two, two, two posts in one; 4/6

[wearingguess]

[ hey, it's a prismagram post from 1stQadrMargaFan! you know, that one c-plus/b-minus-list influencer who's always posting magic tutorials, fashion selfies, food pics, and random animal encounters. (well, not so much recently, but... yeah.) ]

Hello, First Qadr!!
Thank you all so much for your comments and messages over the past couple of weeks. I can't believe I went three entire days without responding to anything! 😳 But I always read everything you send me, and I will try to answer you all as soon as I can. 🧡🧡🧡

But now I must make an important announcement!
✨ Starting today, this account will be going on indefinite hiatus ✨
I will keep comments open, but I won't be posting any more pictures or videos. This is just a personal issue and there's no need for anyone to worry! 🦋😸🍇
I want to say thank you again. Your support over the past several months has meant more than I can possibly express!! You're all breathtaking, with and without your Moonheld and Moonblessed traits! Let's all keep doing the very best we can to look out for one another! 👋🥰

[ a few minutes later, there's another post, from another account: laurea. this one's video. long antennae and parts of the colorful underside of a pair of butterfly wings are visible on the subject (who doesn't appear particularly jazzed about them). ]

Hello.
Ah... this message is primarily for my fellow Moonblessed. For those who don't know me, I am Titus Alexius.
I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately, and... I think that we ought to, if possible... that is, to the extent that it is possible...

[ deep breath! ]

I think we should stop moonlacing.

[ and now the hurried qualifiers. ]

We need to do a little, of course, to survive. Obviously we should all feel free to do that amount. But beyond that minimum, we should most likely refrain.

[ he hunches his shoulders and looks down!! ]

This will certainly be a great sacrifice... and terribly difficult, especially during the moon cycles... and no doubt quite unpleasant in many ways as well. For some of us more than others. But while the effects of chroma generation initially seemed exclusively beneficial, with the very worst of them still being harmless, it is now more than clear that there are others that are neither predictable nor safe.

[ now he shuts his eyes. ]
...All of Port Sylvel paid the price for that. And many perished in the subsequent battle as well. We cannot bring them back, but we owe it to them not to let it happen again.

[ another deep breath. then he opens his eyes and looks back into the camera. ]

At least that is what I think.
I would like to know what all of you think.


[ there's a slightly awkward pause!! ]

...On that note, I am also looking for work.
I am willing to do anything, though... physically demanding work is probably best avoided, unless you don't mind its being accomplished poorly and only after a likely unreasonable length of time.
Nothing that requires moonlacing, either, though I suppose that much is obvious.

...
And that is all. Thank you!

Comments

un: shenqingqiu

[peerlesscucumber]

[ he has a headache listening to this, because to him, it simplifies a complex problem he already's had months of sleepless nights over. but he can appreciate where it comes from, because how do you face something outside of direct control and try to reign it in? seek to do what you can to protect and control yourself, first.

he refrains from rubbing his head, or temples, or scrubbing his hands over his face. instead he's a cool, collected face not without traces of compassion or dark circles indicated under his eyes. ]

We give off Chroma simply by existing... and even if we cease Moonlacing, and we die in the same manner as those who perished in Port Sylvel, we're not left that way. Chroma eventually releases us from that crystal death.

[ He's witnessed it firsthand. He can't forget it. Doesn't want to, even if at other times, he does. ]

Which isn't to say you're suggesting that, you did not say such. But the idea of "enough" to survive is subjective, not objective. Fighting Majestas would have lead to an utter loss on our side and all the Lunatians without the use of Chroma and the seals developed by Lunar Scientia. Is that "enough" to survive? It still releases all that energy into the world the moment its generated. Nothing we as Moonblessed do regulates the flow of Chroma into this world beyond its generation. Even if we use such things just in crisis moments, we're feeding back into this dry earth, water quenching a parched throat.

[ he holds up his hands, revealing empty palms to the camera. ]

There is no little enough to be safe. Not from reawakening those hidden pasts this city and the rest of this destroyed world has forgotten.

[wearingguess]

We would never have had to fight Majestas if we had generated less chroma to begin with! I know we can't stop altogether unless we are all willing to crystallize, which... I am sure no one would be, and I could not ask it of anyone, either. But if we can simply slow it down... then whatever we awaken, will awaken slowly. And perhaps there will be time to notice its awakening and subdue it. To act rather than react.

