JANUARY 2018 TDM

[recollecters]

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!

Comments

dia kurosawa | love live! sunshine!!

[unidolize]

2.
[ dia knew it would be a bad idea to follow the path, but alas, here we are. she's walking down carefully, treading lightly, unsure of what's about to happen. it leads her to the old subway station, and she stops, staring at it, contemplating. maybe poke her and see what she's waiting for...?

of course, she'll venture in, but only for a few feet. without a really good light source, dia realizes it's a bad idea to go any further in.

however, as she turns to walk back out, a vine wraps around her ankle. she falls down, and the vine starts to drag her further in. she's shrieking, screaming. it's kind of comical to watch, but...poor girl. ]

Help! Someone!

3.
[ laser tag, huh? not dia's thing. she stares at one of the guns with curiosity, and then realizing what's happening right as there's a blue laser honing in on her. ]

...No.

[ guess who doesn't want to partake in this ridiculous game?

of course, with a little persuasion, dia will in fact become one of the most enthusiastic people in time and will actually attempt to win for the blue team. she tags you, and if she's successful, then she'll do a menacing laugh and cross her arms... ]

Victory to the blue team! We'll never stop pushing our limits, so you'd best accept your defeat!

wildcard
[ make your own! ]

2

[adoringpast]

[ sena doesn't know why he keeps going back here, but that shrieking voice sure sounds familiar. one that he hasn't heard in quite a while. ]

Dia?!

[ it's the noble cousin to the rescue! sena wastes no time in cutting off the vine that's wrapped around her ankle with his sword and carefully helps her up. and by carefully i mean roughly, actually. ]

What the hell are you doing here?

[unidolize]

Mizuki!

[ he’s coming to her rescue, pulling her free from the vine—is that,..is that a sword—and he helps her up. roughly but at least he’s helping! ]

Why—why on earth do you have a sword?!

[ DIA HE ASKED YOU A QUESTION ]

[adoringpast]

Don't just answer a question with another question? Jeez.

[ runs a hand through his hair and sighs. how is he going to explain everything that's happened to his baby cousin? what a pain. instead, he's just going to grab her wrist and drags her away towards the entrance. ]

Never mind that. I'm sending you home right now. Do you even have any idea what time it is?

[ like it matters since it's dark out either way, but. ]

[unidolize]

I'm eighteen now, Mizuki, and no longer a child.

[ aka don't tell her what to do >:T but...well. she will follow him out, and she does owe him gratitude, so... ]

...Thank you. For saving me. I have no idea how you managed to get your hands on something so dangerous, and I don't know if I want to hear the answer.

3

[energybent]

[ Victory for blue team!! Korra's all smiles as she holds her hand out for a high-five. ]

We did it! I knew you'd get into it with enough time!

[unidolize]

Korra! Yes, we are victorious!

[ high five, senpai! ]

I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Are you having fun?

3

[idealest]

[ not playing

just kind of standing to the side with a bag of groceries and watching the carnage around him while dia laughs menacingly ig

stray confetti settles on him gently... ]

You're having fun.

[unidolize]

[ ...that voice--she knows that voice, better than most people would, and there's no mistaking it. her target...the boy whose return she'd been waiting for-- ]

Sakichi...?

[ no way. he's...he's home? and he didn't tell her, either?! well. he's certainly going to get lectured for that, but first...

she stares in disbelief for a few moments before she finally starts moving. look out confetti-sakichi, there's a teenage girl slowly walking towards you with wide eyes. it's been too long. ]

[idealest]

[ So she recognizes him. He almost couldn't recognize her; four years is quite a bit to miss out on in a growing girl's life. Sakichi isn't prone to smiling, but the normally sharp angles of his face soften as she approaches. It's nice to see that she's still so energetic. ]

Good afternoon, Dia. You've gotten so big.

[ confettikichi's wording could probably stand to be better but there it is ]

[unidolize]

[ four years too long. to be fair, dia wouldn't have recognized him either, if it weren't for the sound of his voice being so familiar to her. she picks up her pace and gets into a jog before she finally reaches him, staring more...

and then she's yelling??? ]

You idiot!! You should've said something! I would've prepared a welcome back gift for you--I...!

