recollecters: (Default)
Recollé Mods ([personal profile] recollecters) wrote in [community profile] repeter2018-01-17 08:44 pm
Entry tags:

JANUARY 2018 TDM

TEST DRIVE
JANUARY TEST DRIVE
The city of Recollé...

What do you mean the city's behaving for once?

I.
The large opaque dome enveloping the entire city continues to stand tall and firm, though this may be the first time you've noticed the dome itself rather than believe it's simply an eclipse effect. Faintly reflective in appearance but blocking the outside world, the dome still allows the warmth of the weak winter sunlight to seep through. It isn't hard to breathe, and the flora and fauna seem to be responding just as naturally as always. But the city of Recollé is pitch black except for the light citizens shine themselves.

The dome stretches incredibly high over the city, but anyone who can get close enough to it will find that they can briefly see themselves in the surface. Upon touching the dome, it appears to be smooth and almost rubbery in texture despite a shell-like shield appearance. Soundproof and unable to provide clues to what's happening outside of the city the dome is also harmless for those who wish to touch it and examine it, causing it to bounce a few times under light impact. However, do be careful not to trigger its defense mode! Should anyone attempt to damage the dome itself, it will light up with a bright, sickening blue color for three seconds before delivering a shock to its attacker and rendering them unconscious for an hour. Perhaps you'll get lucky and you'll only deal with the too-hot-to-touch surface that self-activates when the dome is threatened, or the spikes that appear at the source of impact. The dome seems to have a temperament of its own. It may be best to treat it the way you want to be treated.

II.
Going about your normal day, the darkness seems endless aside from whatever light can be shed via flashlights, cell phones and interior lights inside buildings. However, as you wander the streets of the city, under your feet a swirl of yellow light appears before darting ahead, bouncing and bobbing its way over snow and concrete to create a clear path for you. It's a little convenient to have a guide to follow, but you're not the only one. Others around you are following their own lights and they all seem to gather right at the entrance of the old subway station. Perpetually under construction for as long as you can remember, the station appears to be wide open for anyone who ventures in.

The light will guide you for roughly twenty-five feet before it dies down again. You're allowed to turn back, of course. There's nothing stopping you...except for the vine that suddenly snakes along the ground and wraps around your ankle, hooking onto you and beginning to drag you further into the tunnels. Now would be a good time to start calling for help.

III.

Back in the city itself, it's hard to say who, exactly, is to blame for the first hit. People are minding their own business and moving on as if everything is perfectly natural as usual. However, in addition to the hustle and bustle small barrels appear on every street corner with an assortment of colored guns. The moment you step up to investigate one of these barrels it becomes a little more clear what, exactly, is happening here.

A bright red, green, or blue dot appears on your skin as the laser light hones in on you. Someone's decided to make you their next target in a city-wide game of laser tag and you have precisely ten seconds to run. For anyone tagged by the guns, a confetti-effect of red green and blue dots will appear all over you lasting for up to fifteen minutes before you're back in the game.

Will you grab your weapons and join the game? Or will you dodge as long as you can?

IV.
As the evening sets in, there's a smell in the air. It's not the usual winter-y scent of peppermint or warm soup or anything like that. No, you soon realize that the smell is buttered popcorn and now instead of the barrels of laser tag guns there are carts containing popcorn machines, bottles of soda, candy and more. These carts don't move and they do not seem to be manned by anybody so feel free to take as much as you'd like! At precisely 7pm, the street lights dim a little and the dome above you starts to...glow? It glows and a picture stretches all the way across the sky as a movie begins to play for your enjoyment. Maybe it's the first of the Galaxy Fights series, or it could be that crazy archaeologist turned fortune-hunter Kentucky Smith. The movies will rotate one after the other for the rest of the evening until 7am when the street lamps come on, but for now grab some blankets and a good seat. There's always time for a movie with some friends.

BONUS.
Of course communication to people outside of the city is still out of the question. Of course it is. There are absolutely no signs of that changing anytime soon no matter how many times you call or text or email. Snail mail is nearly impossible and don't even think about videochatting.