UN: whatever

[noenvy]

How do you even stop moonlacing? Do you have to avoid contact with everyone you care about? I refuse.

Instead, when things happen, just deal with them. People weren't properly prepared, but now we know such things are a potential. Next time, it can be dealt with more efficiently.

[wearingguess]

An entire town was destroyed, and everyone in it killed horribly! How can you talk about it so flippantly? I don't want to stop making contact with those I care about either, but we cannot just accept what happened as an unavoidable sacrifice!

Besides, if Tempeste's attack and Osse's awakening weren't enough to prepare us to deal with Majestas efficiently, why do you think we will be be able to easily deal with whatever happens next?

video | un: demonchef

[satanslash]

[Rin sure looks different! He also looks exhausted on top of the physical changes, and not terribly amused at what Tidus is suggesting.]

Yeaaaah, I'm gonna go with "no" there, buddy. I get you're tryin' to help and that's admirable and shit but I already know from where I was before that not doin' what's expected of us doesn't go well.

[Also he has a girlfriend???]

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Rin? What happened to your hair?

un; nocturne

[synchroswim]

I'm... gonna have to pass on that, dude. I almost ran empty on chroma once aaaaages ago and I'm not gonna go through that again. Plus I'm kinda dating someone and I'm not gonna shut him out like that, 'cause that'd be a dick move.

[wearingguess]

Well, of course, you should do enough of it that you don't experience those kinds of ill effects!
And... certainly you shouldn't just start shutting someone out without saying anything, either... I thought that perhaps people would discuss this with their partners, and reduce their moonlacing by mutual agreement.

[audio | @hot.damn]

[circumitus]

Have gone through what they call "Chroma-starved" enough to doubt that people are going to be gung-ho for that idea.

[Much like she's seeing already. Rey was never wild on the idea of Moonlacing, and she still isn't, struggling with the whole concept of being touched by others since long before she ever came here. But even then...]

And isn't this entire damned planet fueled on Chroma? Wouldn't stopping the generation of the energy supply these people need be just as damaging?

[wearingguess]

Indeed, people are not gung-ho for it.

What I think is that... this world does need some level of chroma, and we, of course, need some level of moonlacing. But it seems as though we may be producing too much chroma, and that is why the results are destructive. The gentleman going by "whatever" above likened it more or less to the difference between rain that waters the crops, and rain that destroys the town in a flood. So... if we can limit what we generate to the amount that we need to live decently... then that will also be enough to keep this world going.

Maybe.

( video, un: lavieenrose )

[affectueux]

People are being quite ungracious to you about this. I don’t think it’s a bad idea… it may be difficult for us, however.

[ serge smiles sympathetically. he knows it can’t be easy to come to the network with this. ]

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Oh...
Th-that's kind of you. I...

[ his face crumples a bit, then he schools his expression again... ]

... Sorry.

[ yeah he just breaks down in tears. he switches the feed off as soon as he finds the button. ]

text; un: no

[terribletwos]

isn't our ability to generate chroma through moonlacing why we're here/ you're making it sound like we we brought here by someone who wants to hurt this world.

i know people are looking into the lore of this place. we don't understand enough yet. and i don't want people to keep getting hurt while we figure things out. but big changes could unbalance everything. it could put the prismals in more danger.

text; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

That is the leading theory at the moment, but no one truly knows for certain. Perhaps the Lunar Scientia were naive to suppose that our arrival was a blessing.

What I fear is that we have already unbalanced everything merely by our presence, and that generating massive quantities of chroma is only accelerating the imbalance. Does it not seem as though these disasters are continually growing worse?

voice | un: leopardprint

[greatestcool]

[Huh... Weird that this is coming from Titus, of all people.]

I can't really say I know a ton about the subject, but isn't this the first time something like this has happened? Moonblessed have been here for awhile and nothing like it has happened before, right? It's possible it was a fluke. A really terrible fluke.

I get that you want to help, but I'm not sure we really have enough information to decide to stop moonlacing all together. And besides, a lot of people really like moonlacing. So I think it'll be pretty difficult to get everyone to agree to stop.

[With all of that out of the way...]

Did something happen? I thought you were pretty okay with moonlacing.

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

...Before Majestas, there were Queen Tempeste and the Osse automaton, who were likewise awakened because of the influx of chroma since we Moonblessed began to arrive. But they were both neutralized with little loss of life, and I thought future threats would be the same.

