▶ TDM .005

[prismods]

Remember Summer Days

QUICK LINKS ⬤ navigation ⬤ faq ⬤ world ⬤ moonblessings

"Anri 杏里 [1983] [Timely] - 11 Remember Summer Days" (Watch on YouTube)

▶ Fox and Friends
Moon Iris; Lunar Scientia, Lunatia | 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 think grocery store sushi was a good idea? — 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 gives 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. Eventually you’re called back from exploring, escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel. Destination: Prismatica.

a.) An envoy of Prismals with fox-like traits is currently visiting Prismatica to meet with the Queen. Their kind was so awed by tales of the Moonblessed that they have gathered to greet all of them with a ritual dance of their people. They also offer to teach the Moonblessed an amazing trick — with a wink!

Flowing robes follow their delicate bodies as they perform a passionate series of steps and acrobatics with their paper fans. Early in the performance, they peek above their open fans and wink at their audience. At that moment, your limbs are suddenly enchanted with exceptional grace. Couldn’t put your leg behind your head before? Had trouble doing a split? Well, now you can perform these flexible feats and more. The fox Prismals will be inviting the Moonblessed to join them so they can attempt to feel their invigorating chroma against their bodies.

b.) The dexterity spell the fox Prismals cast is one of many a fox has in their repertoire of charms and curses. It can be very useful for making a quick escape! While the older fox Prismals teach this spell to the interested Moonblessed (read: teach them how to wink and use chroma at the same time), you can explore the city with the younger fox Prismals.

A delicious drink called bubbly tea is very popular among teenagers in Lunatia right now! Unfortunately, defective apricot pearls inside may cause you to float a few feet in the air. This effect goes away as soon as the affected pass the pearls at a bathroom, but getting there will be an adventure. Maybe you Moonblessed have abilities that can get rid of the effect? The fox Prismals don’t have a spell to cure this...

Help the affected young fox Prismals get to a bathroom and they will teach you another spell: simply place a finger over your lips, and no one else but your friends can listen in on your secret conversations!

▶ Crab ‘n Go Menu
Lunatia | top

Several tents decorated with streamers, shells, and pearls have been set up along the shorelines of Level 2. A giant clam mascot tells you that hey, hey, hey! There’s a beach festival happening tonight! It will be full of fun activities, and anybody who is anybody will be there. The Prismals involved are inviting people all around Levels 1 and 2. Bathing suits will be provided to all participating festival-goers. What are they celebrating? Who knows. Maybe Prismals just want to have a good time! Hey, hey, hey!

a.) One of Lunatia’s favorite beach party games is “Find the King Crab.” King crabs have a golden belly and are hidden among other disgruntled crabs. Protip: king crabs are often found in the center of large clusters of crabs. Be careful while flipping them; they are very eager to clip anything that comes near their nest! Be the first to find a king crab and claim the grand prize —- an all-you-can-eat buffet for four at a King Crab Sandcastle, a high-end seaside seafood restaurant. You now get to exact vengeance on these crabs by eating as many as you please.

b.) There’s an educational tent promoting the soothing pastime of conch listening. Glossy conchs of various shapes and sizes can be found on the tables. Some special ones are said to link to one’s innermost self. Special conchs are encrusted with tiny glistening gems, making them easy to spot in the sunlight. Pressing them to your ear will draw forth the sound of someone’s voice — be it yours or someone familiar. Depending on the listener’s mood, the sound of the voice will range from peaceful singing to blood-curdling screams.

c.) Another tent is dedicated to scuba diving. You can either rent out a special set of nodes which are worn on either side of your neck to replicate the function of gills, allowing you to breathe safely beneath the water, or traditional scuba diving gear since some Prismals like the challenge! Explore Lunatia’s vast undersea world and bear witness to its wonders, such as its crystalline corals and tropical fish, a myriad of species unique to Prismatica. A few of these species are the rainbow seahorses carrying newborns in their pouches and greater clownfishes that can’t seem to find their offspring. Venture further under and you will eventually find aquatic bears with scaled bodies that seem to be very territorial over their habitat and hoard of delicious (?) sea honey. As they often say, don’t poke the bear…

As the festival winds down, some Prismals can be seen dancing and eating by the campfire. Everyone is welcome to relax and watch a nice fireworks show by the pier while a local band known as the Briny Seamen plays a compilation of their greatest hits. Expect an uncomfortable amount of marimba solos!



