anonymous text post

[peerlesscucumber]

Chroma, Moonlacing, and You

a breakdown by Anonymous for the Moonblessed
Congratulations! You're now on the planet Prismatica, in the city of Lunatia, population: Prismals and Moonblessed. (That's you!) What do you want to know about Chroma, Moonlacing, and your survival in this place?

What is Chroma?

To recap what the Lunar Scientia should have said when you were processed, Chroma is a form of energy that we, the Moonblessed, generate. In Prismatica's history, Chroma was also produced through various means on world, but since the Calamity, Prismatica has only been processing energy crystals for demichroma to keep things working. Demichroma is both a less powerful form of energy and the standard currency throughout Lunatia, and is what any person working in the city will be paid in. Weird enough yet? It gets weirder.

Why should I care about Chroma?

You should care because if your body's Chroma levels fall too low, you'll begin crystalising. You need direct infusions of Chroma to reverse the process, and the only way of getting that Chroma is through moonlacing.

If your body loses all Chroma, you will completely crystalise and die. This should be difficult. Should be! If you're feeling horrible, take at least one hand held out to you so you don't get to this point. See What happens when we die? for more information.

What the fuck?! Why do I lose Chroma?

Chroma is a form of energy. It seems like it may be linked with your life energy here on Prismatica. Living your life means burning energy, and now you don't only use the energy of food or whatever the fuck usually keeps you functioning, but also use Chroma in order to stay functional on this world.

You lose Chroma because you burn it up like any other energy source by existing. Which is why you need to moonlace for more Chroma to stay active and healthy.

Be warned, Moonblessed! You can burn through Chroma faster by doing any of the following:

• participating in any non-moonlacing related physical activities that take a lot of normal energy;
• using any special or advanced abilities you may have (magic, superpowers, energy manipulation, psychic abilities, any and everything, even whatever you're thinking about now, probably);
• or being under the influence of outside forces. Are you influenced by the Cordis moon? Sorry, Moonblessed, but you may find your Chroma consumption goes up whenever your moon's in phase! Have you been drugged with Glow? Welcome to your new energy vampire urges!

It's fucked, we know.

Then what is Moonlacing?

When one Moonblessed and another Moonblessed come into physical contact, they generate Chroma. Think of it as a reaction that naturally occurs when two Moonblessed come into contact and maintain that contact, though it does not appear to work well or at all in instances of senseless violence or force. Sparring is a different matter, but punching someone for no reason or choking them for Chroma if they're not into breath-play and haven't given consent is not going to work.

Moonlacing is the name for this process of Chroma generation between two Moonblessed. No one knows what the fuck is up with it, only that it happens, and can be measured for how much Chroma-energy is generated at a time. Chroma is weird, because you need it to live, and yet it also is credited as "energy" you've added to Prismatica... and since energy is money here, it's money you've earned.

Now, Chroma that you naturally lose seems like it's absorbed by the world around us, or by some technology the Prismals in Lunar Scientia use, or maybe both or something else, which is how it's out there getting measured by Lunatia. Chroma you consume directly to use any abilities you have does not get released out into the world, but still appears to be counted as currency "earned" at time of moonlacing. This Anon doesn't understand it either. Financial records are visible and yet still mysterious.

How do you Moonlace?

Any way you can imagine that isn't rejected by one or more people involved. Two things of importance to note:

1. Moonlacing does not require direct skin contact.
2. Moonlacing will always feel good, but that does not mean all moonlacing will feel arousing. (Arousing can be of any associated emotion, okay! Any emotion! Any emotion!)

Addendum: While moonlacing is necessary, we advise you only moonlace with people you find tolerable. We advise against forcing yourself to moonlace with people you can't stand.

