redmarsshit | june 2020. welcome to the void.

june 2020. welcome to the void.

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.

a. welcome to paradise.

What at first appears to be an odd glint in the sky over Anchor slowly broadens and brightens into a truly enormous...cruise ship? Yes, that's a cruise ship, and it's coming down to rest just outside of Anchor's exit doors. The ground shakes as it lands. A bubble forms over the ship and connects to Anchor's exit, and there's no two ways about it: the ship comes with its own radiation shield.

This sucker puts the Titanic to shame. Nearly as long as Anchor is wide, it's more like a floating city than the cruise ship it resembles. Little satellite ships hover and dart around it, occupied by alien lifeforms with too many arms to quite fit the Hawaiian print shirts that they're wearing.

The Daisy Darling Interdimensional Cruise Barge has come to Anchor.

b. anchors away!

And it's quite accessible to residents of Anchor. In fact, the people (of every shape, size, and coloration that can't be considered human) on board will be delighted to host the creatures they've been watching for the past few months as they orbited the planet. Not only will Anchorites find themselves accosted for photos, but they can also find figurines, keychains, and small novelty items of themselves in almost every knick-knack store on the promenade deck. The souvenir shops will also come heavily stocked with red shift-themed items, including toys and decorations featuring some of the monsters that have appeared from the wastes. You always wanted a slinky sand worm, didn't you?

Anyone who can sing, dance, play music, or otherwise perform will be encouraged to do so and showered with gifts - both useful and useless - by the vacationers. Have an instrument, or a good voice? Go busking! Sell your art, give lectures about your home worlds, teach salsa dancing. The vacationers are just waiting to give you money for helping them have a good time.

There's an alien casino, with machines both familiar and very very not. It's a rollicking place with neon signs, free-flowing drinks, and even more free-flowing money. You might not have any use for alien currency in Anchor itself, but it couldn't hurt to check out the shops with a little extra cash from the poker tables, could it? At one side is an all-you-can-eat buffet of everything under the sun, from alien fruit and vegetable platters to...is that a whole giant squid? I never knew they came in quite that color...

You can sneak around the casino without too much effort, stealing from pockets, tables, and platters, but that could get you caught and thrown in the brig, which. Well. We'll get to that, but you don't really want to go there.

The uppermost level of the ship is a beach and water park. There's sand, palm trees, a wave pool, water slides, and a lazy river with inner tubes big enough to support even the heftiest alien. Oh, and a regular old pool, over there. Where all the old aliens are hanging out and playing hover-shuffle-board. Swimming gear is required in this area, but not to worry! There’s an automated booth that will supply you with just the suit you need.

In addition to these places, there's a whole ship to explore, with all the amenities a weary traveler could want. A spa (manned by real (alien) people!), jacuzzis, restaurants that actually function with food the bold can actually eat, clothing stores (though not much of it is designed with humans in mind), deck chairs on sunny promenades, gardens full of alien flowers, and an enormous library filled with books that are checked out based on the honor system. So, y'know. Be honorable. Or something.

c. the first rule of daisy darling.

For those unentertained by the above-board offerings of the upper decks, there's the ship’s more hidden amenities. A fight club filled with creatures of every shape, size, and level of power. A drug den with everything from euphoria-inducing cigarettes to hallucination-causing body paints. A thriving black market, though the offerings are comparatively innocent - bootlegged episodes of Anchors Away, mostly. What's that? Oh, just the reality show of your lives over the past six months. Let's hope no one comes across any awkward vids showing things you don't want people to know about.

Attached to the fight club is the brig. Can you see where this is going? People who get caught breaking the rules on the Daisy Darling can expect to face the music by being put opposite some of the ships more powerful monsters, or its more powerful and reckless vacationers. Who wouldn't love to test themselves against a giant robot or an honest-to-god cowboy? Don't worry! If you get too badly hurt, there's a repair suite on the medical level that can fix up almost any injury. Just don't die before you get there.

If anyone asks about staying on board, escaping the planet with the ship, or tries to convince an alien to help them stow away, they'll be told it goes against both the prime directive and the Daisy's petting zoo rules. Try to stow away on your own? Well, if you're lucky, you'll get caught by a benevolent guard and booted back to Anchor. If you're unlucky, get those boxing gloves ready, because you're headed for the brig.

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 and tag team in the fight club? 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.

Threaded | Flat

Any mod questions can be asked in this thread.

B. Is He Getting Royalties From This?

Jacob has never seen a ship this big. They just don't exist in his time, and the City of Sin certainly had boats but... this is something completely different. He's pretty sure he's bigger than Anchor itself.

And it's filled with... curios. Not the sort Herny had, which were tastefully stuffed animals, or books written in strange languages. This is... this is the sort of thing he'd heard about in the City of Sin. Merchandice, stuff sold to have, not for any real purpose.

