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prismaticrap2019-10-08 08:19 am
prismods) wrote in prismaticrap2019-10-08 08:19 am
▶ TDM .008
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.
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.
▶ 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.
▶ 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.
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.
no subject
In spite of himself, a smile finds its way to his lips too. His voice strikes a quiet teasing pitch, his own grumbling, grumpy brand.]
It wouldn't be the first time you've acted illogically, my love.
[He smooths her back, begins to trace the curves of her hips. This is as daring as he will get in broad daylight, although he's certain that he could push her up against the shop window and start kissing her senseless, and nobody would be scandalized in the slightest. His prudish sensibilities cling to him still. Just the thought of such a bold act stamps his cheeks pink. Instead, he covers her hands with his own, so broad and reassuring.]
Nothing would make me happier than to be with you, Nina Zenik.
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[She's practically required to defend herself, even though he's completely right. But then his hands find her hips, and her breath catches. He's never done anything like that in public, and she finds herself pressing closer, finally letting out a soft laugh.]
Matthias Helvar, when did you get so shameless? Did you miss me that much?
[Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder, or at least wear down a Fjerdan's prudishness.]
no subject
Should I not have?
[Whether his question refers to his being shameless or his missing her is ambiguous. He missed her that much and more. As for when his frigid sensibilities began to thaw... Shamelessness is in the air the Prismals breathe, the water they drink. It's in the pull of chroma spilling between bodies, like right now, with their fingers curled together like a hinge that joins them. Inculcated as he is with the stiff propriety of his homeland, Matthias rejects the loose ways celebrated by the locals. But until Nina pointed it out, he had not realized how much their shamelessness has begun to seep into him.
The boy he was even just a year ago would be appalled to see him now, for so many reasons. But the boy he has become has languished for so long without these hands of hers, and even his patience could not endure another moment longer. Even his stubborn concern for decency won't deter him from holding them.
To shift the subject, he nods to the window behind her. It belongs to a cafe, which he has never had cause to enter, as he lacks a sweet tooth. A certain someone else has no such deficiency, however.]
Let me buy you something.
[He regrets that he must let go of one hand so that he can scoop up the bag he had dropped earlier, but he holds the other tight.]
no subject
[Because if, after six months, seeing the girl he loves didn't make him lose at least a bit of shame, she thinks there'd be something to worry about there. She lifts the hand still holding hers to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. It's impossible to know what he's gone through here or if there are other things bothering him that he hasn't shared yet, but there's time enough to talk about that. Right now, she's still trying to get used to the reality of him being here, and she doesn't want to ruin the moment by pushing him.]
If I say yes, will you let me kiss you?
[...To be fair, she can still push in other ways, can't she?]
no subject
Here?
[If not here and now, when? Matthias knows all to well that there won't always be a later tucked away for safekeeping.
He contemplates her lips, which he had been so determined to kiss farewell before his last breath slipped the guard of his teeth. His heart beats heavily under the burden of other lips he remembers, lips he has kissed in the desolate stretch of time between his departing and her arriving. How can he kiss her while letting her believe the lie that his lips have known none but hers?
But how can he encumber her with the truth when she looks at him like that? A smile brightens her face now, but he can still see the damp salt streaks left behind by tears. He cannot be the cause of her tears twice in one day. No matter what he does or does not deserve, Nina's heart deserves rest.
He will have to tell her another day. For now, he will hold the full weight of his guilt on his chest. And he will try to give her a proper welcome to this bizarre city on a world untold distances away from everything familiar — everything familiar but each other, that is.
So he swallows down his shame and meets her eye.]
Yes, I will let you kiss me. So is that a yes, my love?
no subject
Of course. I would have said yes even if your answer was no.
[Nina stands up on her tiptoes, lips just a breath from his. There's a part of her that knows it can't possibly be this easy—something will certainly go wrong, and it's not like they're here because they volunteered. But for the moment, she doesn't care. She's going to soak up as much of this time with him as she can.]
I love you.
no subject
With his eyes shut, nothing exists outside of the two of them. Even the sidewalk beneath his feet seems to dissolve as if it was made of nothing more than early morning mist, and now the sun has risen. There is only the soft pressure of the kiss, and the warmth of her hands, one entwined with his and the other steady at his chest. He dwells only in the seams connecting him to her.
Matthias means to keep it brief. Not peckish, but not indulgent either. The problem is that once he starts kissing Nina, he doesn't want to do anything else. He hardly remembers that there has ever been anything else to do.]
no subject
It makes her heart pound, and for this moment, nothing else matters—not being trapped in this place, not the people around them, not even the horrible circumstances that led them here. She's so overwhelmed with affection that it aches, and she parts her lips against his to deepen the kiss. So much for not being indulgent.]
no subject
Then the movement of her lips kindles a fresh spark of chroma, and this fear thaws. Contentment smooths the rough edges of his heart. Just to be certain, though, he pulls his hand from hers — so that he can wrap his arm around her waist and squeeze her against him. Nothing has ever felt more real than her body in his embrace, and at the same time nothing has ever been more unbelievable.