Forms of moonlacing contact can include, but are not limited to:

• Napping on or in physical contact with someone. (Also ideal when you have a full animal moonphase form.)
• Clasping a shoulder or upper arm.
• Holding hands.
• Brushing each other's hair.
• Shoulder massages.
• Wrestling.
• Supporting your drunk friend home. Or at least out of the bar.
• Carrying someone.
• Hugging.
• Cuddling.
• Snuggling. (Is there a difference between this and cuddling? This Anon just does not know.)
• Leaning shoulder to shoulder.
• Kissing foreheads, cheeks, hands, anywhere really.
• Everything remotely sexual does too. I'm not making that list for you. Sexy Anons out there can make that list for you!

The take away point is this: moonlacing is necessary to keep your chroma levels high enough so that you don't crystalise and die. So don't be a fool: moonlace. Survive. Those who want to go home under their own choice are only going to have that chance if they don't kill themselves along the way.

Can Moonlacing help heal?

For those who participated in recent tournament events, the answer appears to point toward "yes." However, it should be noted that increasingly more intimate levels of moonlacing were better at helping bodies recover quickly: kissing provided more than hands held over wounds, but massaging helped muscle aches, embraces helped generate enough Chroma for people's natural abilities to take control, and so on.

Short of something incredibly ill advised with someone suffering fatal injuries, moonlacing is not enough to save you when you're already dying. Talk to Prismals, and they'll tell you even in their general knowledge, "healing" was for minor injuries. It's what all those kisses exchanged before people swaggered out onto the arena were about, and all the hugs from Daddy Dearest before we went down. Moonblessed seem to be able to heal more than minor injuries with enough moonlacing, but it is not! Enough! To prevent you from dying if you've lost all your chroma already. Understood?! Don't go testing this out!

What happens when we die?

When you die, either because you used all your Chroma or because you managed to kill yourself or get yourself killed... your corpse is encased in crystal. Just your corpse. You're movable by anyone who can manipulate the crystal sculpture you've turned into, and as this Anon has been assured, the Prismals will take care of the crystal body if your friends don't want to.

But wait! There's more! Like everything else here, it gets weirder. After enough chroma has slowly seeped back into your body... you resurrect. Not entirely okay, but at least you're not fucking dead because you fucking died.

Prismals find nothing weird about this. Crystalising when you die is normal here. The not normal part is coming back out of the crystal, which if you remember waking up on the moon? Sounds like the same fucking process.

What happens when we disappear?

Great question. No idea. Does anyone have an answer from Lunar Scientia about this?

---

This is "as accurate as it can be right now," which means if you have information to add, comment for Anon to update. If you have questions, ask and this Anon or any of the other people reading can speak up and try to answer.

A question for anyone who knows: is there any noted increase in overall moonlacing if more than two people are involved in an act of moonlacing?

[ What follows is an audio version of this post with a big, green play arrow for anyone who doesn't read; it will narrate this post and replies in a voice oddly similar to Samuel L. Jackson. ]

Comments

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[codecmoment]

Thank you for the newbie primer! Hopefully there is a way to pin messages to the network, or at least folks can circulate this.

I did not know about the death thing, and I find that more terrifying than death just... being that.

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[lifehacker]

can confirm moonbless touch helps heal
DM me if you're >20 and want Chroma
i'll give you the good shit

Anon text

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Oh, thank you anon! I knew some of this stuff but having it in one place makes it easier for me to remember, and to explain it to others!

I heal, so I can also confirm that magic shares with your chroma.

voice;

[bailian]

That's not true.

[ For such a seemingly combative comment, it's obvious that what's said isn't meant to provoke a fight. There's no irritation, nothing that resembles that particular edge that follows before an argument breaks out. If anything these words sound quietly unsettled. ]

If you don't want it- [That intrusive feeling any contact gives off.] It doesn't feel good at all.

[ But a certain touch averse half-demon does take issue with the assumption that Moonlacing is a universally good experience.

Something can give a gratifying sensation, even in the most innocent sense, from the feel of a breeze to the warmth of a hot bath. But pleasant connotations have no obligation to stem from anything that feels pleasurable simply because those nerves have a response. Least of all when it happens without explicit permission the moment contact occurs with anyone at all, for any reason. ]

( text )

[nihonkoku]

That's actually helpful to know about death. I was a bit concerned that I could die here, but if I'll be resurrected anyway, I suppose things will be fine back home.

