redshift: tdm #4

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Redshift: Welcome to the v͖͕̺̲̘̱̜͎o̴̦̣̠̦̘̹͞i̯̖d̛̪̬͈̱̦̝͍̕.

▶ Click here to read what characters will experience when arriving in Anchor.

▶ All TDM threads can be considered game canon, and current players are welcome to either top-level on the TDM so prospective players can tag them, or use the prompts for logs or network posts on the communities. All threads on the TDM can be used for Activity Check.

a. the red shit.

There are rumblings in the deepest, most overgrown part of the agricultural area, where until very recently there was a lingering pocket of red algae. The good news is, the red algae is gone! The bad news is, it all got eaten by a mutated bear-thing with giant antlers. The algae did a number on the poor thing, doping it up and confusing it to the point where everything is an enemy.

What’s worse? The algae has adapted, colonizing the creature’s entire body. The algae has mutated in the process, releasing a protective cloud of toxins that causes severe hallucinations, as well as some of the protective and euphoric qualities that the red algae originally possessed. Which means the mutated, antlered, bear-thing is accompanied by a small army of other creatures, from large to small, who are all very invested in its survival and also are being driven crazy by its presence.

Prepare yourselves for one hell of a hunt. These animals can pop up almost everywhere in the agricultural zones, and when they do show their paws it’s to go on a rampage.

b. fashionista.

It wouldn’t be Anchor if the bots weren’t fucking shit up.

This time, the spa bots have gone full stylist coach, chasing down residents and trying to do their hair, nails, makeup, or change their clothes. In some cases, they're literally sweeping people off their feet and carrying them to the hot springs, massage rooms, and spa areas to be pampered. Too bad most of their cosmetics are fifty years out of date and the closests they’ve raided either had another resident’s clothes or moth-eaten dust-covered rags.

Is that the jacket Idris Elba was wearing in the introductory video? It kinda looks like it.

But it’s not all bad! The bots actually give great massages and fantastic mani-pedis. They also have a small stash of fresh cosmetics and clean clothes that got left behind in the spas. They might not fit great, but they look pretty good!

If your character doesn’t practice proper self-care, well. They’d better watch out. These bots have a particular eye for the sad, the filthy, the tired, and they’re going to make sure you get some damn fine pampering.

c. whole foods: 2.0.

Remember that whole Whole Foods grocery store thing that happened? Well, the grocery store and the zombies are still there. Only now there are more zombies, and two giant supply trucks have shown up, one behind and one in front of the store.

The one at the rear of the store can be accessed fairly easily. It’s painted to look like a giant United States flag, with a dramatic crying eagle emblazoned across the back doors. Inside, there is beer. Lots and lots of beer, and a bunch of semiautomatic rifles. Also some skeletons. Seems like the guns and booze didn’t help them.

The one in front of the store is thickly surrounded, the creatures clawing at the plain white sides of the semi like there’s something precious inside.

If Anchorites can make it through, if they can fend off the monsters and keep from getting torn to pieces by a hoard of bloodthirsty beasts, they’ll find out what that precious truck contains.

It’s twinkies. A semi full of twinkies. We hope you’ve got a sweet tooth, Anchor.

Navigation.

Comments

[birdical]

Elleru lets out a sad rumble from the back of her throat, the water rippling around her.

"I do not know," she admits, ever-truthful, as her kind are. "You are the first upright I have met here, if those outside are uncounted." Given they were clawing at her hide, no, they do not. "You rescued me, and I thought, perhaps, you may help me with my wounds if you were not afraid. So many often are of us. It was a surprise."

Though her ears remain back, her her head bowed as she rises from the water, she gives Rey as polite a smile as she can muster.

[circumitus]

Wait, upri--

Oh. Rey glances down at her feet, and then back at the quadrupedal creature. Of course they would refer to two-legged types as something... like that. Probably. Who knows.

Rey blinks several times, wiping the bubbly water from her face with the back of her now-sodden robe, as if to rub the reality back into her vision. But nope, there's still a talking bird-like animal in front of her.

"Seriously? Long as you're not trying to claw my face off, I was planning to help either way." There's no point in pretending to be someone or something else, she realizes. Not after being so casual and personable when she thought this was just a sapient creature and not a communicative one. "You've really talked to no one else here yet?"

[birdical]

"No one but you," Elleru remarks, delighted that her companion was going to help her regardless of whether or not she could speak. She knew uprights could be good -- altruistic, even. She's only met one since her arrival in this new world, but if this one is an example for what is to come, then there's no telling how kind the other, more outgoing ones may be.