[ and then...there are tears. dia balls her hands into fists, looking down, not being able to look at him despite his poor wording. ]

2

[missingache]

[Dia might get more of a fright as a white, blade like item comes swinging out of nowhere to sever the vine. A gloved hand reaches down to lift her up as the wielder looks around. Since it's so dark, it's pretty hard to tell if this was a boy or girl till they speak.]

You okay? Was there anyone else with you?

[unidolize]

[ that is, indeed, a spook. dia is taken aback, not moving for several moments after the mysterious figure cuts the vine. shiori will be holding his hand for a little while as dia tries to process this information, but his voice is...

friendly? ]

N-No...nobody.

[ hesitantly, she takes his hand and gets up onto her feet. ]

I, well... Thank you for saving me.

[missingache]

[The word Nobody sets him on edge just a little, and he's thankful that it won't really show in their current surroundings.]

Don't thank me till we're out of here. Come on.

[Might seem forward but the easiest way to lead her out is by taking her hand and leading the girl outside. Shiori doesn't stop till they're both well away from the mouth of the tunnel. He makes his Keyblade disappear and takes his phone out to turn the flashlight function on.]

It's not safe to go in there alone.

[unidolize]

[ yikes ]

Hold on.

[ dia's eyes narrow and she snaps her hand back. it seems rude, treating a total stranger like this, but his appearance is fishy and so is that weapon... ]

Who are you? And what are you doing down here?

2

[scarlet_devil]

[ Oh wonderful, they have to worry about getting wrapped up in vines now? Well, Émilie to the rescue? ]

Hold on!

[ Émi darts in, grabs the vine with both hands, and... rips it in half like it was tissue paper. ]

[unidolize]

[ holy shit.

THAT...THAT WAS REALLY SOMETHING... dia just stares in shock at how this girl just tore that vine apart, and she just looks on in shock for a couple of moments, sitting on the floor... ]

How did you do that?!

[scarlet_devil]

Well, I... just happen to be extremely strong.

[ And that is pretty much true. Vampire strength has proved useful so far... ]

[unidolize]

That wasn't just strong! That was...incredible...

[ damn girl. dia is still staring in awe... ]

2

[promisedyou]

Ye—s!☆

[ The person who seems to answer her prayers seems to be none other that Mio Sonozaki herself, holding what seems to be a knife with a bit of an ominous grin that lights up her aquamarine eyes (were they that color before?) as she takes several hops on over as she goes ahead to chop the vine with ease. ]

There we go...! [ She'll at least grab her to help her down at least. There's no laughing here. Nope, none at all. (Mio was tempted to, though.) ] Are you alright?

[unidolize]

[ that's slightly terrifying. dia won't question it.

instead, she just sits back and watches as mio chops that vine into pieces, and then reaches up to grab mio's hand and pull herself up. wow. just...wow. ]

Mio... Yes, I'm alright--what are you doing down here?

[promisedyou]

[ Be glad that Dia isn't questioning it, because it would not be fun for all parties involved if she did.

There is, at least a sigh on relief and a bright smile as she answers. ]

Well, I wanted to check this area out again. Especially since I know how dangerous it is.

2

[activatingcombatmode]

[He recognizes that shrieking from anywhere!]

Oh, shit- Dia!

[What is she even doing down here? He's pretty sure it's not safe. Luckily he's sprinting up to her and stamping a boot down hard on the vine before it can keep dragging her away.]

I got you, hold on!

[unidolize]

Zack?!

[ yes, she calls him by his full name. but that's him, isn't it? HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. the vine releases her, and dia crawls frantically onto her feet, grabbing onto him. ]

Is it--is it over?!

[activatingcombatmode]

[That's him! A real knight in shining armour! A hero! Don't say things like that to his face, Dia. It'll go right to his ego balloon and he'll float away.]

I'll make sure it is! [With a low growl he's sure to stomp harder on the vine until it seems to retreat and shrivel away.

He helps Dia to her feet.] You all in one piece, kid?