modblob: (Default)
Mods ([personal profile] modblob) wrote in [community profile] redmarsshit2020-04-27 08:43 pm
Entry tags:

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.



writtendestiny: (035)

[personal profile] writtendestiny 2020-07-05 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[She chuckles in the back of her throat.]

Mm, right.

[Sounds easy enough, but which foot first? She has to keep checking and looking down doesn't feel like the correct thing to be doing.

But it's nice to be this close to him. There are no complaints about that.
]

I'm glad I came, I think.
writtendestiny: (081)

[personal profile] writtendestiny 2020-07-05 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, she isn't even surprised.]

And I suppose we'd all cower in fear and do anything you said because you're... tall and pointy.
vosseeker: (ten.)

[personal profile] vosseeker 2020-07-06 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
I will also accept adoring loyalty, I'm not picky.
birdical: (💋 (let me hear it one more time then))

[personal profile] birdical 2020-07-06 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Qubit says she knows, but she definitely doesn't; Elleru does her best, taking in his every word. He wants something attractive, but not too eye-catching; something unique, but in his usual shade of green. Something elegant and not too off-putting to most who would gaze upon him.

So... the opposite of Scaramouche. She can do that. The tailorbot comes back with something in a very vivid emerald, and Elleru shoos it away.]


Let me try.

[And with that, she steps toward the back room, turning to Qubit before vanishing around the corner.]

Do not leave. I will be very disappointed.

[And with that, she goes searching for something more aligned with Qubit's tastes. While there are a number of rather dull green suits, none of them strike her as particularly elegant. Elegance requires a certain beauty, something that would accentuate his frame. Not that large coat he normally wears, and it must be green.

After a few minutes of searching for herself, Elleru returns with a new selection for Qubit to try.]


How is this for you, Qubit?
abheirrant: (❧ of course,of course)

[personal profile] abheirrant 2020-07-06 08:05 am (UTC)(link)
[Carlisle would blush at that smile were he capable of it; as it is, he attempts to return it with one of his own, even if it is hidden by his scarf.]

Is the Hierophant not allowed to dress up on occasion?

[He's trying to follow her lead and keep his tone lighter than he feels.]
birdical: (💋 (i don't need the weight of words))

[personal profile] birdical 2020-07-06 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
She lets him handle her any way he wants, knowing he won't harm her; though Elleru is trusting by nature, there's no one she yet trusts quite like Scaramouche. The metal of his hands is always cooler than she expects, his touch a tingling invitation against her smooth skin. It's his body that's warm, and as she leans in to give his cheek a quick peck, she knows can make it all the warmer.

Ah, but she will have to tell him about Rey, and how that changes what they have. Later, perhaps — for tonight, she wants to dance with the fellow who understands the music and what it can do for them, how it can express what words cannot. She brushes her hair to rest across one shoulder, leaving the other bare for his hand.

"With a dance, we may steal the show." She lowers her voice, whispering coyly as she leans closer. "Like thieves."
birdical: (💋 (i don't need the weight of words))

[personal profile] birdical 2020-07-06 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Are you not?" Elleru asks, as though genuinely confused. She steps closer, her eyes never leaving Poison as she sways, trying to coax her onto the dance floor.

She leans down just a little, trying to get closer to eye-level. "Tell me how you know. Do you not believe yourself to be good? Or is that what someone said to you?"
birdical: (💋 (it's my needs I've answered to))

[personal profile] birdical 2020-07-06 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps whoever made them wants you close," Elleru offers, a little delighted to actually be looking up to someone. What is it with robots being so tall? Are they all like this?

That's probably a rude question, and so she continues. "Perhaps they thought you were sweet, like the candies. Or they just wanted to take a bite of you."

She gives Starscream a playful wink, assuming he knows that not all bites are meant to cause offense. And if he doesn't, well... he might find out soon enough, as she's more than happy to explain.
Edited 2020-07-06 08:41 (UTC)
nothinglikefather: not my art (hey baby)

[personal profile] nothinglikefather 2020-07-06 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Jacob nods, and rolls his shoulders.

"You ready then? Think you can still shoot with a bottle in you?"
towhatmatters: (→03)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-07-07 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
"I know I can."

Won't be the first time. He gets off the bar stool, finally, and takes his revolver from its holster.
writtendestiny: (065)

[personal profile] writtendestiny 2020-07-07 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"You think it's weird."

Doesn't take a genius to see that a mile off. She could be wrong, but 'Poison' is a strange enough name in her own world, she imagines it would be odd in one where people can be called 'Arthur'.

"That's fine. I was--" She puffs out a sigh. "I chose it to make a point. I suppose."

Then she shrugs.

"But you only get to make the choice once."
redwinekindofgirl: (076)

[personal profile] redwinekindofgirl 2020-07-07 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Julie snorts.

