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redmarsshit2019-09-21 12:52 am
modblob) wrote in redmarsshit2019-09-21 12:52 am
redshift: tdm #4
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.
▶ 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.
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.
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.
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.
no subject
[That's exactly the look Kieran has on his face. Enough that he doesn't stop Ami from trying to grab the Good Rod. He just wanted to use the Old Rod at first, but hey, she's right in that they're both fishing. He'll just have to make sure to take good care of it during their little trip.]
Yer kiddin' me!
How come I ain't never heard of 'em before?
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I'm... not sure? I think maybe they're not supposed to exist on Earth. Or not every Earth. Something like that.
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Isn't there just one Earth, though?
[It was enough of a doozy to learn that people came here from different times and from space, but now there are other different Earths out there???]
...Please say there's just one Earth.
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[ Oh, shit, that's right. Ami hadn't told Kieran anything about Recollé prior to this, and that was largely deliberate. This is a guy who a toaster blows his mind, and here she goes about to start rambling about the multiverse and alternate timelines and why her world has chocobos and how everybody forgot horses existed for months?
It's not that she thinks he can't handle it or anything, she just didn't mean to tell him right away. Maybe it's selfish of her, but ... there's something nice about being a couple of normal humans doing normal human things. Once her horns come back in - and she has no reason to think they won't - there'll be no hiding what she is anymore. Shouldn't she take advantage of being human while she still can?
... Oh no, she bummed herself out. And she still needs to say something. ]
Nnnnot exactly? It's hard to explain...
[ But what do you know - she may not have to answer that one. Because there's an odd rustling coming from a thick stand of trees nearby. Why would the trees be moving? They're indoors, so there's no wind... ]
no subject
[Living and traveling rough comes with very specific hardships and very specific instincts that are honed with those hardships. While not as accomplished a survivalist as his fellow outlaws, Kieran's learned a few things over the years--particularly when a situation is about to get dangerous.]
[He could very well be overreacting. He's not immune to hyper-vigilance, after all, but he'd rather make a big deal out of nothing than the opposite. Not when there are lives potentially on the line, and especially not when one of them is a kid.]
[Kieran's not the best shot or the most violent person, but he still keeps his revolver on him at nearly all times out of habit. He's thankful this is one of them. He places his hand on the ivory hilt and speaks to Ami without looking at her, slowly stepping backwards while maintaining his focus up ahead.]
Get behind me. Now.
no subject
What? Is something there?
[ Oh geez oh geez. It was only like a day or so after she first got to Anchor that she and Poison got stuck in here together, and were nearly run over by some kind of glowing two-headed bull. And this zone isn't by any means safe yet, everybody knows that.
Please don't be a monster please don't be a monster please don't be a monster. ]
no subject
[Kieran's voice is barely more than a whisper and while his words aren't unkind, they're definitely far more stern than anything he's ever shown before. He continues to step backwards, quickening his pace but making sure he doesn't run into Ami.]
[The trees shake a bit more and, sure enough, a really messed up looking bear snout peeks out, sniffing around for something. The rest of the bear (are those antlers?!) soon follows, its gait unsteady. For now, it doesn't seem like it's noticed them, but that kind of luck isn't bound to hold.]
[Kieran waves behind him, wordlessly gesturing to Ami to move faster. The priority here is to get her out of harm's way.]
no subject
Just as it seems they might get away without being seen, Ami happens to glance over toward the barn, and - oh no. Branwen and Eavan are still outside!
She taps Kieran urgently on the shoulder, trying to keep her voice down. ] Kieran, the horses!
no subject
[While Kieran trusts them to know to head into the barn should danger rear its ugly, antlered head, he’s also not sure what this big weird bear is capable of. A regular bear, although usually discouraged by walls and doors, could easily break through them if it wanted to. Something like this, an animal with a temperament that Kieran doesn’t know (and frankly would rather not learn about), is an unknown factor in a gamble that nobody here wants to lose.]
[There’s still a bit of distance between Ami, himself, and the bear, so there’s probably time for the horses to run over to them if he calls for them. But that would require making a very loud, very distinct sound that the bear is absolutely going to want to check out.]
[First: find a place where Ami can stay safe. As much as Kieran loves his horses, a kid’s life is going to trump theirs in every scenario.]
[Second: gather the horses]
[Third: ?????? Don’t get eaten maybe??????]
[Fourth: Profit? With their lives?]
[It’s as good a plan as any, and they don’t have the time to try and come up with something better. So, Kieran scans behind them quickly, spying a log that he and Pratt haven’t cleared out just yet. Maybe out of laziness, maybe for general aesthetic, but either way, it’s going to come in handy here. He then turns to Ami and whispers:]
Get behind that log there and stay down. No matter what you hear, do not move unless I tell you to, got it?
no subject
If she just had her powers! She's fought monsters like this before. She's killed monsters like this. And even though she abhors violence, even though the faint tactile awareness of tearing apart a living thing never fails to disgust her - to protect her friends, she'd kill as many monsters as she has to.