On the other hand, it seems as though the powerlines above are beginning to spark, pulsing in patterns of a bright blue color visible to the naked eye. What's up with that? Trying to get a closer look will only reveal a thick, crackling sort of energy that is surely not dangerous in the slightest and is nothing to worry about.

The energy won't leave the powerlines at all, but instead the next time you use your phone for anything a song activates instead. It's loud and it can't be shut down, but once it ends you may find yourself in a video chat with a fellow Retrospec user. Say hi!

Welcome to the [community profile] recolle test drive meme! All characters will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun!

For current players, please remember that TDM threads can only be used for bonus points, not regains.

Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation.

Your January TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!
unreasons: (☆_☆)

[personal profile] unreasons 2018-01-19 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
Hey! Peyton is AWESOME! [ Astin yells the last word, no doubt startling some unfortunate passers-by who weren't expecting the jocular pair. Astin always seems to have that sort of easy confidence about themselves--even more so when with Peyton.

The loss of the gummies goes unremarked. Gummies we hardly knew ye. Astin looks upwards at Peyton's urging and claps their hands together in excitement. ]


Yessss! My favorite one! We need to find a place to sit down!

[ Astin scurries onward a little further until they find a bench that offers a half-way decent view of the section of the dome currently showing the movie. ]

Here, yeah?
dulynoted: (pic#12000522)

iii because he suffers by his sisters

[personal profile] dulynoted 2018-01-19 12:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Okay, Maki trying to corner him with laser tag because she's salty about her tiramisu is one thing, but why is Megumi doing this? Specifically, why is she doing this to him? He's not even playing. Why is his life like this.

Why is his family like this.

A confetti of red dots suddenly explodes on and around him.

Akira looks about as amused as she will expect. ]


Megumi, I'm not even playing.

[ Do you want him to play?

Do you want him to pick up a gun? Because he is extremely competitive regardless of who his opponent is. ]


pronounces: pixiv @ 14260809 (59.)

III HELLO

[personal profile] pronounces 2018-01-19 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ ugh, seriously? of all the things retrospec does, fooling with their phones for no reason is really high on the "annoying and useless" list. nazuna hears his chime go off when he's in the middle of grading papers, and he picks it up, pretzeling himself back into a criss-cross position. ]

He-- [ he wants to be annoyed, he wants to just put up with that, but when the facetime app clicks to life, nazuna's left frozen, his mouth hanging open just a little, staring with huge, round pink eyes at a face he hasn't seen since he was twelve. ]

K- [ his voice fails him, as usual, just for the first moment as he registers. kuro kiryu. he doesn't look exactly the same (his hair is red?! he has--is that a piercing?!) but nazuna would recognize his face anywhere. kuro was nazuna's first and only friend when he was still working in show business, the first person he met by himself and met up with by himself, the architect of almost every misdeed he ever got into (none of which he regretted) and the person who nazuna had to ignore. he still has every single birthday text saved on his old phone, four years of received and read, four years of utter silence. he was sure kuro hated him--nazuna couldn't blame him--and now, retrospec, in a twist of fate, brings them together.

he inhales, but the surprise on his face is still present, and his voice is little as he manages: ]
Kurochin?

[ he's in his pajamas. there are two barrettes with hearts on the ends clipping the long piece of his hair out of his face. this is not how this was supposed to go. ]
recoda: (12.  ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴋ)

they love him

[personal profile] recoda 2018-01-19 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Megumi only giggles, folding her hands behind her back and leaning over at the hips just a little in her classic teasing pose, her white gun dangling from her fingertips behind her. ]

I should have known. You take your studies too seriously to play a game of laser tag with your sister, right?
superposition: (But no more apologies)

Qubit (AU: Michael Quinn) | Irredeemable

[personal profile] superposition 2018-01-19 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
[here's Q's workshop from last round, i forgot to do one this time around - only change is he's like 30.
tl;dr: IT guy at Recollé U., opinionated blogger slash sci-fi writer on the side, has vertical hair and ~glasses~]


prompt( 0, "under the dome" ) {


[So there's a huge, opaque dome stretching all the way over the city.