She'll have to find out for herself. For now, her wounds do need tending to, as they are starting to ache. She eases herself toward the stairs to climb out of the water. "Would others here find it a surprise?"

[circumitus]

Neither of those things come as a shock to Rey. It wasn't like this place was bustling with people when she first arrived, save for the robots.

After a moment of gathering her bearings, she brings her hands down her face and heaves a heavy exhale. Honestly, this is not how she planned for her day to go...

"Not sure. Seems like there are other weird animals in Agriculture, so people might expect weird shit they've never seen before." God knows Rey already had, and she's still caught off guard sometimes. She's not quite at that 'used to it' stage yet.

[birdical]

Making her way from the water, Elleru gives her entire body a thorough shake, what feathers she has ruffling, her fur standing on all directions as she flaps her useless wings. A sharp ache from her side makes her features knit tightly, her body stiffening as she eases herself to the ground at the pool's edge with a quiet hiss.

"But are they lesser beasts?" she asks, not clarifying what she even means by that. The implication, other than that they can't speak, is that they are less than her, and given her size and vibrant coloration, it's not a hard qualification to meet.

[circumitus]

Right. They came here to patch up, not to waste time soaking. At least she took the time to change, so that she'll have dry clothes to slip back into later.

Rey doesn't get up quite yet, slipping her face into the bubbly water for only a few seconds to slide the shock from her expression before it's plastered there forever. She comes up just in time to hear the question.

"Depends on what you mean by 'lesser beasts'," Rey comments, leaving the water to slide out of the soaked robe and wrap the towel around her. It's large and fluffy and enough to modestly cover her form, for the most part. Other than additional scars on her chest and legs, there's nothing notable to find.

She doesn't like that term lesser beasts, though. Rey doesn't like thinking of anything as a lesser being than herself. The wording in itself is uncomfortable, which she conceals behind a tight grimace.

"If by that you mean they don't talk or whatever, then yeah. Probably."

[birdical]

Elleru hms to herself, just now considering the possibility she might be the only beast here who isn't a lesser one, especially in the eyes of her deity. That distinction may be both a blessing and a bane. People will not know what to expect of her in her natural form, as this upright didn't, and she can therefore hide among the lesser beasts as necessary; however, that also means they may not know she is suitably gifted, and deserving of respect when she demands it.

She supposes she can handle that problem if it comes. "That is only half of what I mean," she states evenly, unable to fully decipher Rey's grimace. She decides to be open with this upright, if no one else -- she has already seen she can speak, after all. "I am kaulahren. Many beasts are lesser to me."

[circumitus]

As if it wasn't obvious enough that this creature was something totally alien to Rey, that name sounds like Greek to her. Or, rather, it doesn't sound like anything she's ever heard before. She just blinks at the being before her -- and while she could imagine people holding such majestic animals in high esteem, that's a pretty bold claim to make.

"Uh-huh. That why you took so long to show that you're not one of those so-called 'lesser beast' yourself?" She huffs, grabbing another towel to dry her hair. She's had a few months to grow it out, but it's not quite the unruly fluffy mop she's used to, at least.

[birdical]

That remark garners an indignant snort. "As I said, many uprights are afraid. Some hunt us. I could not be sure which you would be, or if you would be neither. It is an 'element of surprise,' as they call it, should I need to defend myself."

She seems pretty proud of her use of that idiom, giving Rey something akin to a beaky smile as she cranes her neck back to start putting her fur back into place. It, much like Rey's hair, is a little unruly when wet.

[circumitus]

That would be a fair reason for anyone, given the circumstances. If she was regularly hunted, Rey would be wary as well. Though it doesn't necessarily explain the prolonged silent treatment. After all, if she quickly got over the fact that a giant alien creature was being friendly with her, then was the talking part such a big leap?

...Yeah, it probably was, let's be real.

Rather than getting hung up on the little details, Rey just waves off the concern. More to herself than to Elleru.

"Well, whatever." She shrugs a bare and scarred shoulder. "You still needed to get fixed up, right? If anything, that makes this easier now."

Rey's no veterinarian. She wouldn't know the first thing about telling whether an animal was in pain if it can't communicate what's wrong to her.

[birdical]

Pleased this upright seems to be letting her faux pas slide -- and making a mental note to avoid such a mistake in the future, lest she sour her chances to make friends and acquaintances, both of which will be important if she hopes to learn more about the uprights of this strange place -- Elleru stops preening for the moment, waiting for Rey to approach.

"I would like that, if you are still willing to help me. It is hard to... medicine myself."

Or medicate. She's working on it.