▶ Some Assembly Required
LEVEL 2, LUNATIA | top

Once you’ve been all crabbed out for the day, you can finally settle in your new home in Level 2:

a.) Find new roommates and say hello to your neighbors! City officials will give you directions to the designated districts across Level 2 and instruct you to pick out a unit. Each apartment complex has a different aesthetic, some may look cozy, some stylish, and some bizarre. The free accommodations have a basic living space that can only fit two or three people at most in one unit.

Starter Chromaspace furnishings are provided which can be controlled with the touch of a built-in panel. Examples are color-changing curtains, transforming sofa beds, cabinets turning into tables, etc. Customizing your apartment or moving out will have to wait until you earn more chroma. Until then, why don’t you check out your new neighborhood or explore the city levels? Maybe your new roommates or neighbors can give you a “hand” with allowance for dinner.

b.) All Moonblessed new and old receive a frazzled email from their favorite Moon Knight, Fahrouk. He was involved in Obscuria’s Glow affair, resulting in both him and his daughter becoming new unofficial Moonblessed Community Ambassadors.

Officer Fahrouk

Subject: MOONBLESSED THERE’S A SALE AT KRABBA!!

To my heroes and my greatest inspiration,

New arrivals, welcome! Old friends, hello! I hope all of you are doing well.

I am writing to let you know there is a sale at KRABBA, Lunatia’s most popular flat-packed furniture store. All crab-themed decors are 50% off!

Here is a picture of my daughter with her new KRABBA shelf. Now we can display our Moonblessed bromides with joy and pride! We had so much fun putting it together and hope you do too.

Here’s a big bear hug from us both! We also attached directions to KRABBA. Happy shopping!

Love,
Fahrouk and Hala

True enough, attached is a picture of him and his daughter standing in front of some newly assembled furniture as well as a map to the KRABBA store in Level 2.

Also true is the sale at KRABBA! The prices are affordable, but the crab-themed items are especially cheap and ready to brighten anyone’s day. Among the notable items in stock are a sea shell-shaped loveseat called Havsskal, a foamy green kitchen table named Tång, and a bed named Havsbotten that somehow resembles the sandy sea floor. Please do not lie down on the beds! The staff have been made to wear crab-themed outfits and will not hesitate to use those claws to get people in line.

After paying at the cashier for your items, feel free to order some of KRABBA’s signature meat (?) balls with Moonberry sauce. You deserve a break!

▶ Questions

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

▶ As a reminder, test drive memes are for new characters only. However, current players are more than welcome to use these prompts for their own posts in the IC communities, personal inboxes, catch-all posts, etc.!
▶ As our test drive memes are game canon, feel free to keep any threads that happen here as canon for your character should they be accepted.

Comments

Ganondorf | Legend of Zelda

[centrum_malitiae]

A

[He's not actually playing the party game. He's... usually not much for games, at least not ones that don't begin with 'war'. He is, however, bored. Had this been home, well... first of all, he'd be nowhere near a beach. There were things that demanded his attention that were a little more important than dealing with more sand and more sun, regardless of the proximity to the ocean.

Perhaps he'd strayed too close to a cluster. Perhaps he'd just gotten peckish. It was hard to tell precisely what it was that made him choose to spend his time like this, but at it's core, this was bored.

There's the scent of burnt crab here and there, small patches of sand melted into glass in sections, the water hissing as it broke over it. As far as crabbing went, flinging bolts of super heated magic at passing crabs was perhaps a touch unorthodox, but in the grand scheme of things, perhaps it was better that he fry some crabs, rather than some locals. He'd seen flashes of the King Crabs as well, and it's become rather obvious he's invented his own variation of 'find the king crab.'

