prismatica | video; un: laurea

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video; un: laurea

[ thunder crashes. the wind howls. a blond youth wearing an enormous cable-knit sweater over a dress shirt with the collar popped places his palms flat on the counter of a starter-apartment kitchen and earnestly addresses the camera. ]

Hello! The current circumstances are less than ideal, but I can put this off no longer.

Whether you know me or not, I am Titus Alexius, formerly of the Reim empire. It is more or less accurate to say that I am sixteen years old. I have been conducting research with the Lunar Scientia for the past several months, and I have also had more than I can stand of living alone. Therefore, I have prepared a simple twenty-question survey!

Anyone and everyone is welcome to submit a response, and there is no need to answer every question. But to show my appreciation, I shall provide all those who complete at least the identifying information with a code redeemable for one free empanada from the stall by the fountain at the northern end of Greatmoon Groves. [ he pauses thoughtfully and then leans in further. ]

...And if you do not care for empanadas, let me know and I will arrange an alternative.

...Also, I am reasonably certain everything in that marketplace is currently closed due to the inclement weather and invisible tentacle attacks. And a number of the survey questions, too, posit situations or activities that are momentarily, if not impossible, then inadvisable. But, well. We must believe these hardships will be temporary, mustn't we?... [ he shrugs helplessly and grimaces! ]

Thank you for your attention!

[ and underneath the prismagram video is the survey in question, along with a few additional links. ]

Survey Form Name: Moonblessing: Approximate length of tenure on Prismatica: 1. Are we friends? —If yes, hello! —If no or unsure, would you like to be friends? 2. Are you satisfied with your current living situation? —If yes, might you also be satisfied with a different living situation? 3. Do you have any roommates? —If no, would you like one? —If yes, would you like another one? ——If yes, would your roommate(s) also like another one? 4. Would you like to live on Level 2 of Lunatia in a cottage with a small garden? —If yes, are you open to sharing a room? ——If yes, are you open to sharing a bed? 5. Do you like cats? —If yes, would you like to have a(nother) cat? ——If yes, would you like to have this cat (SEE SUPPLEMENT A)? 6. Do you have any aversions or preferences when it comes to fragrance (both in general, and with regard to Cordis pheromones)? —If yes, please elaborate: 7. Would you consider the recurring presence of Cordis pheromones in a shared living space to be a benefit, a drawback, or neither? 8. Are you comfortable with moths and butterflies of various sizes? 9. Do you have any strong feelings regarding magic or mages? —If yes, please elaborate: 10. Do you like to stay up late? 11. Can you fly? —If no, would you like to? 12. Do you like to cook? —If yes, would you like to cook for me? ——If no, would you like me to cook for you? 13. Do you like to go out to eat? —If yes, would you like to go out to eat with me? ——For fried noodles? ——For waffles? ——For seafood curry? ——Other (please specify): 14. Do you like to go shopping? —If yes, would you like to go shopping with me? ——For snacks? ——For clothes? ——Other (please specify): 15. Do you wish to obtain more possessions? —If yes, would you like some of mine? ——If yes, please visit my current home (SEE SUPPLEMENT B) to make your selections (the Lost Orrery and leatherbound treasury of Prismatican myth are off limits). 16. Do you like hugging? —If yes, would you like to hug me? 17. Do you like kissing? —If yes, would you like to kiss me? 18. Are you a member of the Lunar Scientia or the Moon Knights? —If yes, would you like to join me for lunch in one of the commissaries sometime? 19. Do you have any strong feelings regarding the Lunar Scientia or the Moon Knights? —If yes, please elaborate: 20. Would you like to register a grievance or complaint of any kind against the Lunar Scientia (e.g., for leadership's continued reckless rush to reawaken anything and everything, no matter how poorly understood and potentially cursed)? —If yes, please elaborate (indicate whether you wish your response to be anonymized): ***Please submit this survey to receive your coupon code. For directions to the empanada stand, see supplement C.*** Supplemental Survey Materials A. file: phix.image B. location: apartmentL2U128.nav C. location: EmpanadaEmpusa.nav

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

LOL You are so funny!! (I only learned about pick up lines recently, I am really interested to hear more of them) Ah I am a little confused now. Wasn't holding hands for an hour or two the way you got chroma? If you don't normally do that anymore, are you not in danger of becoming a crystal / kate moss thing? Or have I misinterpreted something Though Ultimately I suppose that is not really any of my business, and if you prefer not to discuss it I shall respect that & in any case I would be happy to talk about sports.

i am? yeah i mean totally
alright so let me get this straight
youre existing looking as good as all that and you just recently learned about pickup lines?
it must be really shitty to live in a world of the blind

i guess its not a big deal so i dont mind?
you can hold hands but just being around the bros which is a gender neutral use of that word cause everyone can be a bro
its actually that saying sis doesnt fit the template so ill stick with bro
but anyway yeah anyone can be a bro so that doesnt mean you gotta just hold hands
you can lean on them, or chill out back to back
and if you throw a real wicked no homo their way you could even kiss your homie good night