But for now, she doesn't have powers. For now, she'd only get in the way. So while she instinctively opens her mouth to protest, after a second she closes it and nods. He's a genuine cowboy, he knows what he's doing. (Probably.) But she does give him a quick squeeze around the chest. ]
Don't get hurt.
[ And then, if there's nothing else, she'll go and tuck herself behind the log as instructed. ]
no subject
[The horses seem to have caught wind of the bear's presence. Their ears start swiveling around and they shake their heads in agitation. Kieran adjusts his path so they can see him coming in from an angle, reassured by the presence of not only a friend, but the 'leader' of the tiny herd they've been building. First, Kieran approaches tiny Branwen, who immediately calms down and stands at the ready for direction. Eavan, on the other hand, needs a little more convincing. Her nostrils flare and her eyes grow wide as Kieran tries to calm her with soft words and soothing sounds. She stomps her hooves and whinnies, which is enough of a sound to start catching that weird bear's attention. It raises its antlered head and sniffs in their direction before slowly lumbering along towards them.]
[Well. Fuck.]
[He was hoping to avoid this, but after a couple more moments of trying to calm Eavan, Kieran climbs onto her back. There's no saddle and there aren't any reins to go along with her makeshift bridle, so this is going to be a bumpy ride for both of them. It also means they're going to need to update that half-assed plan half-way through. That's fine.]
[Kieran guides Eavan by gently turning her body with his heels, scooting forward along her back to try to mitigate any discomfort for either of them. He chases Branwen off so he runs towards where Ami is hiding and calls out to her.]
Get on his back and head to the barn! I'll keep this thing distracted!
[He gets straight to work, pushing Eavan into a trot in the opposite direction, hoping that that funky monster will follow--which it does, even if it's wobbly.]
no subject
And then she hears Eavan's frightened whinny, cutting through the quiet. And if she heard it that clearly, then...
Still, she doesn't dare move or peek - until she hears hoofbeats coming toward her. Cautiously, she raises her head, and there's Branwen, and Kieran's shouting to ride him to the barn, and oh dear that horrible monster is a lot closer than she expected -
Oh geez oh god oh man. Ami scrambles to her feet and reaches for Branwen - he overshoots her at first, but then circles back, because he is a very good pony indeed. Fortunately, he's small enough that she can actually get on his back without a stirrup to climb, but then she blanks on how to make him go - wait, no, you kick with your heels, like so! ]
Hyah- ack!
[ It works! Branwen starts running again, and Ami almost loses her balance, but then leans forward, clutching at his neck. They're now headed in the general direction of the barn, but she has no idea how to steer a horse without reins.
Be safe, Kieran and Eavan...! ]
no subject
[As Branwen hurries both Ami and himself with his stubby legs towards the barn, Kieran guides Eavan--and, by proxy, the bear--away from the ranch proper. It's slow going, and Eavan certainly doesn't like it, but at least it's working. They keep up the song and dance until they reach an edge of thicker vegetation.]
[If he had a saddle and reins, Kieran would've had no problem with navigating with Eavan through the shrubs and trees. As they (literally) stand, though, it would be far too risky a gamble to even try. The bear, slow and lumbering as it is, would have the clear advantage, and with the way it's growling, Kieran has no doubt that it's ready to use that advantage to its full potential.]
[But it's still acting as addled as ever, and as far as Kieran is able to tell, it's in no shape to run after a healthy horse. So, against Eavan's wishes, he turns them both around and pulls out his gun. As the bear picks up speed, running int heir direction, he aims it to the sky and shoots twice. The piercing crack is enough to startle the poor bear into stopping in its tracks (and enough to startle the poor mare into a loud whinny). Despite Eavan's vocal surprise, Kieran takes that moment to dig his heels into her sides, prompting her to book it in the opposite direction.]
C'mon girl! Git!!!
[Somewhere behind him, he can hear the bear roaring in frustration, but Kieran's not about to turn back and take a look. He's pretty sure Eavan wouldn't even let him, what with how fast she's running. He has to grip her mane to keep his balance as she thunders along the trail that leads back to the barn. Sure, it's the long way around, but all the better. If, by some small chance, the bear is trying to follow them, it won't make it all the way to the ranch again.]
[The thing about taking a roundabout path, though, is that it's going to take a while for Kieran to make it back, but when he does, it's with a happy wave!]
what is time
Seconds pass - she's not sure how many. She hears a pop, pop! that can only be Kieran's revolver, and a faraway roar, and then... nothing.
Ami holds her breath as long as she can, listening closely, fearing the worst. What if he's hurt? What if he's worse than hurt? Branwen shakes his head suddenly, probably just as worried as she is. Ami pats his neck and reassures him. ]
It's okay. I'm sure he's fine. He's just... taking the scenic route.
[ Horses will believe anything, though, they're pretty dumb. Should she go look for him? But then she might get hurt, and what if he is fine and he comes back and she's not here?
Fortunately, a minute later, the mini-horse's head perks up, and Ami follows his gaze - and it's Kieran, riding triumphantly back with Eavan, waving happily. Overjoyed, Ami waves back and slides off of Branwen, running toward the fence on foot. Once Kieran's close enough, she calls out to him: ]
You did it!!