Maybe you could convince him to help you! Or, at the very least, convince him to hold off on zapping crustaceans long enough for you to grab the crab.

Good luck.]

B

Move.

[Been standing in the sun for too long right there, maybe? Probably. Maybe you only paused for a moment or two, really it wouldn't have taken very long for the shadow that fell on him to start getting on his nerves.

It'd be pretty hard to miss him, now that he'd spoken, it wasn't as if the man was subtle. Neither in his voice, nor his appearance. Even sitting, there was a good chance the top of his head might still reach the shoulders of someone standing near him.

And no, he doesn't look very cheerful, that amber colored glare looking about as friendly and welcoming as an approaching hurricane.]

I'm not asking again.

B

[inmemoriae]

[She had been ready to turn and simply tell someone off for being so rude. That is exactly what she would have done had it not been for the energy radiating off the man that greeted her as soon as she had whipped around to face him, her stern expression quickly turning to one of shock.

She knew that energy, even if there was some minor difference to be sure. And to be certain they Calamity had not been a man upon their meeting...but it had once been and certainly could be again. Still...]

It...it can't be.

[centrum_malitiae]

[He didn't know yet, what would eventually become of him, or rather better put, what he'd become. He'd not met her, specifically, not yet. He'd not spent those one hundred years straining against her power, or at least that seething mass of magic and malice that he'd eventually become had not. Not yet.

But it didn't matter in the long run, he still knew who she was, the feeling of her was unmistakable, even if her face and her voice was not exactly alike.

And her reaction was... The thunderous expression on his face changed, a sharp, unpleasant grin taking its place within the blink of an eye.

Her reaction was interesting.]

Why... you look as if you've seen a ghost, princess.

[He knew her.]

[inmemoriae]

[She had no doubts about who he was, but if she had that reaction--that unsettling grin--would have confirmed her suspicions. And he knew her. That fact was no surprise. It seemed even here they would be linked it some way.

He was likely hoping to intimidate her,something she could not allow to happen. It is with a deep breath that she manages to regain her calm, the fear and surprise on her face turning to steely resolve.]

I wasn't aware monsters could have ghosts.

[centrum_malitiae]

[Oh but he'd seen it, no matter how short the emotion had been visible on her face. He'd seen it, and no one swallowed their fear that fast. That he was sure of.

Her reply only coaxed a deep, rolling chuckle from him, as he braced a hand upon his knee, and pushed himself upwards. He'd tower over her, the heavy plate armor clinking and rattling with every movement, the fissure where the sage's sword pierced his breastplate still glimmering white.]

An admirable display of bravado, a shame that's all it is. Rather foolish for the bearer of the triforce of wisdom, don't you think?

[inmemoriae]

[The laughter itself was unsettling, but it was only made worse as he came to his full height and dwarfed her by comparison. If he chose to attack, she wouldn't stand much chance--sealing power or not. Still, she squares her shoulders and looks up (and up and up) at him, stern expression firmly in place. She had allowed him a glimpse of weakness, but no more.]

I find it rather foolish to think that is all it is. I managed to hold my own for a hundred years, I am not afraid of you.

B.

[shivvymetimbers]

Move?

[Bastien squints as he glares at this moody green ginger.]

How about you move first, mate?

[Listen, Bastien doesn't want to pick a fight but he will if need be. He's a pirate and pirates don't exactly fight fair even on a good day. However, he doubts he can handle this big guy on his own. That much is certain since this bloke has several feet on him. Bastien is average height at best but he's scrawny as all hell.

Life upon the high seas is rough, you know.]

What's your problem, eh? A crab crawled up your arse?

Re: B.

[centrum_malitiae]

[Oh. Good.

A smelly pirate. His expression is flat, no real reaction to the insult. Well, you don't just lose your temper every time an insect buzzes in your face, after all. That's just silly.]

I said, I'm not asking again.

[Punctuated this time by a faint crackle of energy, lancing over and across the multitude of jewelry he wore, threading through the crown and grounding out at his fingertips.]

