JANUARY 2018 TDM

[recollecters]

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!

Comments

[liarboo]

[Oh.
Well, he's not gonna admit he misunderstood about that, instead he's gonna defend his honor.]

Why would I be calling you?? I was checking my phone to see if I could finally call my mom! [Suspicious pause.] ...Are you at my mom's...?

[Maybe he accidentally hit the call button.]

[concasse]

[... He could make a joke here.

However, even he is not that crass.]

No.

[Stated bluntly]

And unless you mom's in the city, don't fuckin bother. It won't work.

[liarboo]

Yeah, I know.

[He retorts, maybe a little too petulantly now that he knows this guy wasn't just some stressed telemarketer.]

Doesn't mean I can't check if it's changed, though. She's gotta be worried sick!

[concasse]

Fine, it's your shitty business.

[A visible shrug. He's long since given up being angry -- now he just doesn't seem to give a shit]

Also gimme your name so I can block you properly after this.

[liarboo]

Usop--

[He catches himself when he realizes what the man actually said.]

He-hey, why do you gotta block me, I didn't do anything wrong!

[concasse]

[Because you are annoying and Sanji doesn't do annoying, not without the other person jumping hoops made of fire.

But uh, back the fuck up for a second. His stare narrows in on the video]

Usopp?

Is that your real name or just what you go by?

[liarboo]

Who else is going by Usopp??

[As far as he knows he's the only person in the world with that name, so if someone else is going by that name it's definitely brand theft. That can't stand!]

[concasse]

[Stiiiiiiiill staring at Usopp through the video, quiet. Given how loud and obnoxious he was moments before, it's probably weird.]

So, humor me for a sec.

You ever been to France?

[liarboo]

Sure...

[He's suspicious again. Maybe this guy WAS at his mom's place after all. How else would he know this stuff?

Unless if he was a hacker? That would explain the random song...!]

Hey, wait a second, are you...

[He begins to accuse him.]

[concasse]

I'm who now?

[Oh, sure, Sanji could just be honest how surprised and maybe a little delighted he is in (hopefully) finding the one guy from his past that he doesn't hate, but--

Asshole.

So nah, he's gonna see if Usopp can figure it out]

[liarboo]

[P
A
U
S
E]

...a hacker.

[concasse]

[... Yep.



This is definitely Usopp]


Alessandro, you dumbass. From France.

We were in the same class. 6th, I think?

[liarboo]

[It takes him just another beat, but when his memory kicks into gear he grabs the phone with both hands, as if squeezing Sanji's shoulders between them if he was here in person.]

Ohhh! Lessy! Lessy, is it really you?!

[concasse]

[alsjdfaoishif]

Y-Yeah, it's me already!

[Sanji might be peering nervously behind his shoulder for a beat. He lives alone, but never doubt the power of your asshole friends to magically appear]

Shit, I can't believe you remember.

[liarboo]

Well, yeah! You were pretty much my only friend there!

[Lessy--sorry, Sanji, was the one kid he met that knew the best English so Usopp had gravitated to him naturally. But Sanji had also turned out to be a good friend, making Usopp's first army brat trip out of America not as unbearable as it could have been.]

Almost didn't recognize you with whatever yiu're doing there!

[He points at his own eyebrow, grinning.]

[concasse]

[Said eyebrow twitches under the other's scrutiny, Sanji really wants to scowl and throw back a few choice words--

But he doesn't to his irritation, and settles only on the scowl, much fainter than he prefers.

Apparently some shit never changes; he can't seem to bring himself to interrupt Usopp's good cheer, not even for his pride]

Yeah, uh -- wasn't really planned.

[Explain what he means? Sanji nah. He arches a brow instead and gestures at Usopp with a nod of his head]

Anyway, what's the story with you? You just move here?

[liarboo]

[Distraction successful, he moves on from the eyebrow. He gets back up to his feet and resumes walking back to where he's staying, barely paying attention to where he's going, he's so stoked to be talking to an old friend.]

I've been here for about a month! How about you?

[concasse]

Ah hell.

[Sorry, that slips out, but -- Usopp's brand-spankin' new, and if not for the way Recollé acts, it wouldn't be a problem.

Maybe it's not one yet. He returns to his attempt at delicacy, smile a little strained]

A couple of years, actually. Since I was 18.

[Pause]

So uh, this is gonna sound strange, but you get a weird app downloaded to your phone recently?

[liarboo]

Oh, wow, if I had known you were here I woulda dropped you a message to meet up!

[He pauses to think about Sanji's question, then perks up with rememberance.]

Yeah, I did! [His voice lowers as he squints.] So I was hacked.

[concasse]

[gdit why must everything go in the exact direction Sanji expects?]

Honestly? Yeah, can't say you're wrong on that end.

[A longer pause here; there are few ways to explain how a person's life is about to go to shit because of an app, and eventually, Sanji figures blunt honesty is the better poison. Usopp might not believe him, but he won't forget the nonsense coming out of his mouth, either]

I got that app about two months ago, and shit's been pretty strange since. Everyone with it gets... visions, kinda.

[liarboo]

[Despite all the crazy shit going on in the city right now, he looks at Sanji as if what he just said was the craziest of the shit.]

[concasse]

[Flatly:]

I didn't stutter.

[liarboo]

[Clears his throat.]

You realize how that sounds, right?

[He says in an almost Too Professional tone, like a therapist suddenly worried for their well being.]

[concasse]

Yeah I do.

And I'm saying it doesn't matter if you believe me right now or not, it'll catch up with you eventually.

[And he wishes it weren't so. His own memories have been relatively mild, but that hasn't been the norm. He figures it's kinder to give Usopp the heads up than baby him from the truth.]

Just-- [sigh] Call me crazy for now, I don't give a shit. Keep a careful eye out anyway.

[liarboo]

[Usopp huffs out a sigh, too, eyes turning up to the dark day sky as he thinks.

Then, he realizes:]

I don't know why I'm implying you're crazy for, with the way things've been for the past few weeks.