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Mods ([personal profile] modblob) wrote in [community profile] redmarsshit2020-04-27 08:43 pm
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test drive meme: april 2020

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.

▶ SPECIAL NOTE: We're only a month off from the 1 year anniversary of the first TDM, and we received this request for a fancy dress ball, so we thought it would be funny fun to run with it! This TDM will only have one prompt/event, as the monthly log with a bit more plot-related stuff will be going up on Friday May 1st.

a. an invitation.

There are ears everywhere in Anchor. A maintenance bot here, a surveillance AI there. SINI, restlessly pacing the dark digital hallways as she watches over the things that still matter to her. It doesn't take long for word to get out about Starscream's expedition plans. It takes an even shorter time for that news to circulate amongst Anchor's robo-population.

They know when you're unhappy. They always know.

It's why residents will start waking up one fine day to find gorgeous clothes laid out for them to wear and an invitation to a formal dinner taking place down at the plaza at Anchor’s base. The clothes aren't particularly specific to a character's gender, species, or culture - it's all about what the bots think your character would like best. Even if they're wildly off the mark, the clothes are still made to fit and fashioned beautifully. The invitations are marked "TOMORROW, STARTING AT 6PM LOCAL TIME." A smaller note underneath instructs attendees to see the tailor bot adjacent to the spa if they are unsatisfied with their assigned clothing, and also that the spa bots are on high alert, prepared to beautify anyone who wants some extra pampering and a dash of makeup.

Just be careful. Some of the makeover bots are really fond of glitter.


b. quite the spread.

True to the word of the invitation, the plaza is closed off under large white tents and guarded by bots who encouragingly steer you elsewhere should you try to get inside. They're nice, polite, all the things they've been programmed to be whether they like it or not, but there will be no sneaking by them into the party area.

At 6pm on the dot the day after the clothes arrive, characters will find music playing on all levels of Anchor, broadcast from the musical robots who have been practicing ever since that first tiny party almost a year ago.

Invitations will be taken by a bot in an impeccably tailored suit, and characters will be welcomed onto the red carpet that curves around the edge of the park and into the area cordoned off for festivities. The flashbulbs and cheering of bots that line the carpet echo through Anchor, broadcast along with the music until it sounds like the entire place is full of faintly electronic cheering. Each arrival is greeted with a fresh wave of enthusiasm, their image projected larger than life against the interior of Anchor's dome.

The sides of the tents have been rolled up, revealing the absolutely decadent set-up within.

Rows upon rows of buffet tables laid out with the most extravagant and strange dishes for residents to try. All of it delicious, though not all of it will appeal to every palate. There are sweet dishes, savory, spicy, whatever you can imagine. Appetizers of a hundred different kinds. Fruit plates formed into works of art, showing places and events from around Anchor. There are spun sugar reindire. Tiny plates of hors d'oeuvres that depict the faces of residents, both current and former. One particularly large dish is sculpted in the shape of what looks like an explosion emanating from Anchor's base, near where the locked and flooded rooms were found.

There's a cake near the middle of it all, frosting painting an image of a young, smiling man. Anyone who's seen him will, after a moment, recognize the whole and handsome features of a much younger Creepy Joe - the words on the cake say LET'S CELEBRATE OUR OLDEST LIVING RESIDENT!

While most of the food is at least recognizably from the general stores and from the agricultural level, there are other plants and garnishes that look entirely foreign. If asked where they came from, the bots will simply insist they're part of Anchor’s available resources.

There is also a full-service bar, but...not manned by the usual bartender (for anyone who might ask, the other bots will kindly inform them that the usual bartender is on sabbatical for stress). Instead there's a freshly-built bot serving drinks of all kinds, taking requests for old favorites and mixing up new cocktails based on guests' stated tastes.

The only thing not on the menu is a tequila sunrise.

There's a table full of hookahs and little treats that have various light, pleasant effects. These range from simple mood lifts to treats that will leave characters blissed out and relaxed.


c. dance, our residents, dance!

After people have finished arriving, the band picks up and guests' attention is directed upward toward Anchor's dome, where there's a truly magnificent light show being projected with musical accompaniment. It's spectacular, haunting and beautiful...and it shows more than just lights. It also shows celestial bodies in motion across the planet's dusk-red sky, meteor showers, strange northern lights. The show itself is almost an hour long, and ends with words unfurling across the apex of the dome.


HAPPY +1 ANNIVERSARY ANCHOR #3, THE LONGEST RUNNING COLONY.

STAY HERE, STAY HAPPY!



The show fades away and the music picks up again, encouraging guests to dance.

Go on, dance.

It’s a party after all.


d. the network.

Need to get hold of someone, call for help, ask the city at large a question? Need to ask a friend to back you up to take out the toothy voids? 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.



lelalacula: (fine.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
You've got that right. This place is super weird. You think it's dangerous though? So far the only real danger has been a servo trying to put me in a spangly yellow suit.

Oh, yeah it is. To set things on fire.
mislay: (pic#11773369)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
it's always dangerous somewhere. there's too much we don't know. [ and he wants information. always. ]

so you don't care to set someone on fire, but you won't stab them.
lelalacula: (uncomfortable +1.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Fair point. Part of why I'm working out the medical instruments, just in case someone gets hurt.

And I said set THINGS on fire, dude. Not people. I'm not gonna be killing anyone, if that's what you're getting at.
mislay: (pic#11111910)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
you implied it.

if i were you, i'd try doing something more productive with your time. people can take care of themselves. no one's going to take care of you.
lelalacula: (angry +1.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess, if you're assuming weapons need to be used against people and not like, bears or whatever. I wasn't, though.

