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

[Local former tv star Kurt Wagner is lounging on a nearby blanket and chowing down on popcorn when he hears the younger person's criticism.]

I dunno, I think it's beautiful. There's a reason it's a classic! [He chimes in.] ...Man, but dragons would be so rad too!

[Raven doesn't turn to look at him, so she's yet to realize she's talking to someone famous... just yet.]

Oh please, it's just superficial! If you fall in love at first sight, that just means you think they're good-looking. Can you get anymore shallow?

[She even flicks popcorn at the screen.]

No way! It means that destiny is in the works. That just makes the romance even more legit. Too legit to quit!

[He frowns upon her action.]

Hey man, don't waste some good popcorn on top of that!

I've seen puppy love that's more legit... as in, from actual puppies.

[She turns, ready to flick popcorn at him...

... Oooooh boy.]

Uh.

... Has anyone told you that you look like a famous guy?

[please please please be a lookalike and tell her she wasn't just about to throw food at a celebrity]

[Kurt gives a shrug, with a meek smile that slowly grows smug as he goes on.]

Oh, funny you ask that! I hear that I look like Kurt Wagner all the time. Especially from my parents!

[Oooooh nooooooo-]

... But I was absolutely not about to throw my popcorn at Kurt Wagner, right?

[HEY SO IF THE EARTH COULD SWALLOW HER UP RIGHT NOW THAT'D BE GRAND]

You were going to throw that popcorn at me?! [He responds, sounding offended by the idea!]

[FFFFFFFFF-]

I will give you five bucks right now to pretend this never happened.

[Bribing a celebrity is... pretty silly but she's so overwhelmed with panic that thinking straight is not a priority.]

Five bucks?! [He seems surprised for a moment, but then, very casually-]

Yeah, sure! And you can throw some popcorn my way anyway, just when I know that it's coming!

[Phew. She ducks around in her purple purse, slipping out a crumpled five.]

Thank goodness the 'net' is down... Last thing I needed was my mom finding out I harassed an actor.

[He snorts as he claims the five dollar.]

Hey, it's no big deal, really! I didn't feel harassed. But thanks for the five, yo!

You don't know my mom. She would've seen it as...

[She shakes her head.]

Nevermind. I don't want to bum down a sappy movie.

H-hey, I know. Moms can be... kinda harsh, sometimes. [He scratches at his hair nervously.]

But still, on my end? No harm, no foul! We should focus on the movie... Maybe you'll realize how rad it really is!

[After a moment, she manages to smirk again.]

Why, are you in it?

Well, like, in one scene maybe. [A cameo as a pizza boy.] But that's not the reason! It's just, a totally cool movie.

Don't tell me you're actually a sappy romantic. The fangirls would eat you alive... more-so than they already do, I'm guessing.

Wh-what? No way! [He scratches at his hair bashfully.] It's just... what's wrong with a good romance, you know?

[She can't help but chuckle. Humility's a good trait in her book, so seeing him flustered earns him some points.]

Well, to me, a good romance means a lot of good work. Life's not a fairy tale, after all. Unless you'd want to marry a girl when you only know her face and shoe-size?

[Cinderella, in case it wasn't obvious.]

W-well, no, not like that! [He waves his hands in denial with a nervous smile.]

Like, I know it could still take work. But it can still be like that when it's love at first sight! Don't you want a good story to tell your kids?

[... okay now she can't help but mess with him, this is just way too funny.]

Are you already planning to have kids? That's ambitious.

[Whoops. He quickly gets more flustered.]

N-no! I mean not... not like super planned out! Just, like, maybe someday?

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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