The Astor Place Cube Has a New Outfit [Updated]

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We follow the fashion choices of our neighbor the Astor Place Cube fairly closely, and today he surprised us. Veering from his usual steely, monochromatic demeanor, he donned a pastel concoction featuring lavender, pink hearts, and a bold graphic circular print. Kudos, Astor Place Cube, for changing it up. The same look every day gets old (see: black tights)!

This work, sighted by Welcome to the Funhouse, came with an intriguing note attributed to the Caltech Prank Club. According to the note, this is a "weighted companion cube," which sounds just like the kind of thing the Astor Place Cube says when he's trying to seem superior about his outfit choices. According to the note, also, the cube will not stab you. Which is good! [The "weighted companion cube" is from the popular video game Portal.]

We've gotten in touch with the Caltech Prank Club to learn more. Let's hope this outfit stays on longer than the last one. No, we are not implying anything.

Alas, all too soon, what we expected would happen has. From @mylestanzer, "Oh no, The Astor Place cube is getting its clothes ripped off by the Parks Dept right now!"

Update: The Caltech Prank Club tells us, "The Weighted Companion Cube is an intimate object from the popular video game Portal, although it is often considered a character due to the emotional attachment that some players develop for it during gameplay. This prank was actually conceived more than 3 years ago by a few Caltech students, but we only got around to actually doing it last night."

Asked how they felt about the quick demise of the cube at the hands of the Parks Dept, they said, "We are disappointed that the city decided to tear it down so quickly, but enjoyed making it and putting it up." Be on the lookout for more pranks: "Although we have have no intentions of doing anything further with the Companion Cube, I would recommend looking at past Caltech pranks, such as the Great Rose Bowl Hoax, when the Hollywood sign was "improved" by Caltech, and several other interesting pranks and traditions listed here. Obviously this prank was not as large as the two mentioned, but many of us intend to change that in the next year or so."

Astor Place Cube Pranked [EV Grieve via Welcome to the Funhouse]

[JDoll / @thisisjendoll

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