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[prismods]

SHOOTING SHARK

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"Blue Oyster Cult - Shooting Shark" (Watch on YouTube)

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.

▶ Keep all Hands and Feet inside the Burning Vehicle at all Times
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and Outer Space | top

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 mix tequila with xanax 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. Eventually you’re called back from exploring, escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel that makes frequent trips back and forth between the moons and the planet. Faces onboard vary from both old and new Moonblessed as well as Prismal locals. The next destination: Prismatica.

A. After settling into the ship and selecting the current in-flight movie, Back Door Slugs 9, you and those around you may eventually feel a bit of turbulence during the movie’s highly anticipated climax. Did anyone notice it, or is everyone too focused on the hot characters?

At first, it’s a small jitter that’s easy to miss or brush off. But as the transport vessel travels on, the shaking progressively escalates to erratic tremors strong enough to cause severe nausea. A minute later, a voice over the speaker announces the ship will have to make an emergency landing, citing technical difficulties.

Sparks can be seen overhead as more ship parts malfunction. This is a good time to hold your neighbor’s hand, say your last goodbyes, and apologize for that horrible thing you did in the sixth grade. Grip your seat with the might of every god you can think of.

B. Another minute later, a follow-up announcement states that external entities have breached the transport vessel. Everyone is warned to be careful and watch out for each other. Small fires will have to be put out before they worsen with either magic or emergency equipment onboard such as extinguishers. In-flight robotic attendants will be scuttling around to perform immediate repairs.

Eventually, an entire power panel bursts, and prismatic jellyfish unnaturally spill out. The jellyfish will try to latch and suction onto any technological devices close by such as the television screens on the seats or communicators and will show preference to Iris Moonblessed over the rest. Be ready to help and pull numerous jellyfish off both the faces of Moonblessed and Prismals!

▶ Jaws IV: Jaws Harder
Planet Prismatica, Outer Lunatia | top

The emergency landing successfully completes and the transport vessel will safely land on top of a gorgeous lake filled with tiny glaciers floating by. When reached out and touched, you’ll find out that the “glaciers” are surprisingly cool crystals and not ice.

The ship will be left hovering idly on the water surface while passengers are ferried to solid ground using portable emergency boats. However, civilization is still a distance away.

A. You’ve probably heard of flying sharks from a veteran Moonblessed. But how about sea lions? These aquatic lions are born with scaly skin and gills outside of their crystallized manes. Unfortunately, they haven’t tasted fresh meat in quite some time. If there are any injured onboard or near your boat, the chances of the sea lions detecting people will be higher as they are drawn to the scent of blood. Growling hungrily, they will be quick to latch onto the boats, biting the edges, and trying to knock everyone overboard for dinner.

After surviving through so far, the Prismals guide everyone to a nearby encampment run by humanoid rabbits. They are tall, built, and have a habit of mentioning their virility an awkward amount of times. They are also generous and will share their game meat and fresh crops while allowing everyone to rest for the night at the only inn in their village.

B. There is no running water all the way out here, so if anyone wants a bath, they’ll have to do it traditionally. The village protects a natural spring, which is a good place to bathe away the sea water. Around the spring, the rabbit folk’s friends — little scintilla chinchillas — will shock away any predators that dare to approach their sanctuary! Be at ease and feel free to offer your friends shampoo massages.

The next day, the rabbits can be seen hacking away at some of the wilder-looking plants for an easier pathway. If you wake up early enough, you can ask some of them for a tour of the beautiful greenery. They mention that it’s thanks to the Moonblessed that their crops have been doing so well lately — the result of all the chroma influx. The rest of the journey to the city will be smooth sailing.





▶ It’s Free Real-Estate
Level 2, City of Lunatia | 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. After a quick tour of the city, new arrivals can find themselves getting cozy in their new homes.

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. A new high-end boutique, Prissy Polyp, has opened in Level 2. As compensation for what happened, both Moonblessed and Prismals that were affected in yesterday’s flight will receive 50% off their total purchase. Those unaffected will receive 30% discount coupons as a promotional gift. All are encouraged to visit with their friends or special someone, try on some things together, enjoy each other in the fitting rooms, and deal with the loud, ear-blistering background pop music.

