prismaticrap | ▶ TDM .008

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!tdm

▶ TDM .008

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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? Is sexorcism a legitimate profession? — 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 transportation, you may freely roam around the government center.

▶ When There’s Something Strange in the Neighborhood
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and The Glory, Tower of Whispers | top

After the Viergean invasion weeks ago, the Iris government center has been repaired! The staff is hard at work now that the Iris moon base is fully operational once again. Many of them are still recovering from the attack, but they still managed to prepare something special for the Moonblessed. They happily declare the results of their research and compiled excavation efforts from the Glory, all of which are available to view at the Tower of Whispers. The tower is the largest and most well-preserved locations from the excavations, composed of spiral staircases and seashell designs. Its walls and columns filled from top to bottom with shelves upon shelves of old-world scrolls containing information about ancient Prismals. Little is known about the language used here, so like the machine translations of the Glory’s ruins, the texts remain largely indecipherable.

The Prismals warn the Moonblessed that the tower is haunted; they say if you close your eyes and listen to the silence of the tower, you will hear whispers of the ancients, unintelligible to Moonblessed and Prismal alike… For those daring enough to explore, you sense something amiss. A shiver runs down the back of your neck. A chill passes through your spine. Good thing you have the Lunar Scientia’s librarian droids to keep you company —- they will watch over and protect the archives, quick to ward off any theft or anyone mishandling the ancient scrolls.

As you peer into the scrolls, you find crude drawings in place of where you would expect ancient writings. There are illustrations of a three-headed dragon, a giant boar wearing a crown, a seraphim clad in a lion mask, a naked woman covered in snakes, a basilisk skewered by multiple boat masts, a sleeping one-eyed giant, and a beautiful satyr with flowing, flaxen locks.

A Stare at the contents of the scrolls long enough and the illustrations will soon transform on the parchment. The dragon may start breathing fire, the seraphim’s closed mouth might open and scream, and the basilisk might even start bleeding past the margins… But once you blink or look away, it’s as if nothing ever happened. On some pages, readers may find a disturbing ocular symbol fading in and out. “I told you this place was haunted!” you overhear some of the staff say. Other staff members mention seeing white figures and feeling something cold touching their heads or shoulders. Too spooky.

B After staying in the tower for a while, you might find yourself behaving a bit strangely. You’ll have the urge to knock scrolls to the ground, pull down the pants and skirts of neighboring Moonblessed or Prismals, kick over librarian droids, and generally cause chaos. You don’t know what’s making you do this, but you swear that you’re innocent. The librarian droids will be having none of this! They will send everyone out of the tower to be horrible geese somewhere else. These urges will continue for about an hour, so make sure you don’t steal someone’s lunch, sneak into rooms you shouldn’t be in, or do anything that will get you on TV!

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. The passengers on board include both old and new Moonblessed as well as Prismals. The next destination: Prismatica.

▶ Hail Hydra
Planet Prismatica, 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 Settle in your new home at Level 2 to 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 As part of the maintenance done after the invasion, broken public toilets were upgraded to what Lunar Scientia calls the Raging Hydra 5000, fresh from the factory and ready for use. Aside from its reliable auto-flushing and sanitizing features, these toilets are equipped with a vigorous pair of hydraulic AI-powered snakeheads that will sprout outwards from inside the water tank to give you a cleansing spray with a delightful little encouraging slap on the bottom at the end. They’re capable of intimate massages too should you ask nicely.

Designed to discourage poor eating habits, the AI will also give you unwarranted comments about your dietary intake. Its voice is reminiscent of the shrill nagging of a caretaker. One can simply walk by the public restrooms to overhear their incessant screeching. Some AIs may even go so far as to complain about your grades, your job, or how you never spend time at home anymore...

If you are impressed with the Raging Hydra 5000, you may purchase them at KRABBA: Lunatia’s most popular flat-packed furniture store! Local Lunatian testimonies mention feeling as fresh and new as the day they were born! You’re encouraged to submit feedback before you leave the restroom by tapping the mirror to access the survey. Yes, it doubles as a touch screen! If you leave the restroom without submitting feedback, the survey will keep popping up on your communication device until you answer it. How annoying!

