repeter | 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

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No.

[ Define "always." Since the beginning of time? Since the beginning of the month? Whatever answer he'd give would be right anyways, so Minato moves on right away and pulls out a stack of four envelopes from the inside of his coat to hand to Sakichi. ]

Outgoing mail.

[ They're all addressed to a college outside of the city, different people from the same school, and he's been trying for weeks to get them to where they need to go. Are they maybe just not being delivered? Does he have to talk to a mailman in person to ensure the job's getting done? This is what he's doing now. Please. Get the job done. He's counting on you, Sir Mailman. ]

[ minato don't be a smartass

Sakichi takes the mail, looks at each address. Then he holds it all back out to Minato with a slight bow, regret pinching his brow. This is a failure of the system he himself has had a hard time accepting. ]

I apologize. If I took this, it would only find its way back to you. You would best hold onto it until transportation out of the city is re-established. Please bear with us.

[ So basically until the done is taken down, right? Minato gives the structure a sideways glance instead of taking the mail back. In fact, his hands go into his pockets in complete refusal. ]

Can I ask you to hold onto it until transport's reestablished?

[ That's. Your. Job.

But he's also curious as to what the mailman, someone employed by the city itself, knows about the outside world. ]

What are people supposed to do about urgent mail...

...

[ Minato's mail hangs between them. Sakichi could take Minato's refusal as a stubborn complaint, a chastisement toward Sakichi for attempting to tell him what to do. Certainly, some post office patrons are petty enough. But Sakichi does not think it the case here. These letters must be of utmost importance if this man is so anxious to see them delivered.

Sakichi tips his hat and places the letters carefully in the small pocket of his satchel. He will keep them close, and they will be the first to go out once the proper channels are opened. ]

Yes, sir. I'll see them safely to their desination.

[ ... and the next part is probably blasphemy coming from a letter carrier, but ]

Have you tried e-mail?

[ Sakichi sounds like a very promising mailman, but without a promise of a deadline, all Minato can do is nod in thanks for trying his best. He's tried emails— several of them, enough and so close together that he worries whether his email simply ended up in a spam folder instead of the inbox proper. He's tried phone calls, professional networking sites, even digging out social media sites just in case the person he's trying to contact was caught up in some horrendous disaster that made all forms of communication impossible. Like, you know, having their city enclosed in a dome. Maybe the problem is him. ]

Tried everything but hopping the state border to hand deliver the message myself. And, well... then this appeared.

[ He tilts his head towards the dome. Good luck getting outside anymore, both the postal service and himself. ]

To think I didn't notice it until today. I'll have to re-evaluate everything I've seen lately.

[ Everything!! When one overlooks the actual largest feature in the sky, he cannot trust himself to have overlooked nothing else. ]

Do you know anything of its purpose?

[ Reevaluation of one's life is never a bad thing, and something Minato should probably do if he weren't the type to notice and immediately accept. This dome, for example, what is there to do but to accept its existence when there's no way to break through it, or dig under it? Even the newly sort-of operating subway system seems to be enclosed within city limits. ]

No, but I have suspicions. [ They're all end-of-the-world scenarios he's not sure Sakichi wants to listen to. ] I know one purpose for sure, though.

[ How ominous. ]

And that is?

Movie screen.

...

[ He snorts. ]

Ridiculous. I should hope our government funds are going into something more worthwhile than a massive movie screen. The likely cost is enough to give me a headache.

Movies are worthwhile. You can learn a lot from movies.

[ This is where he gets his grey morality and lack of self preservation: the protagonist lives through everything. This will also be his source of cheesy pick up lines if ever I get the chance to use them. ]

Entertainment... leisure... It's good for public morale. To bring the community together, don't you think that's invaluable?

[ #findminatoaship ]

No. Not at this cost. A simple festival or event is acceptable. A gigantic sun-blocking projector screen is not.

[ guess who doesn't watch many movies ]

There are a number of worthy public institutions that would benefit greatly from a boost in funds. The orphanage, the homeless shelter, and the soup kitchen, to name a few. I'd rather see our money put toward causes with practical effects.

[ Nothing's barring the orphans and the homeless to come out and enjoy a movie under the skyless sky, and enough food as been provided so that nobody will go hungry. They'll just be rotting their teeth and taking in too much salt.

But the point is made about the city's allocation of funds, Minato remembering the time they imported turkeys or rented a death trap of a haunted house when the subway has been in disrepair for months to years. ]

Postal service is part of the local government, isn't it? You should have a good grasp on who to talk to within the government to make change... maybe. You go door to door anyways, so there's always petitions.

... Hm. That is an idea. However, the Mayor is ultimately the one responsible for making financial decisions, and as I understand it, he has always been something of an eccentric. I don't think the post office has enough political clout to sway him... and it wouldn't be ethical of me to gather signatures while on the job.

But it is true that there will be no change if one does not first endeavor to make change. I will see about speaking with him personally.

[ To Sakichi, the most straightforward solution is best. ]

[ Why has the mayor not been voted out of office yet. ]

Thanks. Good luck speaking with him.

[ He turns to look back at the dome, frowning at it. ]

...Hope this thing goes away before May. Otherwise I'll have to tunnel under it.

Before May?

[ what's happening in may ]

Before May.

[ ...Did you want to know what's happening in May? Too bad. Minato doesn't look at him and instead runs his hands up and down the surface of the dome, not at all slick and hard like he'd hoped, and with more give that he'd like. It'll take a substantial amount of force to pierce this, probably.

He could attach his spear to his car and drive into it— cars are basically Faraday cages protecting one against lightning; it should work. ]

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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