-looking man. (Always a good use of her time, even if others might not see it that way.)

But she's been ignorant for long enough, about various things, and she's not about to continue that trend here when she has a myriad of resources and teachers at her disposal here. So she shakes her head, remaining in her pod. ]

If you don't mind walking me through it, I'd like to try it one more time. I promise to be a good student.

[ Even though she's technically never been to school in her entire life. ]

[assembles]

[ Steve's glad to hear that she hasn't been completely turned off. VR can be useful for a lot of things, as technology that allows simulations of circumstances that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to fabricate. It's worth it to get the hang of it, and once they get past the glitches, it should be pretty intuitive. ]

All right. I'll start it up again, and hopefully things will go a little more smoothly this time.

[ He steps back into the center of the pod and then uses the nearby console to restart the program, throwing them into virtual reality once more. Their surroundings shift, though not that much. They're transported into a featureless room with dark blue walls, like before, though this time they seem to both have all their fingers and toes in place. ]

That's better.

[ At that point a holographic display pops up for both of them, asking them to pick one of the moons: Sanguis, Cordis, or Iris. Steve frowns and looks over at the stranger. ]

Which one are you gonna go with?

[byanyother]

[ Never did she think she'd be so pleased to see all her limbs whole and intact. A wellspring of near indefinite power inside means there's little she fears, but magic can only do so much against the unknown of technology.

She flexes her fingers experimentally - all in working order! - then steps up to Steve and the panel with their selections of choice. Having been through a moon phase already, she has a bit of an inkling as to what the different moons might suggest. ]

I suppose I should go with something I'm not accustomed to.

[ Sanguis it is, as she taps on the screen with one slender finger. ]

Have you read up on the moons already?

[ He looks to be a steady, reliable man. If he's well-versed in VR, maybe he's already done his research on the three moons. ]

[assembles]

[ All things considered, the stranger falls into step with the simulation easily enough now that there isn't a glitch in the system. Either she's good at feigning confidence or she isn't easily thrown off by slight setbacks.

She goes for Sanguis, which means that her actual moon must be one of the other two. Steve, for his part, has no idea which one to choose, given that he hasn't been here long enough to experience the moon cycles firsthand. ]

Not read up on, exactly, but some other people have told me a little about them.

[ This is all just for "practice," or to give him an idea of what his future might hold, so it doesn't really matter. Yet he finds his hand hovering a few inches away from the display all the same. He peers past the transparent hologram to meet the woman's eyes on the other side of it. ]

Got any suggestions?

[byanyother]

[ Her own moon experience is limited to the single cycle that's passed during her tenure here so far, but a watchful eye goes a long way in patching up the holes left behind. Decision made, her hand lifts upwards, one finger tapping away at her chin in thought. ]

I suppose it depends on what you'd like more practice in.

[ Each moon brings with it its own set of challenges and trials. ]

Would you prefer more quality time with your more primal side? Or do you struggle with having all eyes on you at all times.

[ Although, given how handsome he is and the ease with which he strides around— ]

You don't seem like the type to struggle with the latter though.

[assembles]

You'd be surprised.

[ It's true that Steve often has to deal with there being a lot of attention put on him, not just from those he knows personally but from the entire country. It's a lot of pressure, and he isn't always that comfortable with the sheer amount of it.

He's learned how to at least project that he isn't uncomfortable with it, as it's an aspect of his life that would be impossible to change at this point.

He meets the woman's eyes again from across the expansive room. ]

Which one would that be?

[byanyother]

[ She replies promptly, one fingernail resting lightly against the option on the screen so as to not accidentally select it for him. ]

The blue moon, that shines second out of the three.

[ She's gleaned that much from the scant weeks she's been here, though past that she knows very little. Maybe she would have learned more if she'd bothered to hit the books, but studying's never been her style. ]

The last time it was in the sky, a friend of mine had quite the time trying to avoid the attentions of every man of the establishment we were in.

[ He can interpret that however he wants. ]

[assembles]

[ Trying to avoid the attention of every man, specifically? Steve isn't sure what to make of that. It certainly implies a particular kind of attention, and that gives him a moment of hesitation as he stares at the options again.

But they've come this far, and he has to assume this woman wouldn't have suggested it if it would lead to something disastrous. ]

All right, here goes.

[ He chooses the second option, Cordis, and then the program accepts their inputs and begins to initialize. While Steve doesn't realize it, his pupils have shifted into slits, like a cat's. So the simulation begins. ]