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[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

[thunders]

[ Thor nods, his expression clouded with thought.

He finds himself in the odd position of being both Avenger and King, and it's easy to imagine what it would be like if he were the one needing to lay sanctions. He can't help but think of the limitations of his role, and the politics and compromises that will eventually prevent him from acting as he sees fit.

One of the strengths of the Avengers had always been that they could go where they were needed, when they were needed. That their agenda was their own. He finds himself shaking his head, even before he speaks.

He looks over at Steve, and the set of his shoulders tells Thor almost everything he needs to know about how it played out. Still, he has to ask: ]

From the look on your face, I'm assuming you didn't come to some sort of friendly mutual agreement.

[assembles]

[ The good part about talking this over with a good friend, and a fellow Avenger, is that Thor is doing a good job of filling in the blanks. It makes this painful process at least a little easier than it would be otherwise.

Steve nods, leaning back to rub at his eyes for a few seconds before he responds. ]

It wasn't just about the Accords. That became secondary. There was another attack, this time on the UN, and... [ He pauses and looks up from his lap, meeting Thor's eyes. ] Bucky was framed for it.

[ Thor is aware of who Bucky is and what his situation had been, given that Steve had been looking for him while also helping the Avengers to search for Loki's scepter. Everyone had become at least peripherally aware of it ]

I was able to track him down and get the truth from him, but convincing everyone else that he wasn't responsible was a lot more complicated.

[thunders]

[ Thor raises his head, and surprise steals across his face the moment he places the name. For all that they searched for the stones, it was clear that Steve's friend was never far from his mind. It's good that Steve has finally found him, but it sounds like the circumstances couldn't have been worse.

It barely crosses his mind that Bucky could be guilty, or that Steve's closeness with him might cloud his judgement on the matter of his actions. ]

Surely if he was allowed to explain, with your support... [ Thor trails off, then exhales softly. If Steve had broken the law by refusing the accords, his support would mean little. Maybe even finding the truth wouldn't be as important as finding someone to punish for the crime.

It doesn't seem right, after everything Steve has done for his world. None of it seems just.

It's clear that Steve has more to say on the subject, and Thor nods for him to continue. ]

[assembles]

[ It would have been nice if it had been that simple, if Steve could have just vouched for Bucky and the Avengers could have all worked together to clear his name. But nothing was ever as simple as it should be, was it?

Steve draws a breath in through his nose, then lets it out, shaking his head. ]

Maybe we could have pulled that off. We were both taken into custody, and that should have been the time to work on proving his innocence. But then someone else got involved -- guy named Zemo. He broke his way into the facility where Bucky was being kept and triggered him.

[ Steve's brow knits and his hands wring together in his lap, not sure that Thor will follow that terminology. He's not sure there's anything similar on Asgard, a version of mind control that ironclad. ]

It took away his irrational thought, turned him back into a weapon. He was in kill mode, basically. I was able to get to him and contain him, but at that point we were forced into a fugitive state.

[thunders]

[ The nearest frame of reference that Thor has to what Steve describes is a berserker, someone who loses all thought but for bloodlust in the heat of battle. This sounds more deliberate in a way that makes him shift with discomfort.

He watches Steve's hands tighten against each other in his lap. He follows enough of the what, if not the how. He can ask after the details later, but he isn't entirely certain that he wants to know - or that it would be of any aid for Steve to speak of it. ]

Is that the reason for..? [ Thor makes a gesture to his beard. He'd commented on Steve copying him, but he's known Steve for some years now. He's neat and clean-shaven unless he has no other choice, much to Thor's disappointment. ]

[assembles]

[ Steve nods, wishing that there was a reason for the added facial hair that was more fun or interesting, but Thor's correct. It occurs to Steve that he might not need to keep it up in this place, given that they're as far from Ross' blood hounds as they could get, but...

That would also be acknowledging that they're going to be stuck here for a while, and he's not sure that he's ready to go there yet. ]

Tony, Vision, and Rhodes came after us, a last ditch effort to bring us back under the UN's control. There were no casualties, but some injuries. We got away, Bucky decided he wanted to go back into cryostasis until the triggers in his mind could be removed, and then the rest of us were on the run. Me, Nat, Wanda, and Sam.

[ It's an abbreviated version of what happened, leaving out the important detail about Tony finding them and how they'd almost killed each other after the revelation about Tony's parents. But Steve's not sure if that's his story to tell, or if he has it in him to relive it right now. ]

[thunders]

[ It pains him to know that the rift between them has not been mended even now. He would never have imagined that he and Loki would begin to reconcile before the Avengers did. ]

Wanda is here. I met with her not long ago, but I've seen no sign of the others.