He pokes a strange figure of himself? He thinks? It's weird, and he doesn't think he likes it. But there's something similiar, of Charles, and Angel. And Connor. And they're adorable. He's going to get all of them, and set them up in the Quad.

"Hey!" He calls to the person... creature... thing that seems to be running the store. "Can I have these?"

Don't ask, don't get.

C. Vices- 1. Fight Club.

Oh boy.

Oh boy.

Jacob can smell the metallic taint in the air. Blood and fear and adrenaline and he's already pulling off his coat as he pushes through the crowds. How long since he'd done this? When he was back in London he supposes, but that had stopped being such a challenge. The City? The bastards he'd fought there had magic powers sometimes, and that made things interesting.

Here, there's a whole host of things to fight. People with extra limbs and strange globs of pulsating matter and what looks like a snake with legs.

He pushes his coat into the arms of the person next to him, and then his hat, and steps into the empty space. He's a bit out of practise, but he doesn't mind losing the first round if it means winning the second and third.

"Come on then, if you think you're hard enough."

C. Vices- 2. Chasing the Dragon

He knew about opium. He knew about Cocaine, although that was more healthy than it was a drug, per se. He knew about Lust, although he'd promised everyone he'd never touch the stuff again.

But moving through the dim-lit den of depravity, head swimming already from second-hand smoke, he wants to try all of this. There's people writhing and groaning and trembling and giggling, and he wants to know what it is they're seeing, what is going on that he can't see.

He knows he shouldn't. He knows that it's probably a bad idea but he's never been good at resisting temptation. So he settles down in a corner, and accepts a shot-glass full of... strange dancing light. And without any hesitation, knocks it back.

"Oh fuck-"

b1.

Being recognized is natural to Finnick. It's so much a part of who he's been since he was just a kid that having to introduce himself to people since he arrived here has been strange. He hadn't met anyone who didn't know who he was in ten years before here. So when people aboard the strange ship start to recognize him, it feels right. He's been half-certain that people in Anchor were pretending not to know him, that it was some sort of new game being played with him when he was supposed to have freed himself for that.

It feels like being in the Capitol. Strange people in even more shapes, sizes, colors, and styles than he'd ever seen even there. People shrieking when they see him, running up to him as he walks between the shops, asking for photographs with him, but for once, for once, there's no undercurrent of demand. No sense of ownership or entitlement like he's known since before he really knew what it meant. So he laughs with the fans, he poses for them, he flirts for their cameras and he slips back into the ease with which he'd learned to wear fame.

And they expect to see him with Annie. When he's not with her, they mention her. And when he wanders into the shops and looks at the merchandise, some of it features the two of them.

"Even the Capitol had more taste than this," he says, holding up a particularly tacky and cartoonish

b2.

"You want to know what I can do?"

Finnick was lounging on the beach in a tee and shorts from the shop outside Anchor when the fans had approached him. It only takes a moment to realize they're talking about something like a victor talent. "Well, you know what? I was a poet back home, so you bring me something to write on and I'll write you a poem."

It's rubbish, of course, but it's the same sort of rubbish he learned to write on demand for the Capitol. It's completely insincere, but nobody here is expecting sincerity from him. He's rusty, but it's fun, and it earns him a little spending money.

If anyone from Anchor happens by, he'll shrug and smile.

When he's not writing poetry for fans, he spends most of his time sprawled on the beach in a new swimsuit, with shopping bags tossed on the sand next to him, full of things he's bought with his profits.

"Wish there was real sunlight here. I could use work on my tan."

b3. Finnick's going to be wandering and exploring too so feel free to wildcard me!

Edited 2020-06-21 13:56 (UTC)

⊹ b. Anchors Away

[The contrast is a little startling - first the creepy video and the decontamination showers and this old, ruined, unfamiliar city but so soon after that a luxury cruise liner from outer space. It's alarming and exciting all at once, and once she tentatively makes her way onto the ship, she discovers that it's...a little tacky. Brigitte isn't sure if she likes it or not, but it's certainly interesting.

The one thing she doesn't have any mixed feelings about is the all-you-can-eat buffet they've set out. No one seems to mind her walking along the tables and picking out every pastry she can find, until the plate she's holding is piled precariously high with sweets. She should be eating healthily, of course, with vegetables and protein and all that, but she's been living moments away from penniless with Reinhardt for so long she can't resist some sweet baked delicacies.

She's shoving what looks like an alien custard donut into her mouth when she sees someone walk by who doesn't look like they belong on an alien cruise ship.]

Hello!

[A pause, and a slightly sheepish look as she chews enthusiastically, swallows, and then rubs the back of her hand across her mouth to catch any stray crumbs.]

Are you from the city down below?