Yeah, all right, this is fine.

...

Only it's not fine at all. How the hell did he manage not to notice that? That's not an eclipse! And even if it was, what kind of eclipse lasts for two and a half weeks straight? Where did that horrible thing come from? Is that why inter-city calls aren't connecting? He's been getting complaints about that issue for months! HOW DID HE MISS THIS.

He takes off from work early, no longer able to ignore his internal screaming, and drives out as far as he can, until a solid black shape cuts across the road - in the dark, he hardly sees it until he's right on top of it, and only slamming on the brakes at the last second keeps him from plowing into it at fifty miles an hour. The car comes to a screeching halt just a few yards from the barrier.

Already rattled, Michael gets out to investigate, leaving the headlights on. It looks like he's not the first person who thought of this, however. Somebody else is already here. He spares them little more than a glance, though; his attention's fully on the dome.]


What the hell is this?

}
prompt( 1, "into the underground" ) {


[It's curiosity, again, that sets him in pursuit of the yellow lights. What is it? A remote control car? A drone? He can't tell in the dark. (It certainly couldn't just be a magic floating light, everybody knows magic is fake as shit.)

Oddly enough, it leads him to a subway station. Which, it appears, is mysteriously devoid of any and all construction equipment. He pauses at the entrance, hesitant about going down.]


They're not open already, are they? [he mutters.] They can't be.

}
prompt( 2, "guns and more guns" ) {


[And here we go with more curiosity. Are you starting to sense a theme here? This is going to be the death of him I swear to god.

Michael's seen a few of these barrels lying around, and he's finally decided to investigate, picking up one of the toy guns and hazarding a glance around. Is this like a Candid Camera thing?

He fails to notice the laser dots gathering on his back...]

}
prompt( 3, "movie night" ) {


[You know, he was going to ask about the unattended snack carts everywhere, but then the new Stephen King's "THAT" started playing overhead and

you know what. he just stands there watching the opening scene play out, arms folded.]


... All right, even I have to admit that's pretty freaking clever. [His expression's still pretty sour, though.] But that'd better not be the whole reason the dome is there.

}
bonus( 4, "ring ring ring" ) {


[What in the - he's just trying to read on his lunch break, come on! Let him have this! Michael squints at the person on screen, both confused and irritated.]

Who is this? I didn't accept a call.

}

energybent: (sways (41))

III

[personal profile] energybent 2018-01-19 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
Not even gonna cut your sis some slack, Ada?

[ Here's Korra with a big grin and a blue gun. ]

You're gonna regret picking on me!
dulynoted: (pic#11914214)

do they

[personal profile] dulynoted 2018-01-19 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ At least the shot is simply that--a laser, fabricated. If she'd hit him with a squirt gun or something she would be in trouble. IN TROUBLE, okay?

The jab--which he correctly recognizes as a challenge--does get a small smile out of him. ]


I think we both know that it's in your best interest that I don't.

[ He's not cocky he just knows he's awesome. ]
pronounces: (23.)

[personal profile] pronounces 2018-01-19 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
Sure! [ what kind of a kindergarten teacher would nazuna be if he wasn't an expert sticker-wielder anyway?

so, taking the stars from him, he goes to put them in a dimple like position by the smile. there's just one problem, one problem that nazuna has encountered quite possibly every day of his goddamn life.

he reaches and stretches, up on his very tiptoes, and he absolutely cannot reach the top curve of the smile.

he's still going to keep struggling to try anyway though smh ]
breakingthrough: (pic#9871681)

[personal profile] breakingthrough 2018-01-19 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
Not a chance. Like you'd need it.

[She finds herself smirking. Good. A challenge.]