[ He suspects that they would have found him by now if they were here. Thor has no stake in this quarrel, but even if he did he would not see any of them come to harm.

He moves over to where Steve is sitting and puts a hand on his shoulder. ]

I'm sorry, my friend. You searched a long time for it to end so bitterly. How do you fare?

[assembles]

[ Wanda's here? Well, if there's Thor and Loki and Peter, why not her too? He's not sure how much she's shared with Thor given that the two only met briefly, but he appreciates the warning. ]

I'll make sure to track her down when I get the chance. Thanks.

[ She feels a bit like his responsibility, especially after how she was treated on the Raft.

Thor's concerned for him, and while Steve appreciates it, he's never been good at accepting this kind of thing. He doesn't nudge Thor's hand away, but he also doesn't know how to physically respond to it. So he just looks up instead, trying not to focus too much on the eyepatch. ]

We all made it through alive. That's what matters. What about you? You said something about a sister?

[thunders]

[ Thor frowns; it's clear from his expression that he doesn't quite believe that's all there is to it, but after a long moment he relents, giving Steve a firm pat on the shoulder in parting. He might be concerned for his friend, but it doesn't change the fact that they're trapped on a strange planet - it's best if they're on the same page as quickly as possible. He'll have plenty of time to talk to Steve later. ]

I did.

[ Thor settles on the bed, his gaze downcast. He's not told this tale to any as yet, and it takes him a moment to find the words for it. He's always been an animated storyteller, with no shortage of embellishment, but this one is too new, and he does not think to glorify its telling - not for Steve. ]

You've met my brother, Loki, the God of Mischief. [ The one who nearly leveled a city. ] My sister, Hela, was the Goddess of Death. She was my father's firstborn; his original, true heir. In ages past, they waged a bloody war of conquest together. I've told you of Asgard, and of the great golden halls of my home - I know now where the gold came from, along with every ounce of wealth and tale of glory. We took its weight in blood from all of the realms - all the worlds we claimed to protect.

[ It does not shame him to admit it - the lie he believed for so long is the greater shame. He thinks that Steve will understand watching something he believed in come apart. ]

Hela's lust for conquest was insatiable. It exceeded even my father's. After nine realms, he couldn't control her. He sent the Valkyrie - an elite force of warriors - against her, and it took nearly all of their lives to banish her to Hel. My father wiped every trace of her from our history. Then he re-wrote history. There was peace, as long as the Allfather lived.

[ He pauses there, cards his fingers back through his shorn hair. ]

[assembles]

[ The pat on his shoulder is strong and firm, practically shaking him out of his seat, though Steve isn't too thrown by it. That's simply how Thor is, and it's far more familiar than the downcast way that he settles on the bed or the quiet way he tells his story. It's a far cry from his usual tales, and that has Steve sitting up and tightening his jaw, his frown growing as the story unfolds.

Steve knows what it's like to have the rug pulled out from under you, and while what had happened with SHIELD and Hydra had completely undermined his place in the world and his purpose, it can't really be compared to what Thor describes.

His home, his family, everything he thought he'd known and understood, had all been a lie.

It sounds to Steve like Odin had hidden it all in the hopes that it would protect the realm and Thor himself, but that doesn't excuse it. Not when all of that glory and prosperity had been taken as pounds of flesh from other peoples.

There was peace, as long as the Allfather lived. Thor goes quiet then, and Steve doesn't have to guess why. A hollowness settles into his chest, as he knows what it's like to lose a parent. He remembers his mother's funeral with painful clarity even now. ]

As long as he lived.

[ It's a quiet prompting, a gentle nudge forward -- or as gentle as something like this can be, anyway. ]

[thunders]

[ Thor nods. He takes a slow breath. ]

Loki thought to addle our father's mind and play at being king for a while. By the time the spell was undone, Odin had no power left to sustain himself. He... When he passed, Hela returned.

[ Thor looks at his hands again, remembering the weight of Mjolnir the last time he held it. ]

She and her ambitions had not changed in all the years she was imprisoned. When we tried to stop her, she shattered Mjolnir with her bare hands, as if it was made of glass. I knew she would only become more powerful if we allowed her to go back to Asgard, but Loki - after seeing what she could do, he called on the gatekeeper to bring us home.

We fought on the journey, and Hela returned to Asgard while Loki and I were swept away to the planet of Sakaar.