⊹ d. The Network

@ brigitte

Hello?

Does anyone know if there's some kind of map or guidebook for how this place really works? That video was a little misleading to say the least.

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Brigitte Lindholm!

⊹ x. Wildcard: Mechanic

[After enough wandering, one is bound to find something that strikes a chord. Brigitte has finally found it, and it was surprisingly close to the entry room where she first arrived. A large, airy garage and mechanics area, complete with a couple of vehicles in need of repair.

Perfect to get her mind off the strangeness of this place and hold the mild panic that's lingering around behind every thought since she arrived. It's easier not to think of how far she is from home, or how much unknown danger might be here, or, even worse, what kind of trouble Reinhardt might be getting up to without her.

When anyone else enters the garage, all they'll see of her at first is a pair of legs clad in slightly-oversized denim, and heavily-booted feet. The sound of her humming a folk song, occasionally punctuated with the banging of metal on metal or the scrape of a ratchet as she tightens or loosens a screw fills the air. The moment she hears something, though, she'll slide out from under the jeep and sit up, shaking her hair out of her face, which has a thick smudge of oil on the cheek. Her eyes brighten a little when she sees she has company.]

Oh, hello! Is this vehicle yours?

⊹ xx. Wildcard: No Limits

[Hit her up with pretty much anything. She's going to be exploring the city pretty extensively, armed with a large energy shield and rocket flail (though she won't use them unless she's attacked). Leave me a starter if you have any cool ideas, or hit me up on discord at coffee #6251 or by PM.

Edited 2020-06-22 08:08 (UTC)

B.1

Usually, Gokudera would be aggravated to receive attention, and especially the amount of it. It's not as though he has a digital skin on to make him more appealing. There's no one around that's trying to talk him up to the small crowd of fans he's gathered, like at the last Pet Convention he'd attended.

It seems these people (not humanoid, thank God), are just interested in a human like him. It reminds him a bit of how he had a small fan club back home.

Come to think of it, he knows that he does sort of stand out amongst most humans. The silver hair is unusual for a teenager like him, and the narrowness of his round yes indicates that he's of mixed nationalities, and then... there's the robotic half choke collar around his neck. He'd seen a small figurine of himself being sold by a vendor, but it hadn't had the unique jewelry. With the way it glows a bit, it easily grabs attention and he tries to explain it to one of his fans.

"It's.." He's actually not sure how to explain the technology behind the jewelry, and he'd remove it, except that he knows he can't. "Like a mark to indicate ownership." Yep, he's openly stating that he is property. Gokudera will not answer when asked who he belongs to, and crosses his arm, "You'll have to find out on your own." He's not spoiling that information.

Gokudera can act huffy all he wants, but as soon as one of his younger fans makes some excited noise and waves about a replica of one of his rings, he's touched. The bomber's expression softens and he watches how the alien pumps their fist? in the air and makes little booming noises. It doesn't matter what kind of alien this person is, Gokudera adores them right back, and he clenches both fists, his right catching a rainbow of fire that has his fan even more excited.

B.2

Back on Amoi, mongrels like him were not given any money or resources to help them live. Meanwhile Elites got a small fortune regularly as a sort of allowance from the government. Now, he's not entirely sure what the currency is on Anchor, but he is more than eager to earn whatever he can.

And... there's a piano.

He's drawn to it like a moth to a flame, eyeing the instrument and removing his blue hoodie. Gokudera rolls up his sleeves and glances about, nervous but interested in playing for a bunch of aliens, or anyone else who may notice. He used to play piano in a bar on Amoi, and supplemented his income with sex. It put canned meals and nutrition pills ~~on the table~~ in his hands. On Anchor, nothing has really led him to believe he's back on any kind of sex-crazed planet. He's not interested in going back to the lifestyle he had on Amoi.

He'd rather play piano.

Sure, it's personal, and he's not the best at it but the music he'll be playing is soft and sweet, the perfect background to the bustle. He hopes to blend in, and seem as though he was hired for this. Between songs, Gokudera can be found rubbing at his left hand, adjusting his posture, and then considering his audience.

C.

Gokudera is avoiding the fight club. He doesn't know what any of those fighting aliens are capable of, and he's not eager to injure himself. He would walk past unless there is a human fighting an alien. Then, sorry not sorry, he's cheering for the alien. He will encourage it to harm you in awful ways and talk so much shit about you. Sorry, human fighter. Even if you have cool powers or a weapon, you'd have to be Gokudera's boss for him to cheer you on.

Wildcard!

b1: Overwhelmed is not a familiar feeling for the young man. He has felt it, he knows how to deal with it. Traveling between one place or another in a blink of an eye, easy, old hat. Even strange looking creatures can be par for the course, some of those guys in the Choice battle were more than extra. But you add to that being in a world he has never heard of, told that he can't turn around and go home. His friends need him, he failed them already and now, now he was careless again and found himself here. Internally he is berating himself, ashamed of his actions. A flicker of this emotion can be seen behind his eyes. Outwardly however he has the air of someone in awe.