So what's the big prize this time?
odasaku: (26)

[personal profile] odasaku 2018-01-19 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ odasaku's just going to stare at the screen in disappointment and hope that this guy doesn't end up dead or something. ]

Don't do it.
sunnymerc: (235)

[personal profile] sunnymerc 2018-01-19 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
[Soleil always wonders if this is how other people feel when dealing with her. No, she is positive she isn't this impulsive. Maybe.]

...Oh, jeez.

[No, she can't say no to that face. She can't say no to the face of the cute girl she asked to watch a movie with, either, but she isn't here right in front of her, so Astin wins out. Maybe she can reschedule? That isn't cool at all, though. The sacrifices she makes.]

Okay, okay. Snug with the baby watching movies. I guess those are my plans for the night.
energybent: (sways (116))

[personal profile] energybent 2018-01-19 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ She taps on her thigh, thinking hard about this. The stakes are high... ]

Winner buys the loser dinner for a week.

[ it's always food. ]
breakingthrough: (pic#9871787)

[personal profile] breakingthrough 2018-01-19 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[It's always food.]

Heh. Fine-- you're on. It better be good.

[She says, like there's even a thing such as bad free food.]
energybent: (sways (16))

[personal profile] energybent 2018-01-19 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, it'll be the best, because I'll be the one picking it!

[ SHOTS FIRED. ]

On the count of three, we split up?
kindhearted: (✒ unsure)

Roji | Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation

[personal profile] kindhearted 2018-01-19 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Workshop comment! 20 y/o cook at Recolle U's cafeteria among other things! I'm still up for plotting so feel free to hit me up over there.]

I

[Another trek through the darkened streets on the way to work. For whatever reason, Roji finds himself considering how dark it is for this time in the morning. Even though it's winter, this is still pretty dark. And when he glances up at the sky, it finally hits him.

This...isn't normal, is it?

At first he wondered if it was some kind of solar eclipse going on that he just hadn't heard about, and he must've simply passed it off as such since he doesn't recall the point that he began to see this as normal. He just knows that he definitely doesn't see it that way now. Eclipses don't last this long- the news would be having a field day if such a phenomenon was happening! What could this be, then...?

Lost in his thoughts and making a bad decision to walk while observing the sky rather than what's ahead of him, he manages to stumble right into whoever happens to be his unfortunate but unintentional target.]


Oof! [He staggers back and fumbles with his work bag to avoid dropping it. But once he has his bearings, he launches into an apology.] Ah-! Oh, jeez- I'm so sorry! I just...got distracted. The news didn't say anything about it being normal that it's this dark at this time of day, right?

IV

[The dome situation keeps getting weirder and weirder, but what has Roji particularly confused is the unmanned snack stands. He's peering at the candy in particular, but the popcorn smells really good, too...

He'll glance at whoever else is checking out the snacks.]


Is this really free for us to take?

[Free food is great and all, but...what if the person running it had to take a break or something? He doesn't want to steal!!

...never mind the fact that this could be a trap, but he's not even thinking along that route.]


Bonus

[With the weird dome of darkness spreading over the city, seeing the pulsing coming from the power lines almost pales in comparison on the weirdness scale. Still, Roji can't help but find himself pulling out his phone to text around to see if anyone else has noticed that.

He's promptly met with very loud music, and out of pure shock he jumps about a foot and sends his phone tumbling onto the pavement. When the phone connects to a random Retrospec user, they'll be greeted by a lovely shot of Nothing except for a muffled "Oh no, oh no!" in the background until Roji picks it up. He's more than a little panicked, if his expression and the initial Shaky Cam Mode didn't make that obvious enough.]


Please don't be broken, please don't be broken...! Oh!

[His expression immediately goes from shocked to sheepish once he realizes someone's on the other end all of the sudden.]

Hel...lo?
Edited 2018-01-19 01:35 (UTC)
deathboss: (Emotion - This bites)

1/2

[personal profile] deathboss 2018-01-19 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
[It's like a comedy, really. He pushes with the stick for a bit, as it wobbles back, before poking one time a little too strong.