[ but honestly... what does he mean, "did something happen"? isn't it obvious what happened? ]

I am okay with it... I love moonlacing. I don't want to stop, either! But if... if we're just contributing to more and more death and destruction by doing it... how can I just shrug my shoulders and decide that it's fine, since I like it?

[resenting]

I get what you're saying and why your saying it, but I think you're jumping to some assumptions here.

Are you completely sure he couldn't have woken up without us here? And if he had, what might have happened if we didn't have the chroma to stop him?

The world isn't so kind as to politely wait if we don't do anything. Disasters happen. People die. We save who we can and mourn who we cent, but we don't stop trying to live.

[wearingguess]

He said it himself in his broadcast to us—that he began to awaken a year ago, when chroma first returned to this world. When Moonblessed first arrived here. And we saw that he was indeed capable of absorbing chroma... and gaining strength as a result... so it doesn't seem that he was lying.

What I am afraid of is that, in deciding we cannot do nothing because the world will not stand still for us, we ourselves are the ones causing it to move in a disastrous direction.

voice ✖ un: M0003

[farmerofwrath]

[The username in that second post catches Zen's eye. So it was this little bastard who filled his inbox with spam that last time, probably in retaliation for how things ended when they met.

Still, the spark of irritation soothes somewhat when the main subject is brought up. As someone who lives on moonlacing as little as possible (for reasons completely different to the ones Titus mentioned), he doesn't find the idea particularly unthinkable. But as a solution, it's subpar at best.]

We were the ones brought here against our will, I don't think we owe anyone anything. Besides, unless the government presses it, I doubt what you're asking for could ever happen. No one's gonna quietly agree to it, as you've probably noticed.

voice; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

[ honestly, he would be more than willing to offer zen a full apology for that, but it's so far from being on his mind right now, and he's so exhausted from trying to explain his thinking to everyone, that he's literally forgotten he did it to begin with. ]

But it was not the Prismals who brought us...
They didn't ask for this any more than we did.
We cannot ask them to die for us just because we don't want to give anything up. Can we?

un: music2myears

[afoolshope]

We lose chroma just by moving around all day, Titus. Asking people to stop moonlacing, or only do the bare minimum, isn't really fair to ask them. I get it, but at the same time it wasn't like we unleashed Majestas on purpose.

I arrived just before he was released, but from it looked like... well, everyone was tricked. It's a lot similar to something that happened back home. My friends and I were tricked into believing we would be putting an end to something, instead we nearly brought about the end of the world. It has since been averted but...

I think we as moonblessed can take responsibility for what happened, regardless of our intent, but to stop moonlacing isn't the answer. There's another solution. We just haven't found it yet. The best we can do now is help the prismals and ourselves. All of the moonblessed are displaced, after all. Is it really fair to ask every single one to also live just to survive when many are already going through so much just by being separated by their friends and family?

text; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

No, of course it isn't fair. But how much difference has that ever made in the world? It is not fair when children are born into oppression, or are afflicted with incurable disease, but it happens all the same. It was not fair that everyone in Port Sylvel had to die for something that had nothing to do with them. If we continue to release murderous beasts one after the other, however accidentally, it will not be fair to whomever they strike down, either, will it?

Minato, please believe me. I do not want this to be the answer. I hope there is another solution! But what if there is not? The fact that this would not be a "fair" solution doesn't mean that there is necessarily a better one.

I don't want to ask anything of anyone, much less something so burdensome. I know that none of us chose this. But we are here now, and we cannot leave. For the moment, we are part of this world, and what we do affects those around us. How could I look anyone from Port Sylvel in the eye—or any Prismal at all, who is still living—and say that I alone have the right to live however I want without having to sacrifice anything? No matter what the cost might be to them?

voice, UN: cooledition

[force_a_change]

[She could go on about the whole "don't moonlace" thing, but she's noted that quite a few other people have replied to that so she's just going to talk about the last bit.]

If you're incapable of doing anything physical, or involving moonlacing, then you technically aren't willing to do anything for work.

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

No reasonable person would hire me to do physical work, but I am willing to do it.

text. un: lobelia.

[audiomancer]

I was surprised for a moment to see that this was you, Titus! But now that I think of it, this does feel like something I'd expect you to say, given our last discussion.

Giving up your interpersonal affection is a broader act of love for everyone, non? It certainly has an air of nobility to it.

[ ... And seeing how others react to him, seeing this struggle he's experiencing, it's also very amusing.