[shivvymetimbers]

[Hey, hey! He's not smelly---No, wait. Bastien might smell a little fisher than usual after taking a dip in the water but he's not that stinky.]

What a lofty tone! [Bastien places his hand upon his hips and scoffs.] Think of yourself as some big fancy feller, eh?

Well guess what? You're not so fancy! I seen old bitties fancier than the likes of you.

[The pirate lets out an annoyed growl. Should he move? Probably but since when does he follow his common sense?]

Alright, alright! I'll move.

[He says before inching two steps towards the right.]

How about this, your maaaaajesty?

[He's being an arse right about now.]

B.

[reposing]

[The man before him is enormous. Tall enough that he almost thinks for a fraction of a second that Dracula had been so tall as well, so imposing.

But this is just a stranger, and Alucard reacts as such with a bland voice.]

You didn't ask to begin with.

So perhaps start there.

[centrum_malitiae]

[Oh really? A brow quirked, the response he got here not being one he typically received, after all.

... That was almost interesting.]

Then I'm not asking at all.

Move now.

[This wasn't precisely the way one won hearts and made friends, but then, diplomacy had never really been his forte.]

[reposing]

Hm. I see.

[Alucard averts his gaze, as if he's finding his own nails to be far more interesting than this man. It's petty as hell, but he's doing this anyway.]

No, I don't think I will. Though you do seem to have quite the commanding voice for such demands, don't you?

[centrum_malitiae]

[No one out-petties Ganondorf.

The double helping of a lack of interest and a lack of respect is both infuriating and... frankly, interesting. Interesting enough to convince him to actually get up, anyone who's going to so blatantly disrespect him must have something going for them.]

Not easily cowed, I see. What a fascinating deviation.

[reposing]

Your stature and tone likely allow you plenty to have your way.

[But no, Alucard is not one to buckle so easily. He draws his eyes up to the man.]

Nor do I intend to entertain you, stranger.

A

[foolishjustice]

[Well, that's one way to do it. Akechi looks at the dead crabs on the cooling glass with an expression that says 'lunch'.]

I was debating if it would be worth the Chroma to do that, myself.

Re: A

[centrum_malitiae]

[To be fair, he'd been warned about using up Chroma. He was aware it wasn't unlimited.

But then again, leave it to him to assume that even while he might not have unlimited magic, it was still more than everyone else. Surely. Certainly. He paused, another small charge crackling at his fingertips, as the stranger spoke]

What you spend, you can gain back. Why not use what you've been given? It's yours now, is it not?

B

[forcecaptainorientation]

[Scorpia yelps outright at the first word, the followup not even needed as she leaps out of the way and raises her pincer in a firm salute. She stands firm at attention, scorpion tail raised at the ready but not as a threat, rather in preparation of action.]

Y-yessir!

[It takes her a second to realize that she's never met this man before in her life but damned if he doesn't have the presence of a Horde Force Captain. Maybe even something on par with Shadow Weaver or even Hordak himself! Her eyes narrow and lips purse, cheeks flexing as she does the mental math debating if it's worth asking who he is or not. She doesn't want to offend a superior officer after just arriving here.]

[centrum_malitiae]

[Sir. Well that's a new word here, no one's called him sir yet. At least, not in any formal capacity like that. Now isn't that nice? Just nice enough to lessen the intensity of that hateful glare, now more replaced by a mixture of curiosity and contentment. She even reacted like she'd been spoken to like this before.

Very interesting.]

What a sharp reaction. Familiar with taking orders, are we?

[forcecaptainorientation]

[A good soldier like Scorpia knows how to stand at attention as long as is needed but there's something...heavy, piercing even about Ganondorf's attention. He's definitely some rank above Force Captain, whatever that might be.]

Yessir, I've been a proud soldier of the Horde for as long as I've been able to serve.

[centrum_malitiae]

[And what manner of being was she? Not comparable to anything he'd seen in Hyrule, that was for certain. He'd grown accustomed to the idea of seeing sights and people that were far, far outside the norm at this point, but it certainly didn't make it any less fascinating.

