redmarsshit | redshift: tdm #5

redshift: tdm #5

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. don't be a sap.

Good morning, October 25th! Whether you're a confused new arrival or a current resident, you probably had some plans for today, right? Grab breakfast, visit a friend, pick some fruit, explore a new part of the massive city.

Well. Too bad. Because, as every single bot in the city will be telling you the moment you show your face, it's GOOP FESTIVAL DAY! What? You've never heard of it? Preposterous, everyone knows about the Goop Festival, it's one of the most anticipated holidays in Anchor! Haven't you been preparing for this for a week now?

The Goop Festival is a harvest celebration, in particular, a celebration of the sap-producing trees that grow wild in the Park, thick around the edges of the south side of the lake. The bots have been hard at work setting up the festival grounds in the shade of the trees in the balmy fall temperatures. There are spiles tapped into trees with buckets placed underneath that are already half-full of a thick, viscous, amber-colored sap. The bots have also set up troughs of shaved ice with long sticks nearby, with which they will demonstrate for excited residents (you are excited, right?) how to cool the sap in the ice and wrap it around the stick to make it a sort of taffy candy. That's not the only sweet surprise waiting, either.

A long table set up in the grass is loaded down with all sorts of delicious sap-related goodies, ranging from cupcakes with thick globs of sap-flavored frosting to sap-flavored jerky to sap sugar candies, and just about anything else you can imagine. There are a wide variety of offerings that would taste good coated, flavored, or glazed with the sap, which tastes sort of like a caramelized toffee. Another table is laid out that has row upon row of cups, each half-full of the sap, heated lightly to a thinner consistency and served similarly to hot chocolate - at least, if hot chocolate gave you a floaty, happy, hazy sort of feeling. Everything made with this sap does, actually, with the cups of pure sap having a stronger effect and items with less sap content having barely any effect at all.

Does this not sound like your cup of weird tree sap? Too bad. This is the GOOP FESTIVAL, and everything is shut down for this lovely paid vacation day. Spa? Locked down. Kitchens? Locked. Bar? Nope, totally shut down and the server bots are all down at the park. VR Gaming? Too bad, the computers are all shut down. Even roaming the halls and trying to stay out of the way won't help much...be prepared to be dragged down to the park to participate in this mandatory festival! Isn't it exciting?

b. familiar ground.

Every year in Anchor near the end of October, there's a very strange interaction between the protective dome over the city and seasonal radiation surges that happen in the wastelands. Some complicated combination of refraction and reflection means that for the last few days of the month, residents will experience some of the more benign effects of the red shift inside the city.

Did we say benign? Because while there may not be any dangerous radiation to melt your skin off, there are some mind-bending dangers. Characters experiencing the shift will find the world becomes distorted, warped, impossible to navigate; they are enveloped in auditory and visual hallucinations, and can become so disoriented that they can't even recognize people they've known for years. And characters will find that the citywide shift brings in slivers of other universes, little slices of places characters have never seen before...or places so familiar they make the heart beat hard with joy or fear.

And just like in the wastelands, the things that show up in these shifts are all too real. Characters may find themselves walking through a door into a scene straight from home, or from someone else's home. Whether it's a favorite place to share with a new friend, or the nightmare landscape you almost died in, complete with the monster that almost killed you, be careful. Everything you experience here is real, and if you die in the shift, you die for real.

Of course, the city has its own safety measures in place - residents experiencing the hallucinations and appearances of items and places from other worlds may find themselves locked down in the room they're in, trapped with the otherworldly effects of the shift.

c. the virus.

A few weeks ago, people in Anchor started getting a case of the sniffles. While some of the earliest cases might be clearing up, there are still a few people suffering, or people freshly infected by those who were sick earlier, including some of the new arrivals who may not even be feeling it yet.

Which may make the cause of some unexpected 'glitches' around the city a little unclear. Residents who are feeling the effects of the illness, or who are infected but not showing symptoms yet (or anymore) will find that their access to certain parts of the city are restricted. Suddenly, automatic doors aren't opening for them, as if they were ghosts, particularly when they try to access anything that may facilitate transmission of the virus. Suddenly, only some of the residents of the city will find they can't get into half of the MedBay, or the spa, the kitchens, the VR or games rooms, the bar...anywhere people gather or eat or sit close together.

Residents may put together that it's related to the illness some of them have been experiencing over the past few weeks, but it might take a while, since these safety and security measures are affecting people who are showing no symptoms yet. Be prepared for a few days of paranoia while seemingly perfectly healthy people are locked out of common areas. What does the computer know that residents don't? Are these people security risks? Is it a system glitch? What could be going on?

c. the network.