It occurs to me that perhaps I ought to tell you to stop flattering me so much... I'm not going to, though. (But I should mention that I have indeed been, you know, approached before. Especially during Cordis, due to the aforementioned pheromone issue) (But I had never heard such things referred to as "pickup lines," and even now I worry I do not completely grasp the concept, to say nothing of the nuance) In any case!! I understand perfectly what you mean. And I am very fond of that type of moonlacing as well, so I imagine you and I will make excellent bros! However, please explain "no homo"

well now that you gave me permission
ay cordis buddies not that i think that might be a point of bonding just i get you dude
shit can be tough when were all on our moon periods
i just tend to stay home
alright how about this im going to shoot you some pickup lines and then maybe youll recognize them

ok now youre the one flattering me
sure ill hold your hand some time but if i stare awkwardly we just dont talk about it

no homo?
its what you say when you dont want your homie to think you want to put your hand down his pants but you really wanna tell him you can tell that hes been working out on glute day

Oh! I sympathize with you, but I don't feel that I have it particularly tough during Cordis (except when I turn into a fairy) (You know, if you do ever feel up to leaving home when Cordis moon is in phase, I find it's an excellent time to eat out, or go shopping. I am careful not to really take advantage, but having a moon-induced charm upgrade can be a great way to get a free beverage, an extra doughnut, or a bit of a discount on frivolous purchases) Now then! I am excited to read your pickup lines, so please go ahead. In addition, I promise never to mention any awkward staring you happen to do. And thank you very much for telling me about "no homo"; it sounds very useful!

okay youve got a point and i see where youre going with it im going to agree to agree
except when you turn into a fairy i can agree to agree on that one too

shit um
okay
alright so a tried and true one by people who arent me is the following most cheesie of pick up line
cheesie like its an eye roller but its become so eye roller that sometimes its charming
you walk up to someone and you ask them: are you sure youre not tired youve been running through my mind since i got here
or theres ones like: im not a photographer but i can picture you and me together
um theres... oh theres one where you can ask them to feel your sweater or something and then tell them: that right there is boyfriend material
the one i like the most i think is: do i know you? because you look like my next girlfriend
i guess you could substitute it to boyfriend too

man bet
i got you on the bro code and how to navigate that shit like a god damn map

Ah!!!!! Those are so cute and charming!! I love them!! Thank you! I definitely feel that I understand the basic format better now. And I will remember those so I can try them later! What happens if you combine a pickup line with no homo?

wait you like them?
damn okay
ill polish off the other ones for another time then
youre welcome i guess

oh shit
no you dont play with forbidden fire like that
you cant walk up to your homie and give him them mixed signals
compliment his ass tell him his eyes are gorgeous but dont play with his heart with the no homo

So the idea that you would, in fact, like to put your hand down the other party's pants is implicit in pickup lines... Are there any gray areas? For example, if you'd be happy just making out a little?

[[Oh god what has he done? Dave deserves this.]]

i mean yeah likely
theyre normally used for pickups at bars and stuff i guess because ive never picked up anyone at a bar
um i guess you could just go ahead and if they seem receptive to your line and go off with you then you get to make out after that?
consent is key
or maybe if you want to throw some balls to the wall attitude you could walk up and be like:
yo you wanna make out or am i going to have to make up something clever first?
like okay if i said to you: you you wanna play some tonsil hockey?
or if i said something clever
which one would work faster? thatll answer your question

To be honest, they would probably both work immediately... But I do think the lines are funny, so I suppose it might depend on how much it matters to the you in this scenario that I think you're funny. Actually, now that I think of it When this happens, do I know it's you, or do I think you're a stranger? (Also is this definitely taking place in a bar or could it be somewhere else)

funny would be good but maybe clever so i dont feel like a trashy dude trying to pick up someone like im desperate after highschool football couldnt carry me farther than shoe store salesman

usually itd be a stranger but
i dunno id hit on you at a bar but not in the sleazy way that sounded
more like i think youre kinda cool so if i knew that...
well if i knew that i guess we wouldnt be strangers so thered be no need? or maybe there would be need
maybe im going to throw pickup lines at you any time i see you on the network now

? Is it trashy to sell shoes? It probably won't happen at a bar, since I am forbidden to drink alcohol in this city. (But I do have some magically intoxicating rings that are for some reason not likewise forbidden) But if you think about it... Even though we've been talking all this time, I don't have any idea what you look or sound like! So you could hit on me the first time we happen to meet in person, and I will not necessarily realize it's you right away. (Though I do imagine I will notice before long.) Either way, I'd love to hear more of your pickup lines!