I don't expect people to take care of me, no one ever has, why would they start now? I can take care of myself. In fact, I can take care of myself well enough that I can think about taking care of other people too.

Bet you'll be grateful for it when you need someone to stitch you up later.
mislay: (pic#11111911)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
i think you've got it wrong. i don't need anyone.
all they do is disappoint you.
[ besides, he doesn't have anyone here. ]

anyway, a weapon is used against anything that could kill you. it doesn't always have to be a human.
lelalacula: (uncomfortable +1.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Wait wait wait backup there, are you saying you would refuse medical treatment if you needed it?

[Going to neatly avoid that bit about people disappointing you. It's too true and he's not prepared to go there right now.]

Yeah, I get that. I just personally won't use a weapon against a person. Or let anyone else use the medical equipment to do that either. Sorry, not sorry?
mislay: (pic#11111915)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
i heal faster than a normal person. there wouldn't be much you could do for me anyway.

[ unless he decided to take a bite out of him, but that's never going to happen either. ]

don't come crying to me when you realize you're wrong.
lelalacula: (angry +1.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Good. I'd rather not be needed anyway.

And are you serious? I don't go crying to anyone. Ever.
mislay: (pic#11111913)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
that's what someone who cries all the time says to make themselves believe they don't.
lelalacula: (angry +2.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I think you're confusing having personal principles with weakness. If there's one thing I know, it's myself, because myself is all I've had to rely on for a real long time.
mislay: (pic#11111919)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's too easy to bait whoever this is. they remind him too much of jericho for his own liking. ]

then we've got something in common.
i don't want to rely on anyone, but there's no way of getting around needing connections in a place like this either.
lelalacula: (sad +1.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sadly, he's always been too easy to bait. And he'll probably never stop.]

Kind of. I wanted people to rely on, but you don't always get what you want. I'll settle for being the guy other people can rely on.
redwinekindofgirl: (Default)

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-05-21 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, it's him again. So he didn't manage to freeze to death, after all. Hard not to notice him in that outfit - it's the gold that does it, more than anything - and his not so subtle lurking along the edges of the dancefloor.

It takes a while into the night before Julie feels like dancing, after several drinks and a while spent in a particularly relaxing hookah session, but it's while she's partaking of the latter than she spots him and watches him for a few moments as if trying to work out where she knows him from.

"... Hey," she says, eventually. "You're Hanzo, right?"
redwinekindofgirl: (Default)

network

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-05-21 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't think there's anything going on in the bioscience labs right now. Most of us here aren't in the habit of experimenting on each other. Wouldn't put it past Kabal, maybe.

Got some peoeple here with tech knowledge that are keeping things running, but Anchor kind of has a mind of its own.

Don't know the last one. Should it mean something?
redwinekindofgirl: (Default)

4

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-05-21 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, most of us wish we knew that too. If you saw the video play when you got here that's most of what a lot of us know.
redwinekindofgirl: (053)

An Invitation

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-05-21 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
So she might be watching the blond man being chased around by the two bots because it's hilarious and she wants to see if they actually manage to get him into that dress. So far, Julie's been persuaded into a simple black dress with pockets (pockets!!) and some subtle smokey-eye makeup, but she hasn't gone anywhere near the party yet.

The dress is nice, but she doesn't know if she wants company.

"Have you tried telling them you want to put on something else?" she calls out, watching his hand reaching for his sword. "Might get them out of the way for long enough to make a run for it."
redwinekindofgirl: (093)

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-05-21 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"You hear what they said about the regular guy?"

She slides into a seat next to Scaramouche and picks up a drinks menu, browsing it as if she doesn't already know most of the things that are on it.

Julie orders another strawberry daiquari.

"I think I might have broken him when I walked in with an empty fish tank. I think it was a fish tank."
mislay: (pic#11773391)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
you can have it both ways if you know how to do it right.

[ hint, hint. ]
macaire: (032)

[personal profile] macaire 2020-05-21 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah," Magnus nods, he thinks he understands. "A shortening of carriage? That seems to be a fashion in English. Telephone becomes phone et cetera, et cetera."

The following question, regarding horses, makes him certain that his understanding of cars is correct- they are just carriages.

"They are the main mode of transport in my time." He says, rather than directly answer the question. Werewolves and horses do not make good friends and that is why werewolves, even ones of high status, travel by foot or by paw more so than by horseback and carriage.
lelalacula: (fine.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Huh. Well that's unexpected.]

The right way to do things tends to vary from person to person, you know?

And I'm not sure how much I have to offer, say, a person who doesn't need a doctor.
mislay: (pic#11773365)

[personal profile] mislay 2020-05-21 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
i don't want what you can do. i want what you might know.
you'll see plenty of people, and most of them usually talk.
macaire: (019)

[personal profile] macaire 2020-05-21 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Dear Lady,

There is no other sources of information here? No locals from which some knowledge can be gathered? No written records, no further "videos"? I am certain that there are those here are curious as I, with no doubt more skill in discovering such secrets as this place might hold. Would it not be wise to share such knowledge?

I eagerly await your thoughts madame.

Yours sincerely

Sir Magnus Macaire.

lelalacula: (bored.)

[personal profile] lelalacula 2020-05-21 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I can tell you if I hear of anything dangerous, if that's what you're asking. Doctor-patient confidentiality still applies though.
Edited 2020-05-21 22:28 (UTC)
nothinglikefather: made by peaked (Default)

[personal profile] nothinglikefather 2020-05-21 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
It's clearly Jacob.

"I think so. Unless terrifying monsters from beyond the veil arrive, I'm not planning in making much of a fuss tonight. Robots will have more than enough to clean up anyway."

I'm not planning in making much of a fuss tonight . Famous last words.

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