Need to get hold of someone, call for help, ask the city at large a question? Need to warn a friend not to leave their apartment unless they want to be forcibly press-ganged into the Goop Festival? Maybe you need to hold your sat phone up to whatever crazy thing you're seeing and send out a recording to double-check if your eyes are deceiving you and what you're looking at is real?

Whatever the reason, the network is going strong, so feel free to include a post to it in your top-levels.

Mod Note: The "familiar ground" prompt will be active between October 29th and October 31st; "the virus" prompt will be active until the next introductory mingle, which will be kicking off the second part of the illness plot.

Navigation.

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[As Scaramouche scans the park, someone else across the area locks eyes with him through the trees and festivities, her gaze sharp, focused. Maybe she wasn't looking for an accomplice like he was, but she certainly is looking for company, and it seems like she found it. Offering him a smile from a distance, she makes her way over, her purple hair and tall stature doing little to hide her approach.

As it turns out, she's not even the tallest one there -- she tips her head upwards as she gets closer, keeping her eyes on Scaramouche's face, utterly delighted to find someone larger than she is.]

I was thinking I was the tallest one in this place, but I am clearly in the wrong.

Edited 2019-10-27 08:48 (UTC)

[Scaramouche hasn't been looking for long when he notices someone gawking at him from across the park.]

Huh?

[The woman smiles when their eyes meet; that's the polite thing to do when you've been caught. Back on Earth, someone staring at him like that is after something. It could be his time, his blades, his money... and when he doesn't feel like parting with those things, they occasionally start taking an interest in his life.

But this isn't Earth.

She doesn't take her eyes off him and he returns the favor. He's frowning as she makes her way over to him, his head tilting downward in kind so he doesn't lose this staring contest they've got going. And then she talks. His face brightens with a genial smile.]

Yeah? Well, that's too bad. But hey, you're closer to the top than everyone else-- [he leans down a little]-- right, babe?

[He draws closer to her, and Elleru's smile widens -- such a nice change to how standoffish some of the uprights have been so far.]

So close I can almost reach you.

[She drags her fingers along his scarf, noting the texture of the fabric, wondering where she can get one. If there's one thing she loves about uprights (and there are many things she loves about uprights, even strange, metal ones like this fellow), it's their sense of style. Her people identify themselves with markings and tattoos, but to do so with clothing is such a creative solution. How clever the uprights can be.

She pulls her hand back slightly before extending it again, this time for a polite shake.]

You may call me Elleru. Now you tell me your name.

[Oh. Scaramouche's face melts into something bordering on slightly bashful as her hand traces along his scarf. Then she pulls it away and extends it to him for a handshake. Snapping back to his wide-eyed, happy-go-lucky expression like nothing happened, he stands at his full height and lightly takes her hand in his, his grasp cold and firm. He gives it a single, short shake.]

You may call me-- [one more shake]-- Scaramouche. [And he lets the hand slip away. Leaning closer again:] What's your story, baby? You new in town?

[Oh, his hand is much colder than she expected, though she supposes she would have known it would be, given he seems to be covered in metal. Is it elaborate armor? No, he seems more like he's simply made that way, like some sort of mechanical man. Did uprights make him? Or gods? How did he come to be?

She reddens just a little at his question, trying to keep her excitement manageable. She will find out more about him, she's sure of it. She must be patient.]

I am, relatively speaking. [Her R had a little roll there, her accent quite thick.] Perhaps that is why I have not yet seen you. Or were you hiding from me?

Hide from you, doll? Never.

[He doesn't frequent the bottom levels of the compound nearly as much as the others here do; when he does go down to them, it's usually in the early hours. He works alone. Some might think it gets lonely, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Scaramouche is always in good company, babe.]

Say, are you diggin' this scene?

[He throws a glance at the 'festival'.]

[She follows his glance to the people and the robots and the sap-covered trees.]

It is not bad. I would think it would be livelier for a party, but perhaps I have misunderstood what a festival is in this place.

[He jerks a thumb over his shoulder at the bot attendants around the park perimeter, hiding his mouth from them with an open hand and replying to her in a low voice, close to a stage whisper:]

Between you and me, these folks wouldn't know a party if it hit them in the face.

[He tilts away from her, standing tall again.]

Let's make our own fun! Whattaya say, babe?

[Oh, that does sound fun. She doesn't quite understand some of his gestures, but his liveliness is a breath of fresh air.]

What is it you have in mind, Scaramouche? [There's that accent again.]

[Accent or no accent, Scaramouche loves it when people say his name back to him. So few who do know the name live long enough to sing it. His marks had the habit of getting creative with their name-calling, but it wasn't the same thing.

He offers Elleru his best approximation of a saccharine smile. The smile of a sweet-talker.]

First, we fall out. No one's having fun with these squares around.