[circumitus]

The idiom mishap doesn't slip by Rey, but she's not pedantic enough to correct Elleru on it at the moment. Now that she's not 'just an animal', it's a wonder that she even knows any phrases like that at all.

"Right," Rey says more to herself than to Elleru. "Why not. Unless you're able to reach that far back, you're going to have a hard time fixing yourself, anyway."

Judging by the creature's proud posturing, pointing out the short arms in any blunt terms might not help. Best to keep that to herself.

For now.

[birdical]

"Is a reason why I was hoping you would help," Elleru returns with a coy smile. True, it might be easier for her to handle any wounds on her back and thighs in her upright guise, but shifting when wounded does run the risk of complications. It can be done without any stress on the injuries, but she'd be more than likely to tear the lacerations and cuts open further. If nothing else, it would be a painful experience, and that's something she'd rather avoid more of if she can.

She settles her great head down, giving Rey all the room she needs to play doctor.

[circumitus]

If Rey were a shifting animal, she'd probably prefer to avoid any unnecessary pain as well. As a walking synthetic person, however, she'd be more likely to exacerbate her injuries out of self-spite.

Luckily, she isn't the one who needs to be tended to here.

"All right. Just a moment, need to get--"

As Rey speaks, one of the robots interrupts with some basic first aid supplies. She squints at it a moment, surmising that maybe it listened in on their conversation to conclude that medical aid was necessary. It's probably bound to happen sometimes, even in a spa.

Nevertheless, giving the machine the old stink-eye, Rey finds a dry robe before taking the supplies offered to her. "Still don't trust you," she mutters to it, returning to Elleru, preparing some disinfectant gel. The wound has already been washed out, but you can never be too sure, especially when applying bandages over deep lacerations and bites. "Okay, this is going to sting a bit."

[birdical]

Though Elleru glances back to see just who Rey is talking to, she settles back down before she replies, not too worried about the little robot lingering around. She takes a deep breath to brace herself. Despite the relative safety of her colony, she has been injured before -- not by mindless, aggressive, upright monsters, but ones that needed attention regardless.

"I will restrain myself," she promises, her claws tensed against the floor, the end of her tail flicking in anticipation.

[circumitus]

Although Rey had never spent much time around animals, she knows enough to recognize when someone is bracing themselves for pain. It's not human body language, but it's telling nevertheless. They've already been banged up and bloodied pretty bad, but she wasn't sure how the animal would cope being manhandled.

Or... Rey-handled, for that matter. She's not very good at this. Not the first aid, but the bedside manner and being gentle. She doesn't talk while she works, not wanting to distract herself with conversation -- especially not for one that she wasn't prepared for. Working around Elleru's non-human form, before long Rey finishes with some bandages to cover the gel.

"That should do, for now. Doubt it's bad enough that you'll need to change them regularly." Because Rey's not sure she's up for that. Since this creature can, in fact, talk and comprehend the situation, it would be best to move on. Shouldn't let herself get attached, anyway.

[birdical]

In good news, Elleru is a well-behaved patient, save for a couple of low grumbles and stifled growls that rattle through her throat, reverberating against the ground. She's grateful when it's over, lifting her head and arcing her neck around to have a look for herself. It's cool beneath the bandages, the gel working to numb the pain.

"Change them?" she asks. "What if I should need to change them? May I call upon you?"

Apparently, the don't-get-attached mentality isn't present in her the way it is in Rey.

[circumitus]

Oof, that's more a loaded question than Elleru realizes. The vagrant lifestyle doesn't really lend for house calls that much, and she has to wonder if this creature can even use the comm devices to contact her with. She's not sure if she wants to let herself care enough to ask.

"...Probably best to go to whatever med facility they have here," Rey responds, almost coldly. She should get out of here now. Needs to. This isn't good for her. She wasn't ready for conversation with anyone, and now this sentient talking animal is asking questions about seeing her again. No no no no no.

[birdical]

Oh no, Rey isn't getting out of this without another question.

"Med facility?" Elleru repeats, slowly and carefully as though trying to commit a foreign, complicated term to memory. "What is med facility? Do you mean a hotel?"

No, not hotel, but she can't think of the proper word just now.

[circumitus]

For a moment Rey just looks baffled. But then realizes that she's not even sure what species this is, so maybe they wouldn't share many of the same words. How annoying.

"What? No. As in 'medical facility'? More like a hospital."

Which Rey can't say she's fond of, either.

[birdical]

"Hospi— oh, a hospital!"

Delighted as she seems to have figured out she was using the incorrect word, she gives Rey an apologetic nod. "Is there a hospital here?"