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

I.

O...kay.

[Jeez. It took her way longer than it should have to find the edge of this damn thing. She'd taken an umbrella to feel her way around a little and make sure she wasn't tripping over anything-- and you know. Just in case she had to smack anyone who tried anything funny. But now that she's found it... hell, she doesn't know what to do with it. She sure as heck isn't going to touch it.

Not directly anyway. Instead she pokes at the dome with her umbrella. When there's no reaction, she gives it a small tap. And then a little harder.

Suddenly there are spikes and her cheap umbrella is stuck on them.]

...ugh. Fine, I didn't need that.

II.

[Not to brag or anything, but Edna was pretty good at getting by in the dark with nothing but her cellphone to light up her surroundings. It was super obvious when the lights at her feet appeared; swirling and swaying. Okay-- so she could have just ignored it. But part of her was interested to see where the heck it would take her.]

...it's just some cruddy old tunnel.

[Yet she leans over and takes a picture with the flash on. It illuminates the entrance for a moment but it's gone seconds later. She studies it and shakes her head.]

Yeah right. No way. Whatever the trick is here-- you're not getting me.

[Just wait. Sooner or later someone is going to start screaming and it's going to be like some kind of horror story.

Okay, nah, like that would really happen.

...not that she'd be able to turn around and walk away if that really did happen.]

III.

[Now this is more like it. If they're gonna be stuck in the dark, time to have some fun with it. She has one of the orange guns and has made herself scarce. She's small and agile so stealth is her game. It's just a matter of whether or not she's quick enough. When she goes for the shot, she's not as subtle.]

Pew pew. [Yes. The noise. She made it when she shot.] Better be careful.

[--she says, whether it hit or not. Really, she's just all about baiting you to get in on the game.]

Bonus.

[Oh. My. God. Kill her now. Weird electric whatever? Fine. Bad music? Bad! She's way over this kind of thing okay. It's embarrassing. So when it ends up in a video chat her annoyed face lets up a little.]

Thank god it's over.

[She doesn't even care if she knows you. This is a blessing.]

What the hell was that?

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!

Not a chance. Like you'd need it.

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

So what's the big prize this time?

[ 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. ]

[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.]

Oh, it'll be the best, because I'll be the one picking it!

[ SHOTS FIRED. ]

On the count of three, we split up?

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.]

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 ]

[ The edge of the dome doesn't really draw Kiryu's attention that much, but he figures he has to check this thing out at least once, right?

Right.

Or, you know, he can run into Ada and find her poking it with an umbrella and holy fuck he jumps in the way, between her and the spikes. ]

Woah, be careful.

[ pew pew indeed. she's sneaky, and dia yelps when edna appears behind her, nearly dropping her own gun onto the ground-- ]

I-I wasn't ready!

[ and dia did, indeed, get hit, so there's suddenly a flurry of dots on her person. she looks down in horror at the realization that she just gave edna a point!!! ]

How...how dare you...

Long story short: a lot of stupid things.

[ Mio honestly didn't expect the bad music or the fact that it was going to lead up to a video chat. It makes her feel kind of awkward, since none of those who weren't Retrospec users noticed her vibrant green hair or aquamarine eyes for some odd reason, so she'd honestly be relieved if Ada didn't notice it, either... ]

Do you really want to know the long version? [ It's spoken with such exasperation that she sounds tired and done and she would like things to leave her the fuck alone. ]

[Well she gets a somewhat familiar face of a classmate at least. But Izuku appears to be just as confused as she is.]

I'm not sure. That's the first time that's ever happened. Or...this.

[Sure a few months back people had misfiring texts left and right but his phone has never put him in a chat with someone before.]

[Tatsuo is on his fourth of these. He almost has the song memorized at this point. Time to see the next contestant on 'pls entertain Tatsuo, he is dead bored.']

Dunno. Did your phone play a catchy 90s vibe song too?

JANUARY 2018 TDM

Edna (Adelina "Ada" Hale) | Tales of Zestiria

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