"Yeah, dude, that's exactly why I'm asking you. Totally the reason." She props her chin on one hand and reflects his smile.

"Not because you're the only person here I'm talking to right now."
kaballin: (Default)

[personal profile] kaballin 2020-07-08 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Do you even eat?" Sure he clearly has a mouth that he uses to make those horrible grins he does, but does he eat? And if he does is it like.. salads of nuts and bolts? These are the important questions that run through Kabal's internal thought processes that should never be made public.

"And I do what's fun. This place is pretty boring don't you think?"
itsnotaonesie: (tripping so many balls)

[personal profile] itsnotaonesie 2020-07-08 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
You think?

[SEE dancing is fun, and also checking your footing is totally fine. Peter has to do it too, it's all good.]

Well, I'm glad you came. I woulda felt goofy dressing up like this without you here.
numerouno: (LXIII)

[personal profile] numerouno 2020-07-08 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Why do you care what the bots do?"

He notices one of the aforementioned bots--the bartender--at the other side of the counter, waiting with a drink in their hand. That was fast! Scaramouche takes the glass and sends them on their way with a grin. Not a merci or a thank you--just a grin.

"Didja see that? Talk about golden service."
towhatmatters: (→19)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-07-08 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
"Hm."

That makes as much sense as any. The idea of choosing your own name is also strange, and he wouldn't know what he might want to name himself if given the option, but why not use it to 'make a point'. Whatever the point is, exactly.

"Hope you don't regret it."

Not implying that she does, but that would be unfortunate. At least when your parents name you, you can always blame them.
vosseeker: (fifty-three.)

[personal profile] vosseeker 2020-07-09 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
His kind come in all shapes and sizes, from only a few feet tall to the size of a city or a battleship, but most Cybertronians with standard type frames are around his height.

His vents give an exasperated chuff of air at her suggested reasoning, and the deadpan look he fixes her with says he does, in fact, have some grasp of what she'd been implying. "If you're hoping to endear me to the little pests, you're doing a poor job of it."

The little robots who strayed too near Starscream when he was in a prickly mood tended to end up being pulled apart and pitched over the nearest railing. At some point, someone was going to find a pile of dead ones at the bottom of the colony.
numerouno: (CXVII)

[personal profile] numerouno 2020-07-09 07:58 am (UTC)(link)
Scaramouche rests a hand at his hip.

"Where were you at the last two parties? We could have used some excitement then."

He knows exactly what the man was doing at one of them; he was helping him torture a servant bot. Scaramouche didn't even attend the other party.
Edited 2020-07-09 08:01 (UTC)
writtendestiny: (038)

[personal profile] writtendestiny 2020-07-09 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, now I know that isn't true.

[It's mostly muttered under her breath, with a small roll of her eyes directed at him. Not picky? Starscream?

That doesn't sound right.
]
writtendestiny: (057)

[personal profile] writtendestiny 2020-07-09 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
The Hierophant is far too busy for such trivial concerns. [Poison replies archly, but she smirks sidelong at him the moment after her jaw snaps smartly shut.

Then she relaxes, snickers, and shakes her head.
]

I'm a bit of a shut-in. If Lord Aelthar ever invited me to anything, I didn't notice.
abheirrant: (❧ he felt that (how unusual))

[personal profile] abheirrant 2020-07-09 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
That is a plight to which I can relate. It was rare when I strayed far from my home, and even rarer I left my town at all.

[Which he's sure Poison probably knows. There's always going to be that unknown where area what what he's saying may be something the previous Carlisle she knew told her already.]
vosseeker: (eight.)

[personal profile] vosseeker 2020-07-10 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ His hearing, unfortunately, is above average. ]

And what makes you say that?
kaballin: (Seriously?)

[personal profile] kaballin 2020-07-11 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Shoulda scheduled me in advance. I was probably booked." Yeah right, as if he had anything better to be doing than prowling around parties and being annoying. But he hadn't really wanted to eat the syrupy stuff they were pushing, and the other one he had gotten high as fuck on mushrooms and barely remembered his name. Fun times, fun times.

"If you have any suggestions on livening this one up I'm listening."
abheirrant: (❧ was it what you believed?)

[personal profile] abheirrant 2020-07-11 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
Carlisle shudders. "You are wonderful company to keep, as always," he remarks dryly. He picks up a fork from one of the settings, wondering idly if Kabal will pinch it the second he isn't looking — or if he'll just do it right in front of him, as he seems to care so little about morals.

"You take joy in the suffering of others, don't you?"
kaballin: (Default)

[personal profile] kaballin 2020-07-11 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
"Not really. I just don't care. Two different things." For being a thug he's pretty self aware, and he's also honest. One of the perks of being who he is, because everyone knows he's scum they assume he always lies. Which means he can tell the truth and get away with it.

"I enjoy the fighting though. You could stand to enjoy something yourself. You're dour as hell."

Page 24 of 27