Were those pincers? A stinger? Very nice, he approves.]

I've never heard of this 'Horde' before.

[The tone wasn't dismissive by a long run, rather vaguely interested. He'd not spoken yet with anyone else well accustomed to war here, not yet he was certain.]

I assume an army from a similarly far flung world, then, as everyone else?

[forcecaptainorientation]

Huh? Really? I mean, they've taken control of most of the world. And those who aren't are usually fighting against us...

[She frowns in a thoughtful pose, though stroking one's chin with a pincer seems a bit odd to look at. She makes it work though.

But then she blinks and looks up at him with a touch of confusion.]

"Far flung world"? What do you mean by that?

[She remembers Entrapta talking about something like 'other worlds' recently but didn't know what she meant by that.]

A

[profanation]

Well, it's as they say.

[ Ardyn, who was dressed in usual multitude of layers despite the heat, was looking down at the carnage that was being unleashed as if he were watching something mildly unusual happen in a rock pool. He tapped one of the glass puddles with the toe of his far-too-heavy-for-the-weather boot, raising his eyebrows and giving an impressed hum at the smooth surface.

Looking back up, he caught the eye of the positively giant man, and smiled. ]

'There's no kill like overkill!'

[ That part of him that had absorbed Ifrit and established their link together was all but thrumming with a desire to add to the blazing heat. Ardyn might even had considered it, had Ifrit been more than a couple of inches in height here. As it was, he just held his hand out to the man. ]

A newcomer, are you? They do like setting up these little soirees around the start of the month.

[centrum_malitiae]

[At least someone here could appreciate a good show. He wouldn't be able to comment on Ardyn's heavy clothing. After all, he himself was dressed in pitch black armor, not exactly balmy beach bum attire here.]

I won't be crawling through the sand for anything, much less crabs.

[He wouldn't even be doing this if he wasn't such a Petty Patty. The glass puddle cracked, and delicately broke apart like ice under Ardyn's boot. That can't be safe, too bad Ganondorf isn't that concerned about the other barefoot beach goers here.

Keeping in line with that, he is going to be enough of a dick to not shake someone's hand when offered, we are so sorry, Ardyn. He barely even looks at it.]

A kind term for captive, but yes.

[BITTER? ABOUT BEING DRAGGED HERE? HIM? NEVER.]

If all events are this dull, I'll be forced to start making my own fun.

[profanation]

[ At least Ardyn had absolutely no hard feelings towards being snubbed. If anything, the exaggerated way that he looked down at his own ignored hand, and then the smile and the roll of his eyes as he lowered it, made it clear that he found it more amusing that insulting. ]

'Captive' is such a terrible term. It has very meaningful connotations, and one does have to be careful about the power they give certain words. [ That made it sound like he didn't agree with the man. Nothing could be further than the truth: Ardyn felt caught here. He was itchy and restless. There was something he had to do in Eos, and coming here and having to play nice was an ignominy he didn't want to bear.

But he would bear it, because there was no point going back before Noctis was ready, was there? There was nothing there for him either, until that time was right.

Still, that was a lot of thought for something he wasn't going to share with anyone, let alone a newcomer. Or captive, if he preferred. ]

But, well, you might have been more pleased with the last get together we had. There was a tournament if I remember rightly.

[centrum_malitiae]

[He smiles, though the expression isn't pleasant. More akin to a feral bearing of teeth, vicious and sharp, only barely toeing the line of a civil expression.]

And what better word to use to stoke the flames of outrage, than to insinuate you've been captured and held against your will? To soften the language is to allow yourself to become complacent, and I'll do, nor be, no such thing.

[Hatred and anger was after all, a near constant state of being for him, anything else would feel odd.

A tournament and I missed it? What a shame. Was it anything of interest or was it still along the lines of these soft, stupid games we've been given now?

[Yes he's half convinced it was something like a pillow fight free for all or a water balloon battle, this place is dumb and he hates it.]