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

[Luckily Zack has had no run in with vines. Everything else? Yeah.]

You're not the least bit curious about what's going on way down there, Andrew? As shitty as it is down there, there might be answers to what's going on. Retrospec has been pretty damn tight-lipped about it.

[When they're usually so happy-go-lucky about everything else. "Everything's fine!" "We're hard at work fixing that glitch!" "Look like we made the oceans blue again!" Sigh...]

People are saying they've seen some brochure with information from fifty years ago down in that subway station.

I'm curious.

[ Actually, that comes off a little sharper than he meant, so he shakes his head. ]

Sorry. I am curious. But there were people who needed help, I couldn't just leave them there.

[He ends up grinning and nudging Andrew's shoulder with his arm.]

I know, you've always been a good guy. I'll try to steer clear of vines, alright?

All right.

[ Andrew is still... less than pleased. For letting the chance to know more pass him by, for people being in danger, for unexpected darkness.

But he can't fix all of that right now.

So, instead, he arches an eyebrow at Zack. ]

Unrelated. That's not all that you're having for dinner, right?

[He can tell there's a strain in Andrew's expression. But they can't fix all the answers all at once right now.

For now, he shoots his friend another casual grin.] What's wrong with popcorn? It's free.

[Not that Zack needs to pinch his pennies or anything. He makes great money.]

You hungry?

[ Slight eye-roll and then a look. ]

There's nothing wrong with popcorn. There's some in not providing your body with proper fuel.

Come on, Zack. You know that.

[ ... the thing is, he can't tell if he's hungry right now, his mind back beneath that old subway station. ]

Dunno. But if you haven't had dinner, I can join you.

[ Better with company, right? ]

I eat plenty fine, you don't need to lecture me about my eating habits. I'm a grown man.

[And not the young bright eyed kid he used to be.

Yet still, a gleam in his eye as he pats a fist against Andrew's shoulder.]

I'm not saying no to a dinner date, though.

[ ... the cough that meets those last words suggests that Zack totally should have waited for Andrew to be drinking to say that.

After a moment, he catches his breath enough to say, ] Yeah, yeah. But old habits die hard.

[ Half the time, NCOs are the moms in any given unit. For everyone, including the officers. He's not kidding about those habits at all. And not meaning the habit of looking out after the bright-eyed ~~puppy~~ kid that Zack used to be, himself.

Much. ]

Right. What're you in the mood for? Mexican?

[Sometimes, Andrew just makes it too easy.

He remembers all those times the older man has looked out for him. Going so far as to drag his ass out of bed at five in the morning for a mission briefing after he'd done something as stupid as getting too drunk with friends the previous night before. But also better times like training with Zack until his bones ached.]

Hell yeah. Tacos and burritos, here we come.

[Come on, mom-friend. Get in his car. They're getting tacos.]

[ The thing is? He's not even complaining. For all that he gets people to do the things that should be done, he does like the teasing and laughter, too, more than he usually gets to express.

And in this time between things, with Zack feeling better but still away from active duty, and Andrew being here, it's all the more reason to take joy in the little things. ]

Now I know what I should take if I drop by your place uninvited without warning for some reason.

[ Hey, if that happens, he wants to have a proper bribe. ]

Let's go.

Bring steak and a six-pack of beer and you'll get double the welcome points.

[He's easily won over with any food and beer, honestly. He's pretty simple.

Out to his car they go, Zack abandoning his bag of half-eaten popcorn in a nearby trashcan. Zack's got a fairly nice car. A blue 2000 Suburu Sti. It's older but it's his baby.]

[ Angeal laughs, quietly. ] So if I pry a little more, you'll realize there's something even better?

[ Slight smirk as he settles in the car. ]

What if I bring raw steak and cook it for you?

[Zack pretends to look shocked. Andrew can cook? But he grins readily pretty quickly.]

You trying to win me over or something, Andrew?

[Please cook him steak. He's such a shit cook.]

Well. Win you over from using popcorn as your entire meal, that's for sure.

[ Yes, he can cook. No, he never let it be known in the army. Ever. He was an NCO but he did have some self-preservation instinct. On occasion. ]

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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