For Lobelia, such atrocities only provide massive fodder for his personal library of Sound; if moonlacing ensures more attacks, it'll only encourage him to engage more and touch more, hoping that he can create that disastrous tipping point himself. Titus probably already knows that, even if he doesn't say it directly; their wishes and aspirations for the world are fundamentally antithetical to each other. ]

But as someone who knows the power of impulse, it'll be very hard for you to manage without contact, you know. I'm sure you've thought of the systemic challenge. Even if you work for others, it's a system where chroma generation is inevitable. You can't really escape it, no matter how hard you try.

Or is it your hope to rely on demichroma entirely?

text. un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Lobelia

I am aware that it is impossible to completely avoid moonlacing, and thereby generate no chroma at all, unless we die.
So I had thought to rely on incidental contact in order to survive. And on demichroma to pay for my basic needs.

[ or on just not doing anything and dying alone, because what does it fucking matter? honestly, he's a little curious; would he crystallize like a real person, or just fall apart like the worn-out puppet he is? ]

un: mustlovedogs

[inuko]

Titus? Did you want to talk off this thing?

[ he's worried about you; and he finds all the same things exhausting, but he also knows... he can't avoid moonlacing, even if he wanted to. it makes him unstable, and makes murasame likewise unstable, which endangers everyone around them. how many people face situations like that here?

and does titus at all? he frets internally, though it's... also visible on his face. whoops. ]

un: laurea

[wearingguess]

[ there's a long weird pause, and titus makes a serious of unique faces showcasing a wide variety of different types of misery...
but there's really just one thing to say, isn't there? ]

Yes.

un: windmaster

[winepouring]

[ ... He feels a bit bad for this guy here. Whether Shi Qingxuan agrees or disagrees or has any feelings at all about Titus's thoughts on moonlacing, he doesn't say. And he knows Shino, so if he wants to talk about this with him, he'll definitely be a good choice.

So, moving past that, here's Shi Qingxuan smiling at the camera, looking bright and lively. ]

Say, are you still looking for work? My shop only has my business partner and myself working there regularly, so an extra hand would always be welcome. It's only a small business, but it can get busy in the evenings.

[ He says this all casually, trying his best to lighten the mood a little. ]

There won't be anything like heavy labor or moonlacing involved, so you don't need to worry about that. Though, with those disqualifications out of the way, may I ask what sort of work you were hoping to do?

un: laurea

[wearingguess]

[ titus smiles back, but only for a second; he's gotta switch to text before he does something weird or embarrassing, after all. (it's not like he enjoys seeing disdainful, displeased, or dispassionate faces, but it turns out that, at least for the moment, it's a lot easier to maintain some semblance of composure in front of those than it is before a friendly face.) ]

Yes!!
I would be very grateful. Thank you!!

I have no formal work experience and no strong preferences. I have occasionally helped out, for a few hours here and there, at various shops and eateries on levels 1 and 2—with such things as minding the counter, pouring drinks, performing various simple tasks to assist with more complex undertakings, and mostly engaging directly with customers in various ways, which I did always enjoy very much, although there are a few different reasons why that may currently be complicated

[ for one thing, at the moment, there's a decent chunk of the populace that hates moonblessed. and for another, his personal level of sparkling bonhomie is not quite where it once was. ]

But if you will let me know the type of skills and knowledge that the work requires or that you would find useful, I will take any and all necessary steps to acquire them.

text | username: absterge

[downswing]

They asked chroma.

Cannot protect a people from its wish.

text | username: laurea

[wearingguess]

Why not?

video; un: runner_boy

[lacrimose]

Titus... Are you okay?

I don't understand everything that's going on, and... someone like me needs a lot more Chroma to just keep going, compared to a normal person, so I don't know if I can moonlace less. But I believe in the Moonblessed here. Even if we couldn't save everyone, we've still been able to protect people so far, right?

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Akira...

I'm not really okay, but that's fine. Or... to be precise, it cannot be helped... And in any case, I don't wish for you or anyone else to hurt yourself.

...What I am afraid of is that...
No matter how hard we work to protect everyone, or how successful we might seem to be... we will always be fighting a losing battle if we ourselves are also ultimately the reason why more and more threats continue to appear.

video, un: zerotwo

[hyperjammer]

Hm. It's a tough call. Out there in Port Sylvel... it was shocking. Hate to think I contributed to that, y'know?

