redmarsshit | test drive meme: april 2020

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!test drive

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.

Navigation.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... SINI, of course. [ Mildly perplexed. Who else would he have been talking about? ] I'm not sure how complete her control over the 'bots is, but she's certainly got enough to leave unwanted gifts.

Oh.

[Her disappointment is palpable. That's no fun, Qubit. She was so ready for the details on his love life.

But no matter — they have business to attend to.]

If she cannot dress you well, I will. We will start with a suit.

[ Lol implying he has one of those. He shakes his head, not as a refusal but out of irritation at the situation in general. ]

Completely absurd, if you ask me. I'm wearing a suit! Look. Even made a tie tack.

[ He lifts his tie slightly with one thumb, enough to draw attention to the pin securing it to his shirt. This is in the shape of a little "Q" because of course it fucking is. ]

Do you know how long it's been since I bothered with one of these? "Inappropriate attire," he says. Preposterous.

If it has been so long, then your outfit should be all the more special! It should be different from what you would normally wear.

[Yes yes, the vest is nice and the tie is an okay touch, but so many people are wearing ties. She does like that shiny tie tack, though.

Thankfully, the tailorbot isn't too far away, just in case people had some reservations about their given garments. She guides him toward the spa, delighted to still have him on her arm.]

How long has it been, Qubit?

[ He waves his hand dismissively - ] Rhetorical question.

[ But his mind goes looking for the answer anyway. How long has it been? Probably the masquerade, right? And at the time, he had the same sentiment as Elleru. It was a masquerade, after all - if he didn't change up his look a little, what was the point? Anyway, Newt would never have let him hear the end of it if he hadn't.

He misses Newt sometimes.

After a moment, he catches himself being too quiet and pipes up again. ]

Besides, it's not as if we have unlimited resources. The only reason we get away with so much waste is because there's so few of us.

[ That particular objection doesn't really hold up to scrutiny in this case, though, even in his own head. They've never been that short of textiles - worst case, there's plenty of salvageable fiber in the clothes the last colonists left behind. But it's the principle of the thing, and anyway he's got to have something to bitch about. ]

Edited 2020-06-17 03:48 (UTC)

You are making excuses, Qubit.

[She lingers on that extra syllable she adds into his name, giving him a knowing smile as she does.]

Do you not want to be fancy? Or do you not believe you can?

[ All at once, the wind goes out of his sails. She's right, of course - in reality, he just feels insulted and is being stubborn out of spite. He shoots her a tight-lipped scowl, but doesn't argue with her assessment. ]

I can be fancy. I'm perfectly capable of being fancy. [ He sounds almost hurt. ] ... At least let's keep it quick, all right? I don't intend to spend the whole night playing dress-up.

[ She might notice he's already quite a bit less tense than a minute ago, although he hasn't noticed it himself. ]

[Oh, she's noticed. She's definitely noticed, and is pleased to see him relaxing, if only a little. It's a good look on him.]

We will be very quick, I promise. [She gives his arm a reassuring pat.] Now, what color will you wear? I see which you prefer, but you would look handsome in many others.

[ Hahahaha yeah no. He shakes his head again, though the corners of his mouth curve upward. Nice try. ]

You know, there's a saying where I'm from - "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

You do not like a little adventure?

[She gives him a smile, already picturing what colors he'd look best in. To be fair, green is a good look on him.]

[ I mean, he definitely does. This is a man who has literally risked his life for rare cheeses, he's not one to shy away from avoidable danger for questionable rewards. But in terms of his fashion choices? Qubit hasn't substantially deviated from his iconic look in almost a decade, at this point. In some ways, he's very much a creature of habit. ]

"Adventure"? Is that what we're calling it?

It is now.

[The spa is in sight, as is the tailorbot. Elleru waves to it — she's gotten real friendly with this little guy by now.]

How is it you feel about blue?

Elleru, I - it's really not my color.

[ As in "I look bad in it," or "it belongs to someone else"? Hard to say. ]

[Her ears dip ever so slightly; she doesn't really understand.]

Red, then? No, it would be too vibrant. Perhaps purple?

[She uses her free hand to swing some of her long hair to the front so she can compare it to his skin tone.]

[ He's kind of glad she gives up on red right away, that one's very much not his. And purple's also taken...

... Why is he thinking of it like that, anyway? It's not like his old teammates are here to object. Most of them aren't even alive to object. How absurd.

He sighs and rolls his eyes. ] I can tell you right now, I'm going to end up in green regardless. I don't see why you're so invested in this.

[She gives him a warm smile.]

I want you to look your best. Your best may be something you never thought before.

[ Ah. That's. Well.

That doesn't really answer his question. And in fact raises a few others.