[wildsorcery]

You come back after dying??

1/4

[fashionicon]

toler

[ Someone pressed enter too soon. ]

voice | this was inevitable and he hates it

[peerlesscucumber]

If the process is truly the same, it might indicate how it is that those brought here wake at different times, all in the same manner on the moon. Perhaps a natural, slow building of chroma is responsible.

As for the rest, this one would clarify that even when one is dying [ he says this so very, very carefully ] moonlacing will attempt to heal. It simply will not succeed if the injuries are too great, and the need for chroma too large.

[ Another pause, and then a slight clearing of his throat. Why did he end up talking about that part. That's the part that's... fuck. ]

I appreciate the addendum. Also... echo words stated earlier. While the associated sensations are compulsory, it's a physical sensation unrelated to one's personal feelings. Clarifying a difference may help demonstrate that while there is an intensity to touch which may be entirely unique to this world, it does not change a person's mental state. Your heart remains your own.

[ Until the moon cycles kick in, and then it gets harder to make things clear, but this isn't about moon cycles! He's sorry, Luo Binghe, for arguing with you earlier......... as Anon.......................... ]

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[holycurse]

Thank you very much for this informational message. Everything seems very sensible when you put it this way!

Are you saying death isn't permanent here, though? Wouldn't that mean everyone is functionally immortal?

text;

[bratworth]

Surely one cannot classify this crystallization as true 'death' if it is possible to recover from it.

text ∞

[tartes]

So the rules don't respect a firm belief in personal space. Good to know... I guess.

[ Funny how the gripe seems more aimed at part of an institution than at the people comprising it. ]

I think I do have questions. What's the Calamity? And does chroma happen anywhere else in the universe, like with a different name? I'm kind of interested in its alive-again properties, or different versions of it in other worlds. Like without the crystal stuff or with different rules.

anon throwaway un: dragon.daddy

[yakiniku]

I fear a friend of mine has disappeared. Let me know if you find out what happens to people like him. I am worried.

text

[onerous]

[This is all very discouraging to someone like Yuri, and she stares for a few minutes in dismay, reading and re-reading it.

The answer's been the same every time she asks this question, but she figures she'll try again:]

And there aren't any alternatives to being physical with someone in order to moonlace?

My abilities make touching people difficult. I don't want to upset people or hurt them.

video;

[sheisthewind]

[Kagura's not even bothering with trying to text anon. Forget that noise.]

This is interesting. Why hide your identity, though?

voice; [ At a later time. ]

[bailian]

What if someone has no interest in ever going home?

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[witchwithoutacause]

who waaants to liiive foreveeer

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[foolishjustice]

Have you been able to find any information on how Chroma was produced before the Calamity? I've been working on trying to figure out alternative methods, so finding a way to send us home won't result in the Prismals facing the same problems they had before our arrival.

Text un: redkey

[princessascended]

On the subject of Chroma healing people, I should probably pass on that strong enough moonlacing can reverse the effects of drugs, like that Glow stuff.

It took a couple really deep kisses to reverse the effects of one bullet, and honestly, even with that group taken out, that's probably gonna be something people need to know.

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[hoasen]

Like my brother, I was worried about our condition and if we are now mortal here, but if we are resurrected. I surely hope no one has actually died yet for this to be put into practice. It's painful.

I also did not realise that supporting a drunk friend out of the bar will also count as moonlacing. I will make note.

text;

[mcring]

[ Most of that stuff about Chroma and whatever is pretty much what they've all been told or what Noctis has figured out for himself, so he doesn't even read it all, just skims it. Then he gets to the part about death, about crystalizing, and that... Yeah, that gets his attention. ]

Did somebody die??????????

[ Kind of blunt but what if it was somebody he knows? And even if it wasn't... Did that really happen to somebody? Getting turned into crystal like that? That's... That's death here? It's a lot to take in. ]

text;

[itsaname]

thank you for sharing this.

[ His question might seem oddly specific, but he asks anyway: ]

after someone is resurrected, do you know what condition their body is in?