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

[ CHILD never mind, he's grabbing his shoulders. ]

No.

Unhand me! I'll cry kidnapper if you don't!

[Unhand!!!!!!!!!]

No one would believe you. [ ......probably........ ] You don't get candy until we've finished shopping, Tori. There's no point in getting a reward now when the most you've done is step into a store...

Eh? But I walked all the way here! I'm tired! My feet hurt! It was dark and scary and I came all on my own, so I deserve a reward~! Tsu-ka-sa, buy me candy, okay~? I'll give you a pat on the head if you do~!

[how can you resist this face. these sweet eyes. how he tilts his head Just So..!]

...You can't eat it until we're outside anyway?

[ but just... give him a moment, he's glancing at his bag of groceries... ugh.

all of that's nothing special for normal people, so he doesn't think it actually deserves a reward, but tori's. different. tsukasa'll fish out and open his bag of chocolate kisses, have One. ]

That'll tide you over, right?

[holy shit it worked. tsukasa really is just like the rest of the masses..! no one can resist his cute face.]

Heheh~. Lean down, you stick! I'll give you a pat on the head, just like I said! Good boy, good boy!

[Come on, lean down, he'll pet your head like a master should~.]

I wasn't doing it for that. [ HE SHOULD JUST TAKE HIS CANDY BACK ] I figured if I gave you something now, you wouldn't whine about it while we're shopping.

What an ungrateful servant! Fine, if a peasant like you can't see the worth my hand has, then that's your own fault!

[Candy~. Mmmm, delicious. What else is on his list... "noodles". What kind of noodles did he want again..? Does it matter? Noodles are noodles, right? There's just like, one kind, right?

Oh my god.]

Th-There's so many... Why?!

Different types of flour, lengths, thicknesses... For different types of meals.

[ ...... ]

Did you think there was only one type? [ ............. oh. ] Did you know there's dozens of types of rice too?

How am I supposed to know things like that? It's not like I cook my own meals! The servants always did-- do that! They probably know all this sort of stuff!

[... But that's sort of interesting? He guess? For different types of meals... Now that he's thinking about it, they did have a variety of shapes and stuff, but he didn't really think about it... rice, too, lengths and colors. Tori picks up some bowties, tilting it back and forth for the noise.]

Hmph, I guess I'll take these~. They're cute, just like me.

[He has No Idea what he's gonna use them with but he sure as fuck is gonna, at some point, use them.]

Does it really matter the kind of rice you use for stuff? I'm asking you a question, so you'd better answer~. Feel honored!

[ ...He's not as skilled with western types of noodles so he'll have to pass on judging those, but he thinks they'd probably hold onto sauce well...? ]

Sometimes. White rice is pretty standard—I've found the kind here is a little loose, even when cooked, so it's nice for things like stir-fry and fried rice. Brown rice is harder, since it's not polished or anything, and it's healthier too—I only really like it in genmaicha though, which is green tea with roasted brown rice. It pairs well with my favorite dish~.

[ Moving on though— ]

Jasmine rice is a specific type of white rice that's fragrant, and like most white rices you can use it for pretty much anything...? But you should let it cool down before you use it for fried rice, since it's too soft when it's warm. Sticky rice is the type they use for mochiko—you know, the type of rice flour for mochi—because it's really sticky and sweet when it gets cooked. Sushi rice is the standard rice in Japan, but it's called that here because it's usually just for sushi? But we have a ton of it around my house, since we eat traditionally... [ ... ] You use it for pretty much any and every dish that you don't use any of the other ones for, though I think it and jasmine are exchangeable in certain dishes... but sometimes one just pairs better with what you're having.

[ .........ahem, he's looking a little embarrassed about just... talking... but. He cooks a little, he sort of. Has an opinion on things. ]

[... That is so much information. The Himemiya family is actually more used to western cuisine, but this is interesting..? Stirfry was one of the things he was looking at too after all.]

You're surprisingly knowledgeable, huh..? I guess a commoner would have to be if they cook their own meals~. I guess I'll just buy jasmine then, that sounds appropriate for someone of high rank like me!

[And it's on sale. He thinks it is? There are two prices and one of them is lower, that's right... Yes, yes~. Next is tea, which is something he can pick out himself, and then there's some other things like bread and the Cold Items.

... This basket is not going to hold everything he's trying to carry, and even if it is Tori is not strong enough to hold it himself. Will he ask for help? Of course not. He'd rather command Tsukasa to hold it for him, but then he'd have to carry Tsukasa's groceries and he doesn't want to.]

I cook dinner because my parents are usually too busy, and Baba's getting old, so I'd like her to rest as much as possible.

[ That's all. Tsukasa follows him, glancing at the basket as it fills and shifting his bag of groceries. He'd probably do better to get a cart or something... Ugh, if only he hadn't been so stingy about showing his list, then they could've figured that out before...

He nudges him with his shoulder when they hit a good place to pause, sighing. ]

Stay here, okay? I'll be right back, and it'll be troublesome if I can't find you again.

I'm not some kid! And I'll stay if I want to, you shouldn't try and command someone of a higher station, you should plead that they do exaaaactly as you request. ♪

[... like he definitely probably will stay exactly where he is but Still.]

[ ...Irritating, Tori. ]

Please stay right here, then.

[ not really a pleading thing but anyway, it'll have to do, because Tsukasa's off right after; he won't be long, he's just getting a cart and coming back with it. His own groceries are neatly tied off and on the bottom!! It's good.

A gesture to the basket. ]

You can put those in here instead.

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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