Which to be fair, he is. This casino is unlike anything he has ever seen. Amazing does not begin to describe it. If people crowded him he did not seem to notice as anything more than friendly. Giving the bright wattage smile, a few rubs to the back of his head as he shook hands and offered greetings. What a friendly place, that was nice, if only he could feel that same joy down in his soul. For now, he will continue to explore, one could find him in almost any point around the casino or restaurants.

b2: The Casino was amazing, the beach soothing. It had to be the water and here the wattage smile is gone, the dark eyes are pensive as they gaze out of over the water. Fingers grip to the strap over his shoulder in a death grip. He needs to clear his head and he knows what may help.

He lets go of the strap, crouching down he unties his shoes, removing both of them with his socks and tying them around the strap of his bag. He does not leave any of his items setting, the last thing he wants to do is lose the few things he has from home as he rolls his pants up to midcalf and strides across the beach toward the water.

When the first bit touches his toes he releases a breath, wading in to just below the cuff of his pants. He stands there, fingers wrapped around the strap once more as he stares out across the water.

WildCard He is bound to make his way down toward the fight club and seedier places because he is curious, he just wont hang out long. If you want to meet up with him around one of these places hit away! I am good with it.

I had fun once. It was horrible.
Some people might be super chill with this big, fancy cruise ship popping up and being all 'yo come hang out in LUXURY for a while', and once upon a time Peter would have totally been one of those people. Life in general has made him very cynical in some ways by now, though, so his immediate reaction is to not trust anything that's going on. Sorry aliens, your ship is cool and everything, but Spidey is not here for these shenanigans.

Well, maybe he'll hang out at the water park or something, that is if someone can pull him away from the buffet for more than ten minutes.

BONESAW IS READY
Peter is all about that exploration, y'all. While he's not too interested in the wacky alien drug dens, he is interested in maybe finding some alien movies or something to take back to Anchor. Movies isn't what he finds though, because life can never just be simple. Unsurprisingly, finding out that once again Anchor's privacy has been invaded is unsettling as fuck, and the fact that a bunch of aliens have turned their lives into the goddamn Truman Show has made Peter kind of super pissed. Pissed to the point where he's willing to maybe try to break into places he's not supposed to be with the intention of maybe hijacking the ship's communications system to maybe try to call for help from maybe other aliens who are less shitty. Maybe.

Of course, that's not how Peter's luck works out, because he can't have nice things. He is promptly arrested and tossed into the brig, and then he gets to learn all about the fight club first hand. Maybe he's fist fighting a giant alien monster and actually getting a chance to vent some pent up aggression that way, ooor maybe they tossed him up against Joe Regularhumanman and he's really hesitant to punch him with spider fists. Maybe they tossed you in there, who knows. The sky, kids, it is the limit.

WILDCARD
[YOLO me up my fabulous friendos]

Edited 2020-06-29 16:30 (UTC)

B1. Promenade

large

himself

loves

B2. Spa

oil bath

divine

B3. Library

C. Fight Club

Daisy Darling

aren't

D. Network

Please tell me everyone else is as troubled by these Anchors Away vids as I am. This is exploitation. We are not entertainment.

—

((OOC: Will match prose or brackets!))

Observation Deck (Anchor)

The Daisy Darling runs a tight ship. Scaramouche would know.

On his latest trip down the gangway, escorted for the fifteenth time by the same pair of tall, lumbering heavies, he was handed a lifetime ban instead of a final warning. It might have had something to do with how he got caught seven too many times near restricted areas like the communications floor and the captain's quarters. That didn't stop him from trying his luck eight more times; all but two of his attempts to schmooze passengers actually got him somewhere, but his luck always ran out before the final gong. He would be spotted or outed by a bouncer just when he thought he had an accomplice in the palm of his hand.

It's nighttime now. Scaramouche finds himself in the dark of the observation deck, staring up and out at the hazy glimmer of the interdimensional liner's lights behind the red dust outside, his seven and a half foot frame silhouetted against the eerie glow. A hand rests against his mechanical jaw, subtly testing its movements. That mean right hook came out of nowhere. He won't make the mistake of letting the guards get up close and personal like that again.

Wildcard
[ooc: Hmu on discord or plurk or through PM if you'd like another starter!]

Edited 2020-07-08 14:56 (UTC)

Threaded | Flat

QUESTIONS.

Jacob Frye / OTA

Finnick Odair | The Hunger Games | OTA in-game

brigitte lindholm ⊹ overwatch

Hayato Gokudera / Katekyo Hitman Reborn! / OTA