test drive meme: april 2020

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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.

Navigation.

Comments

skye pyke ✪ sims 4 oc ✪ ota

[lelalacula]

✪ An Invitation

You want me to wear what?

[The voice is loud enough to carry outside the room, and a moment later the door bursts open and a person stumbles out, arms flailing as he scrambles back from the tailoring bots that burst straight out of the room after him.

The bots are brandishing a sparkly yellow suit, and the young man scrambling away from them is half-naked. In fact, his patchworked and artfully distressed jeans fall down to his knees as he smacks into the wall across from the door, and he twists his hands into the waistband to yank them up.]

Do I look like Diego Lobo or something? No way!

[Shoulders hunching, his head jerks back and forth as he looks down the hallway in both ways, pale blue eyes glowing slightly in the shadows, looking for some sort of intervention.]

Can someone please get these weird malfunctioning servos off me?! I'm not wearing that thing.

✪ Quite the Spread

[When Skye finally arrives at the party, he's decidedly not wearing the yellow monstrosity. He's wearing an entirely different kind of monstrosity, but at least it's his kind of monstrosity, so he's feeling a bit more confident as he strides into the area where the festivities are being held. Not that he particularly likes being out in the open, surrounded by strangers and completely unaware of what they might be talking about just out of earshot.

When he hands over his invitation to the impeccably tailored ticket-taking servo, he flinches back just a little, trying not to get too close, wary of another experience like the one with the yellow suit earlier. Then he flinches even more when his picture and name are broadcast across the sky for just anyone to see. Ugh, that's. Awful. Did these guys ever hear of the right to privacy?

Fortunately, nothing bad happens, and he makes it into the party only a little shaken up. Of course, he doesn't know anyone here, so for a few minutes he stands awkwardly in a corner staring at the food and the people and the servos for a while before making a decision.

Taking a breath and a step forward, hands moving gracefully through the air with a shower of sparks following them, and summons his familiar, a blue owl with purple sparks dripping from the tips of its wings. Skye doesn't really react much to it besides glancing back and smiling a bit, then squares his shoulders and takes another deep breath, more confident now that he has Owl watching his back.

Spotting someone who doesn't look particularly threatening (though really his judgement of that isn't the best, probably), he lifts a hand and waves.]

Dag dag!

[A beat.]

So the servos around here, they're really weird, right?

✪ The Network

username: nibfrabbit

Hi guys, if anyone can direct me to the gardening area or tell me where to find an easel, that'd be great. I'm in the MedBay if you want to stop by. They have the weirdest surgical equipment, just figuring it out here.

✪ Wildcard

Skye is a Sims 4 based original character who is a spellcaster, doctor, and gardener. He is also a big fan of weed, so please let me know if you want to opt out of anything regarding drug use. Hit me up by PM, or on plurk if you have me added (caffemisto) or discord at coffee #6251 if you want to plot anything. Or just throw me a wildcard starter, I'm flexible.

text / un: L

[mislay]

what kind of equipment? can you use them as weapons?

[ not that he needs any, but why not be prepared. ]

[lelalacula]

Mostly surgical stuff, there's this super cool automated surgical booth thing, and some kind of goo tube that I think helps with healing.

And I guess it could. But why?

[mislay]

what do you mean why? you should be prepared in case something happens.
this isn't a vacation.

[lelalacula]

Oh, well I'm prepared for anything, believe me. But this is medical equipment. It'd be pretty messed up to use it as a weapon.

[mislay]

it doesn't matter if it's medical equipment. you should know what's usable and what isn't. some situations don't care about that.

[lelalacula]

It matters to me. I'm a doctor! Anyway, if I need a weapon that's what inferniate is for.

[mislay]

being here isn't the same as it is wherever you're from.

[ not that he's asking a doctor to murder; he's just asking for some thought. besides, he's new too. there's not a lot he knows about this place yet. ]

is that a spell?

[lelalacula]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Good. I'd rather not be needed anyway.

And are you serious? I don't go crying to anyone. Ever.

[mislay]

that's what someone who cries all the time says to make themselves believe they don't.

[lelalacula]

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]

[ 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]

[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.

[mislay]

you can have it both ways if you know how to do it right.

[ hint, hint. ]

[lelalacula]

[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]

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.

✪ invitation

[fishermansweater]

I don't know, you could do worse.

[ Finnick, of course, likes it, and would wear it if he'd been given it.

But he'd been given a different gold suit, one with shimmering scales instead of sparkling squares. It looks like something a stylist would put a tribute from District Four in for the parade, an imitation of a golden fish for the Capitol. Not that he dislikes his own suit; it looks good on him, and he's worn far worse things.

Finnick doesn't make any move to help, but he's watching the proceedings with a sort of readiness in his muscles that suggests he will if he has to. ]

They're not malfunctioning. This is what they do.