A few large spikes clearly crack the branch, almost sending him forwards towards them, before he safely pulls backwards instead. They stay there as he stares being quiet for a bit.]


...ahh! That can't be good. [He turns the camera away to mutter a few curse words before returning.] Well, friends, let that be a lesson to all of you! I could have died!

[Or at least poked grossly. He gives a thumbs up anyway, just as the spikes click and disappear, causing him to jump, and the camera is dropped.]

Ahhh!
deathboss: (pic#4293744)

[personal profile] deathboss 2018-01-19 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
[He quickly picks it up before looking at his computer.]

Anyway! What do you think is causing this, friends? I turn the question to you, HOOOOOOOOU!
breakingthrough: (pic#10056697)

[personal profile] breakingthrough 2018-01-19 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
Hmph.

[It's a laugh and a huff all at once. Fine. They can play like that.]

Let's go. One...

[She waits for Korra to join the count.]
unreasons: (^_^)

[personal profile] unreasons 2018-01-19 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Astin has a pretty good idea that they get their impulsiveness from their sister, but they'd never let Soleil know that. ]

Yay! You can't deny your cute little sister, huh~?

[ Astin clings to Soleil's arm, beaming. That's just how they are, really. One day sister, one day brother, another... neither. Astin is just brimming with love for their sister no matter what they feel like calling themselves on a given day. ]

I have the best big sister ever, don't I?
livingdeadgirl: (frown 4)

I

[personal profile] livingdeadgirl 2018-01-19 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
[What's this? A cry for help?? Ami is kind of garbage at superheroics, but she doesn't see anyone else who's heard it. It's up to her!]

Hang on! I'm coming!

[And she rushes in, her lusus following close at her heels. She's surprised to see who it is - she doesn't have a flashlight, but having recently acquired night vision, she can see way better in the dark than most people. Anyway, knowing it's her friend Raven just makes it more urgent!

Almost without thinking, she waves her hand at the vine, and it snaps a few feet from Raven's... feet. She hurries to Raven's side to help her untangle the severed plant from her ankle.]


What are you doing down here? It's dangerous!

[Meanwhile, her lusus stands between the girls and the remainder of the living vine, making low growling noises at it.]
storyofarebel: (Mine Mine Mine)

[personal profile] storyofarebel 2018-01-19 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Raven couldn't be more relieved to see who her savior is.]

Ami!

[She sits up once she's freed, brushing down her outfit.]

... I could tell you why, but believe me, it's not a good enough reason. So I'm only going to tell if you promise never to tell anyone else.

[She gives the lusus an affectionate pet between the ears. Good lusus.]
idealest: (struck from a great height)

[personal profile] idealest 2018-01-19 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ That doesn't seem like normal raccoon behavior, but ok. Sakichi cranes his neck to look at Tanuki on his shoulder. ]

You must be a pet.

[ He picks Tanuki up from his shoulder and turns him around, looking for a collar. Seeing none, Sakichi returns him to his perch. The raccoon's owner is coming off as slightly irresponsible right now, but it's also possible that the raccoon's collar came off in a fit of circumstance. ]

Someone will be missing you. I guess the dome can wait. Let's check the shelter.

[ Sakichi's priorities are as such. It won't do for some poor little girl to be crying over her fat raccoon friend. Off Sakichi trots for Recolle Animal Shelter... ]
energybent: (sways (41))

[personal profile] energybent 2018-01-19 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
Two....

[ And she looks at Ada meaningfully. When Korra's sure her sister is ready to count off the last-- ]

Three!

[ AND OFF SHE GOOOOOOOO ]
strayknight: (pic#11533769)

III KUROKUROKURO

[personal profile] strayknight 2018-01-19 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
[The unusual scream from his phone was getting really old. He just wanted to look at his phone!? This time he doesn't glare at the screen but instead looks very tired at the other person. His nap was interrupted when he went to check the time...]

...Another one?
strayknight: (pic#11533762)

[personal profile] strayknight 2018-01-19 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
I did the same. A social worker? Sounds like you have a plan...I's still deciding.