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

Okay?

[ Minato answers automatically even as the word "What." crosses his mind, not understanding the question or the context until she sees the lights dotting Rise's skin. Honestly, he's more accustomed to pointing a gun at his head than at another person... a.k.a. he's done the former exactly once and the latter never. But he can aim well enough with a bow and lasers aren't subjected to drag or gravity or any of that, so he'll be able to hold his own.

If he had a laser tag gun.

His hands are empty when he holds them up, palms out, to get Rise to stop running outside in the ice, it's dangerous? ]

Why?

[She skids to a halt and maybe it's a good thing Minato does that because she slips a little but she's quick to regain her balance to prevent herself from colliding straight into him.]

Here, take this! [And she immediately shoves the gun into his hands and slips behind him to use him as a shield, attempting to block the laser lights.] I can't even tell where they're coming from anymore!

[ She's not going to be able to tell where they're coming from if she's hiding behind his back, but neither can Minato right in the middle of nowhere. He's never played laser tag in a formal sense before, but knows if someone gets shot, their gun will freeze momentarily and prevent a revenge shot.

All he's got to do is not get shot. Easier said than done, but he's got to try anyways, holding the gun close and ducking off towards a building so he's got one side covered by a wall and Rise covering his back. ]

Help find cover-- I'll take care of whoever's shooting.

[She's quick to follow and she's back to back with him, peering through the dark to see if she can spot the source even from the wall.]

You've got it. There's an alley not too far from here that turns into a huge wall of shops on the main road. If we duck through and take the back way we'll have full coverage. We just have to be fast. [At least she knows the area.]

[ This is great and would be even better if Minato does not know the area at all, because while he has a general idea of the main road— the widest, busiest one, with a bunch of speeding cars they maybe should not be running around by, but they'll serve for cover well enough— alleys and back ways? Verbally directing him from behind would be too complicated and distracting, so... ]

You'll have to lead from the front. [ He turns to face her, raising the gun a little. ] You won't be without protection, though. Is that okay?

[No? No that is not okay, that's asking her to lead and that's a thing she's definitely not used to. She's used to following the footsteps of her older brother and she's used to chasing after her younger brother, she's used to listening to leaders at school on the student council and volunteer groups. But...it's just a game, right? She can do that.]

I think so. Just keep your eyes peeled and we can probably avoid getting hit. [Minato's been pulled into the game whether he likes it or not and she pauses, looking around before gesturing he follows.] Come on! [And she takes off, running further into the dark and down a less-lit street.]

[ It's nice getting the pressure off from having to be Leader, but that doesn't mean Minato hands the entire job over; with Rise in front, he can widen his field of view to see everything— his partner two paces away from him, close enough to hide the gun tucked low beside his hip so that all he has to do is angle it slightly to shoot- his body half turned as he runs so that his vision doesn't tunnel down just the street, relying on movement in the distance of his periphery to take pod shots at rather than focusing on any one point.

He stays silent, crouched low in Rise's shadow as if a part of it, content on being ignored as little bursts of confetti pop up from the streets here and there as they pass. ]

[The lights of the lasers dance around them and she's quick to lead them down the street and toward aforementioned alley. Every now and then she'll glance back at Minato to make sure he's following and that the confetti-lights avoid the two of them. As soon as they hit the mouth of the alleyway she pauses, glancing back again before continuing.]

If we run down to the end, we should escape everything.

[ Minato nods back, throws a glance at either side of the narrow alleyway— no dumpsters for surprise assailants to hide behind, nothing on either stretch of wall aside from a garage or storage door that they'll be able to hear before it opens— then turns around so that he can make sure to cover their back for anybody chasing after them.

The end approaches in five meters... two... one...

Safe!!!

Congratulations, confetti showers all over the two of them, while Minato blinks in silent surprise at how he could have failed at the very last moment. Somewhere up above the alley, from an open window, the tip of a sniper rifle withdraws inside. So close :) ]

[An attempt was made and it was a nice try, and as soon as the confetti-lights appear there's a discontent noise as she tries to slip back into shadows to get away from the lights.]

Ugh, this is ridiculous! How did they even see us from up there? [There's a pout as she makes herself cozy between the wall and a long stretch of shadows. While that might be all she should say, it might be a little rude to ignore his efforts after all of that.] Thanks for trying. Your aim was pretty good.

[ Minato sighs, handing the gun back to Rise and then holding his arms out to watch the lights dance around on them. ]

If I wanted to sit somebody for sure, I would also guard the exits. "Pretty good" isn't good enough, though... [ If these were real guns, he'd be dead. He also wouldn't go running through a battlefield to begin with, though. ] But you're welcome. Used to play a lot of video games, and the same strategy can be applied.

It's good enough for me, but I think I see your point. [She takes the gun, awkwardly holding it as the lights swirl between both of them.] I've never really played games like that, so this was all kind of new to me. I didn't expect a city-wide game of laser tag to happen when I went outside this morning either.

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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sorry for the delay!

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