[He could clear this entire floor in one jump and get moving again. But what kind of self-respecting assassin tips his hand like that? No one in Anchor knows what he's capable of and he intends to keep it that way. For as long as possible, anyhow.

Besides... he's starting to like this number.]

Edited 2019-11-25 06:42 (UTC)

[Unfortunately, something is lost in translation; her head tilts, one ear flicking in confusion.]

'Fall out'? Have a falling out?

[That can't be right, given the context. She tries again.]

You mean to leave?

That's right, babe. We've gotta make a break for it.

[He turns around to face the bots, saying (whether to Elleru, or to himself, is anybody's guess):]

But we don't want them following us, do we?

[The more time they spend down here, the more time any rats will have to wander the halls of Anchor undetected. Is he the only one who's thought of that?]

[Ooo, they don't want the robots following them? How mysterious! They were very insistent that everyone attend the festival, so they may be just as insistent that no one leave.

She smiles mischievously.]

How shall we trap them, then? To keep them from following us?

[That's what he likes to hear! Scaramouche whirls around again, beaming down at her. Judging by that smile, she is on board and ready to roll!]

I'm glad you asked! Well, we could send them into a tizzy with a distraction; we can run for it and hide out someplace till they get fed up and quit looking for us...

[He counts the ideas off on his fingers, trailing off halfway down the list to cast a sly glance at her.]

We'll have to improvise. [And he's leaning in slightly, bringing his face that little bit closer to hers.] You know how to improvise, don't you?

[She meets his sly glance with a playful look of her own.]

I believe I do.

[Or she thinks she does, as she only has a vague idea what "improvising" is. She'll just wing it and never know she was improvising all along.]

Great. Now, how do we get them to lay off...?

[With a hand on his chin, he looks over at the bots again. An idea strikes that turns his short-lived frown upside-down. He's got it. He has a cute tomato for a co-star; she can play the main part! The corners of his mouth curl up even more as his gaze slides back to her. Time for an audition. He continues in a conspiratorial undertone:]

Act like you're fainting.

[Elleru glances from Scaramouche to the robots and back again. She doesn't yet get the plan, but if there's one thing she can do, it's dramatically reenact scenes from her favorite novels. She puts a hand to her bosom, her other wrist to her forehead in mock agony.]

Oh~, how hot it is! I feel I am going to faint—

[And with that, she's going to topple toward Scaramouche, fully confident he'll catch her -- and he'd better.]

[His face flashes with excited amusement at her performance--she's a knock-out act, he can already tell--before promptly having it fall into an imitation of exaggerated worry. Right on cue, he darts to her side and catches her in his arm.]

Baby!? Baby, talk to me!

[When she doesn't answer, he enhances the spectacle by taking off his hat and fanning her with it. His optics flicker to their audience. A group of bots seem to be taking an interest in her plight, but they're not coming over. He pushes the hat down on his head again, leaving it tilted at a rakish angle, and in that same quiet undertone that only she can hear, he says:]

Let's give 'em a show.

[He quickly and smoothly bends down to sweep her off her feet, scooping her legs up in one arm and tightening the hold of his other around her back.]

[Good thing Scaramouche is a mechanical man with plenty of strength to go around, because she's heavy as she lands in his arms, and even heavier as he hoists her up. She's never been carried so daintily before, like one of the characters on the covers of her novels -- she lets her head hang back, her long, fluffy hair draping loosely behind her.

She cracks an eye just to sneak a peek at how the robots are taking it; a couple of the ones that were watching are now bee-lining over, beeping as though asking if they can assist in some way, helpfully offering cups of sap like it's a cure-all to every problem, from headaches to fainting spells.]

Edited 2020-02-05 08:04 (UTC)

[She might be just a bit heavier than he expected. He won't let on; not now, not ever.]

Oh-kay, outta the way, all of you! Yeah, that means you too, pal.

[He lightly bounces her in his arms, reaffirming his grip (that's better), and gets to walkin'. The bots clear a path and he strides on through. Scaramouche tilts a few inches to the left and gives one of them a slight shove with his elbow as he passes; that's what they get for standing too close. Those two that seemed to show the most concern continue to follow in his step; a couple of saps with sap at the ready. He turns on his heel to confront them once they've made it past the crowd. The sudden halt makes the pair bump into each other.]

Hey, didn't I tell you to step off?

[Make sure they get an eyeful, spin back around, keep walking. Lower his focus to the woman in his arms to check she's doing all right. They're eating it up! What they can't see from over there is that he's smiling. This isn't the time to drop the act--they've just left the park, they're not in the wings yet--but he has feedback for her.]

You? Are a natural.

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redshift: tdm #5

🐦 + 🤖 = 🎉

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