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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

[besainted]

[ One line was all it took, he'd already pinned this stranger for courteous and good natured. It's always nice to be right. Damian's apologetic smile sinks back into a neutral politeness as those fascinating hands disappear below the water. ]

Sure, true enough. You can never really be sure what everyone's personal policy on it's going to be, though. From the sound of it, we're from all kinds of places.

[ He'd been approaching, but pauses now, next to Nikolai's clothing. He drops a curious look at it, more open and obvious than his first sweeping notice. ]

Speaking of -- are these yours? [ He drops to a crouch, reaching an admiring hand to pluck up the corner of a sleeve. ] I don't think I've ever seen anything like them.

[reznikolai]

[At the top of the neat pile of clothing he has left beside the spring sits a blue jacket, cut from fine cloth and structured in a military style. Spread across its breast, stitched in gold thread, are the glimmering wings of a pair of eagles. One clutches a scepter in its claws, the other a parcel of arrows.]

Well, they are custom made.

[Not haughty, but jovial. A joke, although the truth as well. Privately, he thinks he will invest in clothes that are not so conspicuously royal. He isn't sure what good it will do to play the part of a countryless king here.]

You must have an eye for the finer things, then?

[The man's suit is the sort that might belong to a prominent Kerch mercher. Or perhaps a Barrel boss, one or the other.]

[besainted]

[ They're even finer, than originally thought, he realizes, as an curious once-over turns into a thorough investigation. Hand-stitched, with a care he's frankly never seen in a garment before. Even the finest clothing of his world is still machine-made. And the symbols ... they could mean anything, he'll grant, but a scepter certainly implies something to do with royalty.

He's all smiles as he lets the cloth fall back into its folded pile, barely disturbed. ]

I like to think I do!

[ He closes the distance to the lip of the springs, only there finally starting to disrobe. He takes a slow care with his suit jacket, matching pants, neat tie, spotless shoes -- when you wear nearly all white, everything has to be done carefully. ]

I can't say I've ever had the budget for that kind of thing, though. You must be pretty good at whatever it is you do.

[reznikolai]

[Now, it doesn’t escape him that in inspecting the jacket so closely, the stranger must pick up on the apparent symbolism of the scepter. But his demeanor is friendly, not obsequious, for which Nikolai can be grateful. Moreover, there is little to gain from currying favor with a king severed from his power.

As the stranger disrobes, Nikolai politely averts his eyes, and takes the opportunity to finish scrubbing at his chest.]

I do a great many things, and fortunately I’ve gotten quite good at all of them.

[With the exception, perhaps, of nailing down a woman to take for his queen. And managing the monster within him that claws out of hibernation at night.]

You mustn’t sell yourself short, though. Not every man can afford a tailor as skilled as you seem to have found.

[He says this to be polite, of course, but another thing he is good at is sounding genuine whenever it serves him.]

[besainted]

[ Whoever this man is, he's no braggart. Damian can appreciate that on some level, but on a more practical one, it's annoying. Prideful men are always the easiest to get a handle on, endear one's self to. The thought casts not so much as a passing shadow over his face though, as he shrugs out of his clothing. ]

That's kind of you -- but in my experience this is just a matter of priorities. Anyone can dress well, if it's important to them.

[ Which it clearly is, from the way he hangs the jacket, pants, and dress shirt draped over a tree branch. The rest is folded neatly on the ground, and Damian is quick to hustle himself into the water. Not quite so quick that he doesn't, for a moment, show off the tapestry of scars of his body. Some old, some new, some faint, some looking like they once might have been quite severe, all scattered with no apparent pattern.

Once he's chest-deep in water and looking very content for it, he leans to offer out a hand for a shake. ]

Damian Saint Lorrant.

[ Let's see that hand again, buddy. ]

[reznikolai]

[The kind of man who finds it important to dress well is almost certainly the same kind of man who curates his image in what likeness he pleases. What he presents to others is meticulously chosen. Nikolai understands all too well the drive to impress. Being the second born son was already a fetter, and being purportedly illegitimate at that was more weight he had needed to shed.

He hears the splash of water as Damian slips into the water and sinks lower. From the corner of his eye he catches the litany of scars scattered over the man's skin — which is not what he had expected to find beneath that pristine white suit. He cannot help but wonder how such a gruesome tapestry came to be, but has little time to contemplate this further before a hand is offered to him.

The social circles he runs in tend not to be of the handshaking sort. A kiss brushed to the knuckles, a bow, a moi tsar, are more often aimed his way. But he had spent plenty of time in Ketterdam too, a city full of deal-makers. (Although, this is certainly the first time he's been naked during all this.) He returns the shake with a politely firm grip.]

Nikolai Lanstov. A pleasure. I can't recall the last time I made an acquaintance while in the bath.

[How rarely he has to introduce himself, too. So many new experiences in one day...

Underneath the grin, he remains, of course, uncomfortably conscious of his hand and the scars it bears. Each fingertip is seamed with a dark ridge of damaged tissue, as if something had split them open. The veins show nearly black through the skin, a stain which seeps down his wrists. The handshake is brief, and his hand drops back into the water at once.]