Their clothing collections are characterized by bright iridescent designs, some features such as design patterns may glow ethereally in the dark. One of their signature dresses features a one piece (also available on their trench coats) that can amplify the appearance of one’s decolletage, gluteal muscles, and/or bulge with the press of a neon button. Another item among their collection is the maiden sweater: a sleek, backless sweater that shocks those who attempt unwanted touches. Others include skin-tight leggings (also available on their shorts or pants) which produce pleasant and relaxing vibrations on all lower extremities and fashionable polyp-shaped hats for all kinds of people. It’s a huge shop, you never know what else to find in there.

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

▶ IMPORTANT! By request, we've uploaded image samples for the Prissy Polyp clothing collections! Note these are merely samples for a visual guide and we will leave more selections to players.

▶ 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

[oceanthief]

[SHE WAS IN A MIRROR FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS LET HER LIVE]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. You don't seem like you've got a lot to show.

[by virtue of being human and thus kind of confusing and exceptionally bland. but Lapis doesn't realize this is kind of an important point to add context to what otherwise appears to be the world's most conversational insult, and instead tilts her head to the side in thought.

she's already moving on from the statement, trying to parse together something helpful for the guy. she knows firsthand how terrible it can be to find yourself alone and uncomfortable in a strange new place...the least you should be able to do is look at yourself without wanting to scream.]

Maybe you could layer some things? Two of the sweaters would probably work.

[like, one facing forward and one facing behind...maybe. was that fashion????]

[godcards]

[ He pauses, trying to process her advice because 1) it seemed like she was genuinely trying to help, which? why? 2) Two sweaters is a terrible idea and 3) she did actually have a point though. He'll just ignore that first part. ]

I can't say that I'd care for sweaters, but layering doesn't seem like such a bad idea. The only issue at that point is... well, the colors...

[ He puts the one shiny, shimmering top back and picks up another. Sure, it's purple, but it's a vibrant, neon purple. Less holes though. ]

It seems like too many colors would still draw attention to myself, and I am quite shy, so I don't need to be quite so noticeable.

[oceanthief]

[if you thought her last attempt at helpfulness, you'll love the immediately releasing sequel:]

You'd have to try a lot harder than this to be noticed.

[nice, Lapis. thank you for pushing yourself so far past your microscopic comfort zone and offering such genuinely reassuring words. Malik will be certain to cherish these for his entire stay on this planet.

she can understand his concern here though, even if she's not communicating it well. theming is important. if you were wearing the wrong colors then you simply didn't feel like yourself. and if he was trying to go for something understated, then...]

If you want something nice, go with blue.

[shocking. what a curveball that is.

moving away from her original table to a nearby rack, she pulls a vest away from its kin to hold up as an example of an acceptably 'muted' shade - for this store, at least. it's an iridescent, powdery 80s wet dream of a blue, but it is still blue. and a little less intense than the safety vest purple he's got in his hands right now.]

[godcards]

[ It's so tempting to fire back, to try and cover his fragile ego. On the flipside, it's actually kind of endearing. If this rando doesn't think he stands out, then that means he's successful in blending in. Which in turn... actually serves his frail, grandiose ego pretty well. YEAH HE'S AWESOME AT THIS, ISN'T HE??? ]

Alright. I suppose that'll do...

[ Purple is out, blue is in. He practically snatches the vest from her. Vests are nice, and hey, his undershirt is black and that goes with everything. So it's not as horrific as he thought a mere second ago. ]

...And you. If you're still struggling with pants, might I suggest something like these, instead?

[ "These" are some puffy, patterned leg warmers on a nearby display table. There's even a pair with electric blue zigzags. See? He can be helpful if he feels like it. ]

[oceanthief]

[you're the hide and seek champion, Malik. it's you.

if Lapis is supposed to take offense at having the item in her hands wrested from her without so much as a word, she doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. instead she looks up at him with a blank, unknowable expression as she takes in the new ensemble. eventually she nods solemnly, like he's just passed some sort of deeply important trial. yes, this is good. it matches the cargo pants perfectly.]

Something like..?

[the truth of the matter is that she hadn't actually come in here with the intent to buy anything, having worn the same outfit for thousands of years, but when her companion directs her attention over to the legwarmers she has to admit that she's intrigued. taking the blue set carefully from the table, as if they're liable to explode at any moment, she pulls them up and over her bare feet as if defusing a bomb. her legs are so slight, and her skirt so long, that all but the very bottom of the things are visible once she's got them on.

she loves them.]

How many do you think I'll need?

[because she's getting these and no one can stop her, not even her barely existent chroma count. she just needs to know the correct number for wearing? like, do you need a set for each part of your leg? are you supposed to pile them on into infinity?? important questions.]

