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

[ She can't say she entirely disagrees, these movies are sort of fun to see, even if it's a little unsettling to see them up against the sky. That said, it's also the night which would normally be their club activities and she's okay with using this as a replacement for it, snd the newly red-eyed woman (who had a flashlight in her left (prosthetic) hand, currently not turned on) was more than good to snuggle up here.

What, Astin's cute, sue her. ]

Oh no, I'm really looking forward to it! It's been years since I saw the third Galaxy Fight.

[ Astin is extremely cute, thank you. ]

Yeah! I haven't seen it since I was a kid!

[ Astin chews thoughtfully on some popcorn. ]

Too bad they're not showing like, Red Motorcycle Anime or something classic like that.

Good point, it's been years since I've seen that the whole way through too!

[ Man, she really hasn't watched a lot of movies outside of club in the last three years, has she? A full time job (that she loves) and part-time school... well, it didn't leave too much time for indulgence, at least not one she blocked off hours for.

She pulls in closer under the blankets. ]

Which is your favorite Galaxy Fight, actually?

[ Astin seems happy enough to get a little closer as well, practically cuddling up to Natalia as movies begin to roll. ]

...Mm. Everybody likes the second one, but for me it's the first one. It's hopeful and heroic. I like those kinds of stories.

Oh, I could see that! I think ... well, like I said, it's been a while, but I really liked the third one when I was younger. It had the princess being amazing in it, and I thought the little bear-people were very cute.

[ She nods along though, shifting a little to make their position better. In that respect, she's actually really, really looking forward to the screening. ]

Amazing princesses are the best. I always kinda wanted to be one when I was a kid, you know? And also a knight at the same time.

[ Astin's head rests on Natalia's shoulder as the movie begins. ]

The little bear people were okay. I liked the space fight in that one though.

[ She wonders... well, as far as she knows Astin isn't on the app, but she whispers out, amused at herself for the admittance, ]

I was a battle-ready princess in another life, you know. Maybe I was always looking forward to seeing that reflected.

[ The cute boy against her shoulder did make her feel that much more amused. She shifts her arm, to better put it around the other. She's grateful for Astin being on her left, because it means that she can put the prosthetic one around him and still be able to user her right one, which is the one which is more mobile for the purposes of things like popcorn.

... btw taking some popcorn. She should probably have confirmed about what sort of oil it was made in, but. Nah, this is fine. ]

[ Astin's eyes seem to sparkle for a moment as they're told that the other was actually a battle-princess. ]

That's super cool--like an anime or something!

[ This is nice and cozy. Astin doesn't comment or seem to notice about that prosthetic arm. Or maybe they're just being polite. Whatever. Astin reaches over to grab some popcorn themselves, humming the opening theme quietly along with the movie. ]

...It'd be cool if I was a princess in another life. Or something else interesting.

Oh, I'm sure you were.

[ She says this idly, playing a little with the popcorn in her fingers before putting it in her mouth. She hums and recounts, even as she's watching the screen, ]

After all, I've met mages and soldiers and knights too. There's all sorts of people.

[ It must sound so fantastical when she says it like that, and she privately amuses herself with the fact that because of Retrospec, it's technically the truth. ]

Wow, really?

[ Astin sure is taking this in stride pretty well... ]

Should I call your Your Highness or something?

Doesn't that only apply in the contrary I'm the princess of?

[ She might not know the procedure... but then again, ]

But I guess the Galaxy Fight Princess got to keep the title even after they blew up her planet...

Yeah, once you're a princess you're like, always a princess.

[ Astin cuddles into her shoulder a bit more, getting nice and comfy. ]

Man, I missed this movie.

[ ... He's so cute. So cute. She giggles a little and looks up to the movie as well, leaning in herself. ]

It's fun to watch it outside too.

JANUARY 2018 TDM

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