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 mean, just because I'm not laying out my issues at your feet doesn't mean we can't talk. You got anything interesting to say about that big ass dome over the city, for instance? -She expected nothing, not yet realizing Kei was now 'turned on' to Retrospec.-

It's frightening, isn't it? I hadn't realized that it was there for weeks. No... it is more like I could easily explain away the darkness that I saw. I could easily explain everything away to where such an odd sight was normal.

[ Is he actually frightened? Not really. Kei was surprised by it, of course. He isn't without emotions, after all. But it isn't fear that grips him; it's a revelation that he never thought he'd be gifted. ]

-Nah, she was pretty sure nothing scared Kei, but that still wasn't a reaction she expected, and it showed in the way May kind of... stared at him.-

Hey, uh... Can I see your phone for a sec? -As she was pulling out her own.-

My phone? Very well.

[ The phone is carefully set on the counter. ] Please don't get it wet with mapo sauce. I am fond of the flavor, but not so fond that I wish for to have to clean it from my cellphone.

[ And the spicy combination is set down in front of her. ]

-As much as his reaction to the dome was a surprise to her, the fact that she didn't immediately get her chopsticks and start digging in was a surprise to him, plopping her phone down next to his and checking both with a few swipes of her fingers...-

There it is... Yo, you opened this 'Retrospec' app yet?

I did.

[ He watches her carefully, before closing his eyes. Well, he already assumed that she had the application since she asked for his cellphone. ]

I wonder how long that you've been on the app, but I suppose that it doesn't matter. [ A beat. ] How do you do? I am Kei Shigaraki. Please take care of me, if you could. [ It's the same sort of saying that one would give when entering a new business, right? ]

-May was probably the least Japanese a Japanese person could get in many ways, but she caught the reference.- And I've had it for almost a year. Guess that makes me your senpai. But don't call me that, it's weird.

-But that means he was in the process of 'awakening', she figured, pulling out a set of sticks.- My dude, I think you're about to be in for some wild shit.

I shall refrain from calling you such. [ And if Kei is honest, there is only one person that he would refer to as "senpai." It's nothing related to affection or caring about the person; no, it's more his way of showing that he acknowledges the efforts that individual did. He acknowledges them so he willingly gives that person a title that separates him from others. ]

I am lucky, then, that my hours are generally spent tending to this restaurant and the clinic. I doubt that I'll be able to do much about the wild state of things beyond observe them.

-Responding with a mouth full of ramen.- Oh you have no idea... -Sluuuuuuurp.-

Like you remember my boat, the one I used to do tours on? It got wrecked, like, six months ago, because of wild Retrospec shit.

[ He blinks. ]

I didn't even realize it had gotten wrecked. But I suppose I wouldn't have been able to notice it. I say that as someone who didn't notice a dome encompassing our entire city for weeks, and so I can only assume what else I've been oblivious to.

[ Hm. ] But you appear to be all right. That's a relief.

Well, I mean... I also didn't tell you. Or a lot of people. -People tended to get weird when you told them you were homeless for awhile. And she was allergic to pity.-

And you know me. I survive.

Survival is what it is.

[ Living is a completely different matter. ]

Either way, I have no reason to coddle you. You're not a patient but a customer and so the only coddling I will do is what you order. I suppose that is why you told me at all, hm?

-Another mouthfull of noodles.- Well, also, shit's crazy and you started noticing, so I figured I might as well, finally.

I'm touched.

[ He has his hand over his chest -- where his dead, dead heart is. ] Anyway, while I say I will not coddle you, I am in an odd situation. I may have to forgo asking you for money for the meal. I feel as though it will be needed for my clinic.

So. Consider it a future investment on my part.

-Sluuuurp.- Geeze, dude, nice knowing you have such faith in me. -Like, yeah, she'd normally be over the moon for a free meal, but damn why's he gotta make it sound like that.-

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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