[godcards]

Oh, I think you can get as many as you want... As long as you like them, that's the important part.

[ He smiles, trying to be as genuine as possible. It is hard. This is so, so unnatural. Evil grin? Yes. Friendly smile? No. ]

I bet you could even put them on your arms, if you wanted. See? Like mine.

[ He does not feel the least bit bad about leading her down this path, if it ultimately does pique her interest. He lifts and arm to better show off his glorious bangles, hoping to seem a bit more convincing that wearing leg warmers on your arms will be seen as completely normal and not at all worth mockery, simply because he equated them to bracelets. ]

[oceanthief]

I thought about that, but I wasn't sure if they'd get in the way or not.

[her water was controlled almost entirely by hand gestures, after all, and the last thing she needed was to have her arm get stuck on a stupid corner while trying to smash all of her problems out of existence. but she's already piling identical sets of legwarmers into her arms, even as she watches the bangles clink cheerily with something vaguely approaching faint interest.

what is she even going to do with all these legwarmers? she's only got the two arms and legs. even Lapis doesn't really know.]

...yours seem pretty noisy, too.

[but not in a bad way? at least not entirely. jury's still out on that one.]

[godcards]

Not as much as you'd think.

[ He shrugs, and places his arms back to his sides. The synth-laced bubblegum pop that's playing over the speakers help mask any jingling, whether it be his arm bands or earrings as he flips an errant stand of hair out of his face. ]

But that's just an added bonus of yours! They'll be entirely silent. Really, it seems like a good deal to me. I'd get some if I wasn't so committed to what I have now.

[oceanthief]

[god, please don't remind her of the music that's practically causing her tiny body to vibrate thanks to the volume. she's had to constantly remind herself of the absolutely insufferable return trip to earth that she took in order to keep from trying to find and destroy whatever was broadcasting this. seriously, how much oontz-ing did you really need?]

Are you sure? They're pretty stretchy. I bet you could get them over the top if you really tried.

[this is the bad place you've walked yourself into, Malik. now you have to not only imagine the horror of lumpy legwarmers on your arms, but you're having a pair pressed into your hands right now by an alien girl who looks disturbingly blase about the whole thing for how insistently she's handing over one of the many pairs from her stash.]

[godcards]

Ah.. I'm not really interested in trying.

[ He simply shoves them back, more forceful. ]

Besides, these are blue. That's your color. I'm already getting this blue vest, and I don't want to overdo it.

[oceanthief]

[she shoves back at him, not out of any real interest in continuing this encounter, but out of habit. what else are you supposed to do, stop?]

They come in different colors. [just to, like, point it out.] But it's not like you can have too much blue.

[she might not care about the leg-arm-warmers despite her previous actions, but the idea of there being a thing as too much blue is almost enough to stir her emotions up to something beyond lukewarm.]

[godcards]

[ Oh no. Look at these perpetual stubborn dinguses. Because you think Malik is a quitter? You think he's going to give in just like that? Nah man. He's pushing them right back. ]

That doesn't change the fact that I am not interested in copying your choice of dress.

[ He can feel his temper starting to bubble, not unlike the roiling boiling sound you can hear in a kettle before it starts to scream. ]

[oceanthief]

[dude what the hell, if you don't stop then she can't stop either. because guess what, she's totally pushing them again despite the fact that they aren't even talking about this anymore??]

You couldn't even if you wanted to.

[this is probably the worst time for one of those contextless not-insults, but here we are all the same. Lapis only means that he can't copy her given the fact that 90% of her outfit is unique to her rather than this boutique, but even with her baffled expression that's probably not going to come through very clearly, if at all.]

[godcards]

[ Gem physiology, hard light-- concepts beyond Malik's comprehension, at least with his very limited education. Honestly, it's kind of amazing that he can comprehend he's on another planet right now, but that's what happens when you live quite literally under a rock during your formative years. ]

Then there isn't a problem, now is there?

[ S h o v e s them back. ]

You can let me be me, and you get to be you.

[oceanthief]

[to be fair, the furries are a big tip-off.]

Exactly. As much as that matters.

[because, not to get all depressive on a total stranger, but hahahaha would she love to have the capability to be anyone aside from herself. even when mixing with another person her essence had created something large and monstrous.

and monstrously stubborn, because guess what? even as she's agreeing with him she's shoving those legwarmers right back at him.]