no not really it was a reference to something obscure and i cant stop myself from making them without realizing what ive done until well god damn after the fact
basically just me running my mouth without a filter which is how i talk at all times im very self aware

i dont know if thats funny or confusing
this place is a fucking backward bunchve bullshit sometimes
you beat up the bouncer? that what happened?

hm okay what about this
make your own pickup line up and if you hit the nail on the head ill turn on my video to make it fair

It is at least a little impressive that you can type without one, too! (Unless you are using "text to speech") Nothing like that this time! There is simply an age threshold. We don't have such a thing back home, but I don't think we have "bars" as such either, so... at least I am not conscious of any particular loss. Oh! Hmm Let me think. Meeting you made this a red-letter day in more ways than one... but what I'm hoping for now is more of a red-letter date.

text to speech cant keep up
i type my shit im used to it

uh oh
im waiting for chris hansen to sit me down and remind me i need to ask ages first
i dont even know what adult age in this place is last time i was here i was sixteen
speaking of chris hansen

[[Mirror shades and platinum blond, bordering white hair pop onto the screen, equally pale skin accented by the dim lights of his comm and in the background of his kitchen where the rest of his apartment is left dark. There's a small drawl to his voice, nothing he is letting get the better of his words, but the accent remains as he speaks.]]

Alright, you win. That was good. Good and also original, and also included 'red', so I mean you kinda cheated but that's a'right.

It wasn't cheating! I thought of it because you write in red letters; it was personalized! ...Ah, though now that I think of it, perhaps a pickup line that is personalized to that extent slightly defeats the purpose.

But I'm glad I get to see your face! Sixteen is essentially how old I am now. When were you here before, and how old are you now?

It's kinda cheating, but it's good cheating. I'm fine with it, though, can't say I ever had someone figure out a pointed pickup line. Or a pickup line.

[[Alright that's a really nice thing to say. At least to him.]]
I don't think I've ever had someone say they're glad to see my face. I'm glad you saw my face, too.

[[He taps his chin, tilting his head.]]
Twenty one? Probably twenty one. This place kinda makes me feel like I'm not sure but I'm sticking with twenty one.

Well, that makes far less sense than my being unfamiliar with pickup lines. Who wouldn't want to see your face? —Unless, of course, no one's said it because you always set challenges like that before showing anyone, and I am the first one who succeeded! Hohohh.

[ of course, titus is still in the same apartment as before but has now relocated to the couch. and the video stays remarkably stable in spite of a fairly intense sideways flop! ]

I'm never quite sure how old to say I am, either... but this place isn't why. What is it that makes you feel uncertain?

[[He scratches his head in thought to that question as a serious question. Dave is certain there's people in this place who wouldn't be too keen on a random, nerdy albino showing up on their feed.]]
I dunno, probably people out there.

[[The rest of the statement, however, garners a small, lopsided curl of one side of his lips.]]
You can safely keep that trophy, I don't really do video around here. It's easier to type. Ehh, I guess easier isn't the real thing, I'm just used to typing and speech to text.

[[Dave also hasn't noticed that in the small span of "no I don't want to get attached/meet new people" he has already met new person and already enjoys new person. The question of age makes him sigh a contemplative sound and then relax back, himself.]]
I crossed at least one birthday here, but when I went back everyone else who was my age, was only 20 or 21ish. Came back here and my birthday's only a few months away again. Time can be a pretty big bitch, I know it can be, but Jesus, y'know?

[[He tips his head up, happy to move on after his rhetorical question.]]
Why's it hard to say in your case? Your age I mean?

Oh, birthdays... [ those things! ] Honestly, once you are at the point where you're traveling to different worlds with different timelines and calendars, those are totally irrelevant to tracking your age. I mean, imagine if you traveled to a new world every two days, and they all coincidentally measured years in exactly the same way as each other... but every time you got to a new world, it was always the day before your birthday. After twenty days, you'd have passed ten more birthdays, but it's not like you could honestly say you were ten years older! So I just track my age by counting the days themselves... But I suppose it helps that we don't use the same calendar system here that we do in my world, so I was never tempted to try to match them up. [ shrug!!! ]

[ and now the big question. titus is the one who brought it up, of course, but it's still hard figuring out how best to explain. ]

I'm...
I've only really lived for two years. One here, one back home. But I spent fourteen years before that... um...
Incubating, I suppose? Pupating, maybe. And I was, you know, conscious and self-aware and everything for all that time, so it probably counts toward the total. But the way I look, and the degree to which my identity and mind are fully formed, and so on—those, I think, would be exactly the same whether I had spent five years incubating, or fifty. So while I do know how long it's been in numerical terms, I never feel quite sure of my "age" when it comes to being a child versus being an adult...

But it is certainly true that it has not yet been eighteen years by any measure, so I abide by the alcohol restriction.

I also used to keep all of that secret, but I stopped seeing the point several months back.

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