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]

[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.

[concasse]

[... Eyes narrowing. That's suspicious wording.]

What happened?

[liarboo]

Well, you know, like the dome thing.

[he looks back at the screen while pointing straight up.]

[concasse]

Ooh, right, you can actually see it too?

I'm so used to bastards pretending the sun shut itself off.

[liarboo]

Wait, what?? [He puts a hand to his forehead, starting to feel confused and sweaty.] Am I NOT supposed to see it?!

[concasse]

Oi calm down, you're fine. Not being able to see it is as weird as you think.

[A dismissive wave of his hand.]

But a lot of people in this town don't really notice it or care. They're not on that app we talked about.

[liarboo]

I only looked at it once!

[If Sanji was saying all that to help relax Usopp it's not working that well and he remains pretty much the same amount of confused as before. He can feel the sweat crawling down his spine.]

Lessyyy...

[He whines.]

[concasse]

Usopp.

[Don't even with him, Longnose idiot. Sanji's voice isn't unkind, but it is immediately firm]

Chill out, the end of the world ain't coming.

[Pause]

I think.

[YEAH HE PROBABLY MADE IT WORSE, HE COULDN'T HELP HIMSELF.]

[liarboo]

[He looks reassured.

For a moment.]

You're not helping!

[concasse]

[Heheheh whoops??? His bad.]

C'mon, I've been here for over three years and the sky hasn't fallen yet.

You'll be fine.

[liarboo]

Fine. [He huffs a little. Better to be vaguely irritated than scared, right?] But if something happens you're responsible.

[concasse]

The hell am I?

[Rude]

I'm not causing all this shit to happen.

[liarboo]

Too late, it's decided.

[Half grin.]

We should meet up sometime.

[concasse]

[UM NO, gonna contest that later, but Sanji's eyes widen a fraction instead, immediately blindsided by the offer.

... He knows Usopp's glad to see him, but he assumed that--

Ah. Well.]

Sure, I've got time. [Not like Sanji attends class with anymore regularity than he did as a kid.]

[liarboo]

[Stop taking things so literally, jeez!]

Okay, where at, Mister Been Here 3 Years?

[Insinuating this means Sanji will know the best places to have coffee or whatever.]

[concasse]

[It's the principle of the matter okay!!!]

Ever heard of the Bean? Good coffee place, pretty quiet.

[liarboo]

Nope! Send me the location.

[concasse]

[And so he shall. It's a location somewhere in Tisse says she who is too lazy to look]

When you wanna do this?

[liarboo]

[As he fiddles with his phone, saving the info:]

You're making this sound like we're doing a drug drop or something here.

[concasse]

I mean, if you've got some good shit hidden in that hair of yours...

[grinning like an asshole]

[liarboo]

You're one to talk, Eyebrow.

[concasse]

Y'know, our first meeting in over seven years ain't gonna go well if I try to kick your ass on sight.

[liarboo]

Dare you to try!

[He bluffs, maybe more good-naturedly than Sanji is, puffing up a little too confidently.]