▶ I Don’t Think You’re Ready for This Jelly
Lunatia | top

The scent of paranormal activity and pumpkin spice lattes is in the air! That only means Geistnacht is around the corner. According to local myths, Geistnacht is the night when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead will be at its thinnest. It’s all the media ever talks about around this time of the year!

Activities like masquerades, bonfires, and communal seances are encouraged every single day for the rest of the month. One way of celebrating is to dress up as a deceased ancestor, friend, loved one, or any figure from history or myth they want to celebrate, and wear a colorful mask while taking part in the dancing and merriment.

A During the day, Prismal children will be going door-to-door, partaking in a custom known as Ainfeil’s Feast. They will be in cute costumes while wearing boar masks and crowns, requesting to be fed as much candy, pastries, or confections as possible. Take care not to be deceived by any naughty children returning with a different outfit. Refuse their request and they’ll run in your apartment or house to steal any eye-catching item from you or your roommates!

Though it is popular with children, adults also take part in the festivities. The Moonblessed are welcome to join in. Simply download the “A-FEAST” app to get started! The goal is to eat the most amount of confections before the night of Geistnacht falls. Using A-FEAST, scan each candy wrapper you have to earn points. Wrappers that have already been scanned don't count! You must be in costume or you won’t be given any treats!

Lunatians may occasionally give out other “treats” such as condoms, intimate apparel, edible undergarments, and/or flavored lubricants. When questioned, they will encourage the Moonblessed to make the most of their lovely costumes together. Winners will be given the hottest and most luxurious Geistnacht treat this year: crystal candy, a gourmet dessert platter crafted by celebrity chef, Sheldon Romsay. Tastes like a billion Chroma gem: you're an idiot sandwich to let this chance pass.

B Lunatia’s food industry is booming with fresh jellyfish meat because of last month’s incident. Vierge jellies are a rare delicacy, so get them while supplies last! Huge meat bargains are slapped all over the fronts of supermarkets, and butcher shops and restaurants are taking full advantage! Considering the festive season, it’s the best chance to grab your party grub for the month!

Food blogs on the internet frequently post about jellyfish sushi, watercress and nettle salad, stinger soup (extra spicy!), jell-ato, jell-atin pudding, peanut butter jellyfish sandwich, and the electric punisher cocktail. Comments left by Lunatians often mention enjoying their vengeance on these critters. Be careful: jellyfish may be tasty but eat in moderation! Overindulging may cause side effects such as indigestion, heartburn, and diarrhea.

Mages like to collect this meat for other shocking uses. Consuming Vierge jelly meat may slightly and temporarily increase the power of your electric magic or energize your body’s electrolytes (perhaps a little too much)! Shaking hands with others is not recommended while this is in effect! Unfortunately, this kind of jellyfish meat expires in a few days, so stockpiling it is impossible.

▶ 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Lord is he in for a surprise when he finds out about the whole Moonlacing thing.]

As long as jellyfish isn't on the menu.

[He'll duck into the cafe with Ranpo, and oh thank God, they serve coffee here. Just gonna order their strongest brew because boy does he ever need it.]

Chroma? It's an energy source that the Moonblessed can create, correct?

[That's about all he knows. Lord help him.]

That's right! It's a energy source, and a currency all in one! It's like paying for things with electricity -- and we can just produce it, so you don't even need a job!

[So yeah it goes without saying that Ranpo is living the bum life right now.]

Ah, but there is a catch-- the way you produce it is through physical contact with another person! So if you're ever short on a bill, just hold hands with someone for a bit, and you'll make up the difference in no time!

We can?

[PULLS OUT HIS NOTEBOOK listen it's very important that he take notes for this. Thank god it survived the trip here...somehow.]

Are you implying that most everyone here is unemployed?