... He's an idiot, isn't he. The gentle smile, the affectionate tone of voice, the effortless contact, the inexplicable concern with his appearance... She's flirting with him. She's been flirting with him this whole time, and he was too dense to notice. ]

Well! What do you know, we're here.

[ He's just gonna go ahead and take his arm back now! Totally casual, nothing to read into, he's not uncomfortable, what are you talking about! He puts a couple feet of distance between them (in a totally calm and natural way) and holds up his index finger as if to say "just one thing." ]

Don't lose sight of our objective, now - I just need to get into the festival. There's no reason to go overboard.

[Elleru might not have thought much about him taking his arm back, but when he puts distance between them — however calm and absolutely natural he may be about it — her ears dip just a little in concern. Did she say something wrong? Perhaps he thought she was judging him.]

Is it wrong to enjoy it, even if it is not our objective?

[ He reads her expression as disappointment, and - well. That was bound to happen, he supposes. Better to disappoint sooner than later, right? Rather than stringing her along, or... whatever it is he was doing just now.

Still, he can't help feeling a twinge of guilt about it, for whatever reason. He stalls for a few seconds, gesticulating vaguely as he casts about for the right words. ]

Well, no, no. Of course it's not wrong, but -

[ But it's hardly fair if she's the only one enjoying herself, isn't it? ]

- I just think, possibly, you may be overestimating how much fun it's going to be. For you.

You do not like to dress up.

[Not a question, but an observation, a conclusion she seems to come to.]

Are you shy, Qubit?

[ ~~Um excuse, he's insecure, there's a difference.~~ Her observation is more or less correct, but her question puts him on the defensive, despite the gentleness of her delivery. Like she's attributing his reluctance to a personal failing on his part, when it's not actually that simple. ]

What? No. Don't be ridiculous.

[Look into her eyes, Qubit. Tell her the truth.]

What if I were to change, too? Would that make you comfortable?

[ He is telling the truth! Or at any rate, he's not lying, and those are basically morally equivalent. Anyway your Jedi mind tricks don't work on him.

If anything, her offer makes him less comfortable, but like hell is he going to admit it. Why is she not getting the message? Clearly, the only failure to communicate here is on her end. He sputters uselessly for a second before throwing his hands up in frustration. ]

I don't know! Do what you want.

[ With that, he turns on his heel and storms into the tailorbot's place in a huff. ]

[Her ears dip lower, her brow tightening as she struggles to discern just where that reaction came from. Uprights can be so odd at times, and absurdly prudish; perhaps he'll relax once he sees there's nothing to worry about. She's made friends with the little robots (as much as one can be friends with them, at any rate), so clearly, she only needs to be a good example for him to follow.

Yes, that's what she wants to do. She wants to help. He wanted to get into the party, and he needs her help. It's as simple and straightforward as that.

She follows him into the spa, the tailorbot beeping from the little corner it's made in the lobby. There's an array of fabrics and embellishments on display, coming in all the colors one could think of. While some of the patterns could be charitably described as unusual, most are surprisingly tasteful for Anchor's usual fare. She stoops before the robot, putting a hand on it and giving it a friendly pat.]

Qubit would like a new outfit, please. Something in green, perhaps? And I would like something vibrant and bright.

[The tailorbot beeps a few more times, skittering into one of the side rooms; normally for massages, they apparently serve as storage at the moment. It returns, its lower half extended so that it stands at nearly Qubit's height, two garments hanging from its mechanical arms. It rolls back to Elleru and offers her the selections: one for Qubit, and the other for her. Setting aside the dress, Elleru holds up the first, eyeing it and trying to see how it compares to Qubit's frame.]

[ Meanwhile, Qubit is sulking, flipping through fabric samples without really noticing them. He's not even sure why this has him so upset. It's not as if no one's ever made a pass at him before - everyone in the Paradigm had their fans, and there's gonna be a subset of every fandom that's Horny On Main (and that's not even counting things like the Dimension Ectru incudent). But usually people can take a hint, he decides, which Elleru seems determined not to do.

... Still, he shouldn't be too hard on her. She's not from Earth, or even human. It's very possible they're just having a cross-cultural misunderstanding. And she did ask for green for him, in the end. He'll just need to ... send clearer signals. While also being nicer. (Are these goals mutually exclusive? Maybe!)

He sighs and turns his attention to the tailorbot's offerings, hands in his pockets, but pretty much calmed down. The suit doesn't appear to strike his fancy, though. ]

Mm. It's a bit... "Prohibition mobster," isn't it?

[ Yeah, cause she'll know what that means. Anyway, they'd probably have to let out the sides on the jacket at the very least. Qubit's reasonably fit and all, but he does not have what you'd call a tapered waist. ]

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