[godcards]

[ Considering the animal headed portrayals of egyptian gods and Malik's weird divine boner for Ra, the furries are absolutely not the weirdest thing. He plays a card game with furries in it. It's fine. ]

Then you should give up, because I'm not going to wear these.

[ Big mood though, if only he knew. While he does have big ego, it's easily bruised, and he'd rather bluster about being obnoxious and controlling than deal with his real person feelings, which are surprisingly relatable to someone who is not a human.

And yes, he is still going to shove them back. Because he must Win. ]

[oceanthief]

[GOD were these in the original anime I feel like I've blocked them]

Then why aren't you stopping?

[hey man, she gets it. or she would if this were happening outside of bracket monologing instead of the clusterfuck of stupidity they've cooked up in reality. if you talk about your feelings then you realize they're never going away and that's how they get you.

speaking of not going away...there's a definite note of irritation creeping into Lapis' voice, as if she's finally started to realize just how idiotic this whole thing is, and yet she's still pushing them back into his hands. what the fuck, you dipshit.]

[godcards]

[ THANKFULLY NO. original was mostly dragons. Dragons everywhere. ]

Because--

[ Because. He doesn't have an actual reason, other than wanting to prove his own non-point by "winning." He wants to get his way. It doesn't even matter if it's over the pettiest, most inconsequential thing. Except that gets him to think, along with the irritation edging into her voice. ]

You know what? It doesn't actually matter anymore.

[ So he takes the leg warmers

and chucks them haphazardly over several racks of clothes. ]

[oceanthief]

[and toon world.......

it never actually mattered, but Lapis is willing to believe that it may have once considering how deep she's gotten herself in here. humans were weird like that, she thinks as if she hadn't started this entire stupid thing. they always clung to strange things.]

...good.

[good?? she'd just watched the legwarmers she'd fought so hard to get into his hands fly over the lanes of gaudy clothes and her only response was 'good'? who the fuck felt any sort of satisfaction over that kind of thing?

the answer, apparently, is Lapis, as her expression smooths out from dangerously close to genuine annoyance and back into its placid blandness. that it sounds like one or both of the accessories have hit a wayward employee hidden from sight by those racks also doesn't seem to bother her, or even register as something to bring up in this conversation at all.]

That was starting to get stupid.

[godcards]

You started it.

[ Immediately has to turn any responsibility away from himself, of course. He mirror's Lapis' expression, although it takes him a second to truly wind himself down. Annoyance didn't even begin to describe the surge of emotions that were pressing against his better judgement. Emotions are gross, and a temper tantrum would have been a disaster - destroying what little facade he still had left intact. ]

[oceanthief]

Does that keep you from stopping it?

[this is a weirdly philosophical question to be posed by someone who was still holding a plethora of ugly legwarmers in their arms. Lapis doesn't seem to understand the weight of it - or perhaps she does this time. there's something sharp in her gaze now despite the placid expression, faintly curious and searching.]

[godcards]

[ Okay woah woah woah too far too far. His eyebrows raise, a clear indicator that this question got to him, despite the fact that emoting properly is still too difficult.

He avoids looking at her directly. ]

It was not my fault and therefor not my responsibility to stop it.

[ He says this more like he's trying to convince himself instead of directly answer the question. ]

[oceanthief]

But it bothered you.

[or so she can assume from the limited number of cues she's actually capable of picking up on. and while Lapis is definitely entering "doesn't practice what they preach" territory by pursuing this curiosity, she can't help but wonder...]

Isn't it your responsibility to feel good?

[to take your circumstances and do something about that which pulled you down. that's what she'd been told by a dear friend, anyway.]

[godcards]

[ He doesn't seem to like that. If only his soul could visibly recoil, that's probably what would happen instead of - gross - having to think about his feelings, and specifically how he feels about that question. ]

There are things I must do first. Surely, you understand that?

[ Because it is ultimately his end goal, but he has way too much baggage to simply give up and let go. It's not something a little murder won't solve, if he ever gets off this planet. ]

[oceanthief]

[he doesn't like that, but who does? the world is full of awful things, and the fact that she's somehow managed to escape from earth's clutching grasp at last hasn't changed Lapis' perspective on that. there are still humans here, which means that their awful, loathsome planet is still waiting somewhere in the peaceful vacuum of space. she simply can't bring herself to believe that her freedom is permanent.

and so she nods, expression deeply solemn once more. to be happy was your own responsibility, but you couldn't run away from your fate. sooner or later it always caught up to you.]

Just be careful. Otherwise they'll start to pile up until you can never stop.