[What kind of hedonistic world is this?? First the dick lollipops, now this...]

Physical contact...hand holding...

[FURIOUSLY JOTS ALL THIS DOWN...]

Edited 2019-10-08 04:20 (UTC)

[BUT HANG ON A SECOND he's finally putting two and two together here. The sex shops, the encouragement of being promiscuous...]

...Ranpo-san. I have a feeling there's more to it than that.

[PLEASE TELL HIM HE'S WRONG...]

No, no-- some people have jobs! You can get a different kind of currency that way, which the locals use-- but it's not as good as chroma.

[Ah. And here we see Kunikida, slowly falling into the same trap Ranpo was led into by Atsushi.]

But you're right, there's more to it than just hand-holding. The more intimate the act, the more chroma you produce!

Now if you'll excuse me-- I'm gonna go hop into the restroom while you let that sink in.

[BYE]

I see. Then Chroma is the ideal currency.

[Heh. Ideal. But wait a second...]

Intimate...?

[...SHIT. HE WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL.]

Then the fastest way to make the most Chroma is...

[WHY...]

Ranpo-san!!

[DON'T JUST LEAVE HIM?? HE'S HAVING A CRISIS RN??]

[But his face is burning far too much for him to go chasing after Ranpo, so this is how he'll find Kunikida when he returns, his face in his hands.]

...I feel like taking a scalding hot shower.

[Meanwhile Ranpo comes back making this face, because uh... well, that bathroom experience was interesting. Though he feels a little violated, honestly. No more public toilets for him.]

[Gonna just sit down. Sip his drink. This is fine.]

...yeah, well I had to hear about this from Atsushi-kun, so I'd say you're getting off easy comparatively speaking.

[When Kunikida looks up and sees the expression Ranpo is making he has to wonder just what the hell kind of bathrooms this place has...

WAIT A SECOND.

SLAMS HANDS ON TABLE, LOOKING CONCERNED.]

Are you alright?? Were there perverts in the bathroom??

[He'll get to the Atsushi thing in a second.]

I will defend your honor if I need to, Ranpo-san!! Your status as a genius detective hasn't changed just because we're in a different world!!

[...people are staring.]

Kunikida-kun.

Sit.

[And here we see the end of Ranpo's patience.]

[OOPS...looks like he got a little carried away there. Just gonna sit back down, his face burning when he realizes he'd caused a scene.

Ranpo and Fukuzawa are probably the only people that could get him to be this obedient tbh.]

...I suppose I overreacted a bit.

[Just a little.]

But you mentioned Atsushi being here too...?

[Just gonna change the subject.]

[SORRY KUNIKIDA HE'S GONNA FINISH HIS DRINK FIRST]

[#powermove]

...mm. Aside from myself, Atsushi-kun, Yosano-san, and Dazai-kun are all here. Chuuya Nakahara is here is as well, and Atsushi mentioned a member of the Guild was around, too.

[He puts his empty cup down, pushing it to the center of the table as he reaches into his pocket for his glasses.]

But you should know, not everyone seems to have been brought here from the same period of time. At the very least, Atsushi-kun and Dazai-kun seem to be from earlier than myself. I haven't discussed it with Yosano-san yet, but...

[He pushes his glasses up, but keeps his face angled down at the table.]

You and I... are likely from a very close period of time. And I think it would be best we keep that to ourselves for now.

[It's fine he's totally whipped for Ranpo and he'll wait as long as he has to.]

...I see.

[So they're not the only ones. Kunikida would normally be alarmed and perhaps even upset that other members of the ADA had to endure being dragged here, but considering the state of things back home...

He's quiet for a moment as he lets Ranpo's words sink in. So Atsushi and Dazai probably have no idea what kind of misfortune is going to befall the ADA...

Perhaps that's for the best.]

I agree, but Ranpo-san...you know why I was so shocked to see you, don't you?

[It's a good thing that Ranpo at least is from around the same time as Kunikida, because his reaction would've completely given away the fact that something was amiss. Knowing Ranpo he would've been able to figure it out regardless.]