Really, he should have pulled away by now. But the thought doesn’t quite reach his muscles. Much stronger is the thought that, after he was so certain he’d lost her forever, he is now proven wrong once more.
So instead of pulling away, which would be the characteristically prudish thing to do, Matthias does something uncharacteristically bold. Following the example Nina sets, he swipes his tongue across the pout of her lower lip. He has much to atone for, but it seems that first he would try to make up for all the time they had lost.]
no subject
Nina settles her weight against him, her free hand sliding up to catch in his hair, her other hand tangling in his shirt like a lifeline. She lets out a soft, pleased noise, nipping at his lip experimentally. Normally this might be a bit much even for her, in the middle of a crowded street, but at the moment she can't bring herself to care.]
no subject
So it is with a formidable bout of resolve that he withdraws, imparting one last kiss for now, firm with the promise that there would be more. For as long as she will welcome his kisses.
His face burns bright red all the way to the tips of his ears. Even if he hadn’t already been branded a traitor to his country, he’s certain that his present conduct constitutes high crimes against Fjerdan decency. But he wills himself not to look around, not to worry about who might have seen. He wants to keep looking into Nina’s eyes.]
We should go inside.
[Despite his embarrassment, he cannot suppress the smile curling his lips as he takes her hand once more and leads her to the door.]
no subject
Did you miss me that much, Matthias?
no subject
I thought that much was obvious.
[In truth, he has much more than just time to make up with her. He has all the affections he has squandered on others, when he would have wanted to lavish them on her. If with each kiss and touch he shared with Nina he could erase all those he had shared with another, he would stand there kissing her until the whole ledger was cleared. But since this is impossible, the best he can do is spoil her whenever he can.]
no subject
[Hands still linked, Nina of course beelines for the little display case of pastries at the front of the cafe. Her eyes sweep the food and then lock back onto Matthias, though. He's keeping her attention over the eclairs, which is a true compliment.]
What have you been up to while you've been here?
no subject
He is almost tricked into believing this will be easy. But they have always been messy. What they have had not fallen neatly into place; they had fought for it, waging war against every force that bent them away from each other. This would be a quieter sort of fight. What that bullet shattered, they would have to piece together again. What wounds he has caused, he would have to try to heal.]
I've mostly been trying to keep busy. Picking up odd jobs, exploring the land. Fishing and trapping.
[A light squeeze to her hand.]
Missing you.
[Since it's apparently so nice to hear. See, he's easy enough to train.]
no subject
Fishing and trapping? You poor thing. Have you done anything less smelly?
no subject
Swimming?
[Well, it's a refreshing change of pace to have such small concerns. To just be with Nina without imminent danger lurking around every corner. What's dangerous is that he could get used to this.
By now, they've reached the front of the queue. The clerk greets them and asks what they will have. Matthias looks to Nina.]
Anything you want, my love.
no subject
Does this mean you're officially courting me?
no subject
When Nina squeezes his hand, he squeezes back, and the warm pulse between their palms quickens.]
Yes, I suppose it does.
[He finally has the chance to do this the right way. To treat her as she deserves to be treated. This is the sort of life he had ached for on nights spent creeping through Ketterdam's damp canals, having no home to look forward to but an abandoned crypt, a hideout for criminals. It is a life he feared would always be somebody else's, never his. And now, somehow, it is here in his grasp.
A glance at the device in his hand reveals to him a sudden spike in funds. As he passes it to the clerk, he privately marvels that, with Nina by his side, he could become a wealthy man indeed.]
no subject
So when do I get to corner you in the pantry?
[Apparently she's incapable of not teasing him.]
no subject
The pantry in my apartment isn't big enough for us to fit inside.
[What else is he supposed to say to that?]
no subject
Well, if you have an apartment all to yourself, I'm sure we'll find room.
[Nina takes the lead and guides him to a little table by the window, setting her sweets down and adjusting her skirt as she sits.]
Where are you staying?
no subject
It isn’t far from here.
[Then, because he senses she isn’t just asking idly, he adds:]
I’ll have to go there after this. [These jellyfish cuts won’t last long without some ice...] Do you want to come with me? You can meet Trassel.
[His eyes light up when he speaks of his wolf, his brother.]
no subject
[Nina's face lights up too for an instant, but then she hesitates, suddenly uncertain.]
How do you think he'll react to me?
[Stories about Fjerdan wolves trained to kill Grisha were inescapable in the Little Palace, and Nina's not sure Trassel will share his master's affection.]
no subject
[That was another reunion he never expected. He had resigned himself to grief for his brother, who like all isenulf bereft of their drüskelle partner was returned to the unforgiving ice. Yet Trassel had found his way back to him, just as Nina has.
There is so much for which he will never find an explanation.
He does know why that measure of hesitation has crept into Nina's expression, however. Matthias in turn looks conciliatory.]
I don't know, honestly. He'll be able to sense what you are, but he was trained to follow my command above all else. If he sees that I'm relaxed around you, he will eventually follow suit.
(no subject)
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