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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.



towhatmatters: (→05)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-04 09:41 am (UTC)(link)
He chuckles quietly, shaking his head.

"No way." The bots are getting closer to Arthur now, and he holds up a hand. "No makeover for me, thanks. I already got mine."

Little but a shave and a trim, and he managed to get out of any makeup. He didn't, however, stop that bot from trying to cover his chest in glitter, and his throat still has some traces of it, because as we know glitter just doesn't go away.

"But you could be so much prettier!" one of the bots tries to insist.
aintyourbro: (psr8PcJ)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-05 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
Cloud watches this for a moment, maybe a little amused even if it's not evident in his expression. Still, he's pretty done with this robobullshit and slowly reaches for his sword again, nodding over his shoulder at said sword while raising his brows as if to say 'it's not too late for me to chop these things in half'.

"So is this normal around here, or...?"
towhatmatters: (→12)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-07 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"From my understanding, yeah. More or less." He narrows his eyes a little at the bots, and makes a shooing motion. "Don't think you lot's meant to force this stuff on us. We don't want your help. Now scram."

The bots start muttering about how Arthur and Cloud seriously need a makeover, but they do finally leave. Maybe it was the glitter as proof that Arthur has very much already received his makeover that did it.
aintyourbro: (jKYTgUB)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-07 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Relieved to see the bots leave without needing to chop them in half, Cloud huffs out a little sigh and crosses his arms again.

"Thanks for the assist," he says, eyebrow cocking while the retreating robot carrying the dress points to wherever it's optic sensors are before pointing at Cloud. He might end up cutting that one later.

"You been here for a while?"
towhatmatters: (→03)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-08 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Month or so. Guessing you just arrived. Welcome to Anchor."

There's no insignificant amount of wryness in his tone. Most people don't seem too excited to be here, and he can't blame them. For all the perks it has from his perspective, a part of him still would rather not be here either.
aintyourbro: (yTvSdii)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-08 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
He makes a soft grunting noise, that's the closest Arthur is going to get to a 'thanks' for that welcome. Cloud is definitely one of those people who isn't excited to be here. He kinda had some big stuff going on back home, and if he's here he can't do that, sooo. Yeah, not thrilled.

"Just got here, not more than two days ago. Any chance you can point me to whoever's in charge around here?"

Maybe he can bully the boss of Anchor into sending him home. Unless it's the robots, then he's just screwed.
towhatmatters: (→21)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-11 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
At least that's a relatively easy question to answer.

"No." He folds his arms. "There ever was a person like that, they either took a hike or kicked the bucket a long time ago."
aintyourbro: (Clam Stram)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-12 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
"As long as it's not the robots."

So he says, but this is still super inconvenient. Kind of hard to set him back any more than he's already been set back though, so the best he can do is work with what he's got.

"In that case, as far as I can tell you guys have established a pretty stable colony without any leadership. That's impressive."
towhatmatters: (→03)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-16 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
He huffs quietly. Perhaps it is rather impressive, especially since no one appears to have appointed themselves leader.

"Something to be said for being stuck in the same boat."

Especially when things appear to simply happen to this colony without much warning.
aintyourbro: (ty4X8Pk)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-17 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, if the system works, there's no need to fart around with it.

"I hear that. You either learn to cooperate, or you crash and burn. Has there been any infighting at all, or is everything pretty stable?"
towhatmatters: (→19)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-19 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not that I know of, but plenty of people have been here longer than I been."

For all he knows, there might have been plenty of infighting. During his stay here, though, there hasn't been.
aintyourbro: (j9iEbbu)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-05-22 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fair enough, guess I'll have to ask around."

The way things were looking, he was probably going to be stuck here long enough to have plenty of time to do that. He definitely isn't thrilled by this turn of events, but what can you do?

"Name's Cloud, I don't think I caught yours?"
towhatmatters: (→22)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-05-25 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Cloud? Interesting name. Never heard it before.

"Arthur. It's a pleasure." Or something like it. "Party would probably give you an opportunity to meet people. Pretty sure you can ask the robots to give you something you won't hate."
aintyourbro: (Clam Stram)

[personal profile] aintyourbro 2020-06-02 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't look thrilled at all by the concept of attending this party, and he huffs softly while glancing off in the general direction that the robots had retreated.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea, I guess. Maybe I'll stop in for a little bit. This isn't a regular thing, is it? The parties?"

One party he can deal with, but more than that? Nnnnope.
towhatmatters: (→15)

[personal profile] towhatmatters 2020-06-04 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not sure about that, but I guess once you've met them you don't need to attend more."

Arthur's not the type to force anyone, anyway. Not that he knows about everyone else in Anchor. Maybe they would insist on Cloud coming to more parties.