I wouldn't be asking you to keep silent about it if I didn't.

[It's a good thing they're having this conversation in public, he thinks. There's no way Ranpo would be able to maintain his composure right now otherwise.]

[He wanted to believe it was a lie. That somehow, someway, they got out of that horrible mess. That Ranpo managed to survive the fall, avoid the flurry of bullets, and escape. That everyone else escaped the military police safely. That somehow, somehow, they'd undo this nightmare.]

[But Kunikida's beliefs carry weight. And if Kunikida believed that Ranpo was killed, there's no reason to doubt those beliefs.]

...I'm sorry.

[His voice sounds so weak and so small right now. As happy as he is to see Kunikida again, the weight of the knowledge that now this could be the only world he ever sees him in is so heavy, it feels hard to breathe.]

[It's all his fault.]

[If only he had tried harder to stop them from taking the case.]

[If only he had figured out Oguri's warning sooner.]

[If only he could really do anything -- just like they all believed he could -- maybe he could have prevented all of this.]

[Kunikida can only imagine how heavy the weight of carrying this secret around has been on Ranpo. Seeing and interacting with Atsushi, Dazai, and Yosano all while knowing the tragedies to come...the fact that he's managed not to crack under that pressure is nothing short of amazing.

But clearly it's been weighing on his mind, and for the first time ever Kunikida hears defeat in Ranpo's voice.]

Ranpo-san...

[Why is he apologizing? Surely Ranpo doesn't blame himself...right? He'd tried to warn them, after all, but they were too foolish to listen.]

It's not your fault. If we'd only listened to you...

[If they'd only heeded Ranpo's warning perhaps all of this could've been prevented. Maybe they all could've come out of this unscathed, and Kunikida's ideals would remain intact. Maybe he wouldn't be wondering what the hell happened to him after he'd self-destructed in an effort to save the others. The last thing he remembers is jumping out of that helicopter with a hand grenade, after all...

Maybe they're both dead men now.]

The last thing I heard over the phone line when we spoke was gunshots and the sound of a window breaking. There's still a chance that you might not be...

[He can't even bring himself to say it. God damn it...if he isn't confident that Ranpo is alive then how could Ranpo possibly be?]

Kunikida-kun. That's... enough.

[There's no point in obsessing over what might be. He's spent more than enough time doing that himself, trying to pick apart what point in his dreams the memories ended and the nightmares began.]

[His hands resting on the table are trembling, but he quickly tightens them into fists to try and still them. This is the most he's actually talked about it, but he didn't expect it to be affecting him so strongly. He feels like he's going to be sick... but the least he can do is maintain his composure as best he can.]

[Surely, he can at least manage that.]

I just thought it was important to get this out of the way. We can talk about it more later, and decide what to do then.

[There's so many things he wants to say right now, but what good will it do? Speculating about whether they're alive or dead...does it truly matter in the end? As long as they're in this world they're considered living people, regardless of what happened to them back home.

And yet that thought does very little to comfort Kunikida, whose guilt only grows when he notices how shaken Ranpo is. This must be the first time he's spoken about what happened since he arrived here, and its clearly affecting him enough that he has to try and hide it. Maybe hearing that Kunikida thought he was dead was the final straw...

But Ranpo isn't the only one that can see through people sometimes, and right now he's fooling no one. But what can Kunikida possibly do or say to make things better? He's never been very good at comforting people...]

Considering the fact that I have nothing but time here that sounds like a reasonable course of action.

[But the thought of leaving Ranpo alone right now doesn't sit well with him, and he's determined not to have their first meeting in a while end like this.]

Are you leaving? I don't have much chroma, but I'd like to treat you to something regardless.

...I don't really want to be alone right now.

[That about as much vulnerability as he's willing to admit right now. But despite that, he moves to stand anyway, nodding at Kunikida to do the same.]

But I think a change of scenery would be nice. Come on-- let's go for a walk. You probably haven't seen much of the city yet, right?

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