Those Moon Knights still seem to think we're helping them, though. Believe me, I don't trust the establishment any more than the next guy, but seeing as I just got here I'd hope they know better than me what is and isn't good for their planet.

video, un: laurea

[wearingguess]

The Moon Knights...
We do still have their support, but... I don't know that they know much more than we do when it comes to the current state of their world. Much of Prismatica's history has been lost, so what they know about chroma, its effects on the ecosystem, and the threats it might awaken is sharply limited. And considering the incredible abilities many Moonblessed possess, it is also possible that they are trying to avoid alienating or offending us...

[foolishjustice]

[The expansion of Cordis' range is visible on Akechi in the clouded leopard patterns on his fur. Only one, feline, tail is present, and the curve of a scorpion's stinger is visible between his shoulder and wing.]

This is a complex situation, with no simple answer. To stop Moonlacing is to doom this planet even more surely than awakening further sleeping dangers. Everything in this world requires Chroma to live, not just us Moonblessed and beings like Majestas. If we were to stop producing it, then the only way to prevent the eventual death of Prismatica would be to completely abandon all use of magic and electronics. Obviously, that's not particularly viable with the wide array of dangerous wildlife around, to say nothing of the impact on people's cultures and quality of life.

Majestas' return was brutal, there's no denying that, but what happened was because we were unprepared. His existence wasn't always unknown, he's depicted quite overtly in the scrolls that were discovered in Iris. If we were able to translate those ancient texts, we would be able to prepare in advance for what else might come.

Obviously, that's no simple task. But to limit Moonlacing to the bare minimum would only delay the inevitable. Perhaps even beyond our lifetimes, but...is it really solving anything, to doom future generations for the sake of an easy way to avoid danger today? I think a better solution is to redouble our investigations into Prismatica's history, and learn about the other beings such as Tempeste and Majestas.

[wearingguess]

Well...
To be honest, I wonder if it is truly the case that this world is doomed without chroma. It is most certainly inducing change... and a revival of sorts, but... given what we've seen, is it not possible that the growth we have fueled is in fact artificial... unnatural... and ultimately harmful to Prismatica's essential nature? Perhaps it was sealed away on purpose. Perhaps it was even the cause of the Calamity that nearly destroyed this world so long ago.

I know it is true that there were problems with relying exclusively on demichroma, since one day it will run out... so the alternate energy source we provided in the form of chroma certainly seems to be a benefit to the world. But at the same time... although a few new pieces of technology have been created, it is not as though our presence enabled this city to transform from a dying outpost into a bustling metropolis. On the day the first Moonblessed arrived, Lunatia was already vibrant, beautiful, and supporting a thriving population. It's not just this city, either. Amegahara, Lyestellus, the villages where we were able to stay after the shuttle crash and during the Twelfth Month, and Port Sylvel, too... all those places had survived for generations before our arrival. They might have fallen on somewhat uncertain times, but it does not seem to me that any were truly on the brink of ruin without us.

In short, I fear that chroma itself is the "easy way" to solve problems that we and the Prismals have embraced without being aware of the repercussions.

Still... whether we are able to reduce Moonlacing or not [ ...with "or not" looking much more likely, given that about zero of the people who've answered the post seem willing to consider it... ], we should without a doubt continue the research into the past as well. And I pray we will find some way to avoid being "unprepared" next time...

text, private

[numbertwohero]

Hey. Are you okay?

[He doesn't sound okay. Not at all.]

text, private

[wearingguess]

Hey.

I guess
not really.

Audio, un: magicowl

[getting_better]

That's a hard thing you're asking everyone to do, if not downright impossible.

Video, un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Really? Yet everyone else agreed immediately, citing how incredibly easy it would be as the reason. I myself am thrilled almost to the point of delirium at the prospect of giving up nearly all expressions of intimacy and affection.

text | un: kaiserschmarrn

[edle_gestalt]

It is a difficult thing.

I admit I had taken solace in the thought that unlike my home, pairing off had no risk for destruction here.

But it seems that is true everywhere. That said, though I was not permitted to marry anymore at home, I had not sworn off companionship completely. It was a different approach, and a quiet one. A difficult balance, to be sure. I only thought it was a non-issue here.

If you are looking for work, I could use a bit of help at my sandwich shop. I'm the same as you with regards to physically demanding work so rest assured it's nothing much. Limited hours for the time being, but if I have another person I may be able to extend them.

text; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

Not permitted to marry
anymore?


Yes
Yes, I would be glad to. I would be very grateful. Thank you.