I was... found by one of the Valkyrie. An actual Vaklyrie. [ Something like awe returns to his voice, and for a moment Thor indulges in the memory of something good. ] I found Banner, too. The Hulk was making a name for himself as a gladiator on Sakaar but after we fought and I won, he agreed to come with me. We even have a team name: the Revengers. I'm the team leader with that one, but you're welcome to join.

[ The joke falls a little flat. Thor hasn't looked up. ]

It took some work to find our way back to Asgard. Loki agreed to help us retrieve a ship that would withstand the journey, then after he betrayed me, I betrayed him and left him on Sakaar. [ He shrugs. ]

While we were so far afield, Heimdall had saved the key to the Bifrost, preventing Hela from leaving Asgard to enact her will. But Hela... with access to all of her power again, she raised an army of the dead to aid her. When I returned home... My friends, our armies, uncountable innocents - Hela had killed nearly all who stood against her. Heimdall protected the few he could reach.

[ Those that remain. It hits him anew every time. Thor swallows against the sudden thickness in his throat. ]

I'm sorry, this is not one of my best stories.

[assembles]

[ No, not one of Thor's best, if only because of how much loss is involved. Thor's father, his hammer, his people, ripped from him piece by piece. He'd found Bruce (something Steve would like to hear more about) and he'd cobbled a team of sorts together, but his evil long lost sister had also torn everything apart.

Steve's assuming that the haircut and the loss of his eye happens somewhere in this mess, but he isn't going to ask.

There's no shaking the pain of hearing Thor, usually the one in their team who could keep his spirits up no matter what, barely able to add anything to his tone when making a joke. Steve exhales through his nose and stands, moving to sit next to Thor on the bed. He isn't good at offering physical comfort, but maybe being there as a presence at Thor's side will be some small help. ]

Don't apologize. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you recount the whole thing in gory detail.

[ He gives Thor a pat on the thigh, not sure his support is going to come across. ]

Since you're here, I'm guessing you were able to stop her in the end.

[thunders]

[ Thor shakes his head. ] You've not made me do anything. You recounted your story - I will finish recounting mine.

[ The truth is that Steve's presence does help. It isn't just the quick flush of Chroma that comes from contact; he's always found it grounding.

Steve means his words to be encouraging, and Thor tries to take them as such. He sits up a little straighter and nods, but his gaze is still unfocused, seeing something far away. ]

We fought with everything we had. The other gladiators, and even Loki arrived to aid us - but it was not enough. Hela drew her power from Asgard itself. It didn't matter how powerful we all were, even together. We could not overpower her. I saw only one way to stop her.

I asked Loki to sneak into the vault and unleash a creature that would destroy our world.

[ He looks down at his hands again. There's a brief, faint flicker of blue beneath the skin of his palms, like lighting riding the breadth of a storm that has not yet broken. ] In the end, it was I who brought Ragnarok. It was better to see the end of my world than to let Hela's wrath bring war and death to all.

[ Thor takes another slow breath. ] We saved those we could and escaped the cataclysm. Some of my people yet remain. Asgard is alive where it matters - I must learn to let that be enough.

[assembles]

[ As if it couldn't get worse, Thor then explains that he'd been forced to make an impossible decision. He'd had to destroy Asgard, his own world, to keep Hela from doing far worse. If he hadn't, she likely would have carried on to conquer other realms, and countless more lives would have been lost in the process.

Even if it's on a much smaller scale, it reminds Steve of how he'd put his foot down when it came to SHIELD. It had been infested with Hydra for so long, the only option had been to burn it all down, no matter what Fury or anyone else had to say about it.

When Thor finishes, Steve nods slowly. There's only a few seconds of pause before he finds words. If nothing else, he's always been decent with those. ]

You had an incredibly hard choice to make, Thor, but you made it.

[ That's the sign of a good leader, of a worthy king.

In the next moment, Steve stands and turns to face Thor, extending his hand to help him up. While there might be hints of the pain he feels for his friend who'd lost so much, for the most part Steve's expression is that of unfaltering determination. Because when a friend of his is wavering, he's always ready to step in and make up the difference. ]

If you still have your people, then you still have a duty. It's up to us to get you back to them.

[ Once Thor's standing, Steve gives him another firm clap on the shoulder. ]

Let's go.

[thunders]

[ A part of him had expected criticism somehow. He could not think of how things could have been different, or what he could have done to stop it all from going the way it did, but that didn't mean he was spared of the guilt and sorrow for what he had done.

He respected the Captain; it meant something that he understood. He still had his people and his duty. His friends would fight at his side and see it done.

He lets Steve help him to his feet, and they go together. ]