repeter | JANUARY 2018 TDM

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! tdm

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

[ Why are you wearing sunglasses at night? You're going to run into something for aesthetic. Kei is mildly concerned. ]

It would, wouldn't it? [ Of course, it may very well become mapo-flavored ramen. But at least he is keeping his word that it will be ramen. ] I don't believe that I have met you before. I do try to remember all my regular customers, miss. [ Those poor masochists. ]

Please take a seat, miss. [ He slightly tips his head. While it's hardly his fault being six-foot-four, he does acknowledge that her looking up at him would eventually hurt the neck. He gestures to a stool for her to sit at the counter. ] Do your eyes happen to hurt, by the by?

Honestly, I'm not usually in this part of town. I got out of a strange exit to... well, I suppose it doesn't matter too much. [ She shouldn't admit the whole subway exploration thing to people willy nilly because that's probably-definitely trespassing and between the sunglasses over red eyes and purple hair she's already standing out more than enough.

She keeps the sunglasses on inside.

But the stool! The stool is nice, holy shit she'll pull up and, ]

They're light-sensitive, is all. It was a big change up to go from dark outside to brighter in here. We're not even getting moonlight these days.

It only matters if you believe that it matters. [ Kei responds cryptically before explaining: ] It's deciding which is most important when reviewing the day. The journey or the destination that lead you home, right?

[ He nods, understanding. ] I haven't left my shop much so the change hasn't been much of a bother to me. I had taken that for granted and asked a rude question. I apologize, miss. [ A small bow of his head before he starts up the glorious mapo-tofu ramen. ]

Still, I'm overjoyed to see a customer. I've had some regulars, but it's always nice to meet someone else who notices the dome encompassing our city.

[ Ah... so he does notice. She was prepared to go along with humoring the eclipse thing she's heard out of her son, but when she hears that last part she smirks a little. Ah, ah. ]

I was exploring those subway tunnels. The journey's more for knowledge than to get home, but where I came out was more around here than around my place, that's all.

[ She pushes up her sunglasses, kicking her legs a little at her chair at the counter. If he knows, then she'll be more direct. ]

... there's nothing to apologize for. I'm not sure there's any more than two people who have it as bad as me. Even in the lighting of this shop, I'd get a migraine to sit here without them.

The subway tunnels? Were you able to gain the knowledge that you were seeking, then?

[ He recognizes, at least, the change in her tone. His head cocks to the side a little as he analyzes it for a second. Kei hums before deciding not to worry about it. ]

That's quite rough, miss. Would you like me to turn the lights low? [ He looks over his shoulder. ] My father, when he owned this shop, used to dim the lights for birthday celebrations for people. I'm sadly not so ... celebratory in that manner, so the lights have not been used in such a way since the shop came into my hands. All the same, they still have that function.

No, no, that'll cut into the enjoyment of your other customers, should they find their way here. I wouldn't want to destroy your profits for my own minor indulgence.

[ She waves a hand to dismiss it. As for the knowledge... ]

Some, at least. Do you remember anything particularly important happening in the city in 2007?

Or they certainly would get a funny idea of what is going on.

[ He gives a small nod, deciding to agree with her decision to not dim the lights. ]

... anything happening in 2007? No? I'm afraid that I don't remember anything happening in the city that would be considered noteworthy. But, I also didn't notice a giant dome erect itself over us all... so my testimony on all things is weak, at best.

I don't either. In '97, that's around the time they switched out the founder statue in favor of the whole thing where there was four, not one. But I don't know what happened in 2007, but now I know for sure something did, based on what I discovered.

You know something did based on what you discovered?

[ Isn't that interesting? ]

What did you discover to hint that something happened back then?

It's a long and confusing story, depending on how deeply you've followed all the hooey about Retrospec and Unreality. But the gist of it would be that...

[ She taps a finger on the counter. ]

The gist is that what was going on in the subway ended then.

[ It certainly sounds like it is confusing, and he offers a small shrug at what he has been following. He hasn't been following anything, if he is honest. ]

I'm afraid that sounds very confusing. [ He pauses before setting down a bowl of mapo tofu in front of her. The color is an unfortunate bright red color. So deep in color that one cannot even see to the bottom of the bowl. ]

[ . . . Does this even count as ramen anymore?

But she makes a weird face, the scent of it hitting her before it's even set down. But as for the confusing, as she makes to sort of spin this around for now, ]

That would be because it is.

Unfortunate.

[ Kei does not appear to be too troubled as he makes a gesture. "Eat." ]

I'm afraid that I'm not too into mysteries. My existence is enough of one to keep me occupied, and so I must be selfish and think of the mysteries surrounding myself first before I start looking outward.

You must be a real mysterious guy then, Mr. Ramen Shop Owner.

[ She laughs a little, but it's not at him, not... really. she doesn't doubt he could be complex. But to hear someone phrase it that way? Well, it's something amusing.

... This still looks too spicy let's keep stirring and moving it around... ]

Kei Shigaraki.

[ He looks away, smiling to himself. ]

A name that I find amusing in its own way. [ The character "blessing" was used to make his name. ] But I feel if we are having this sort of talk that it is rude to separate us into the categories of shop owner and customer.

Elda Marker.

[ Kei Shigaraki... she runs over the name in her head, they it would be amusing. And her newfound Japanese ends up providing for her, running through what characters might make it up. She hums a little. ]

That's true, it sounds uppity of me to put it like that.

Edited 2018-01-30 06:09 (UTC)

[ He tips his head in a small bow. ]

No. I merely felt that I should have given my name sooner since I am asking you a lot of questions. The fault likes with me, Elda Marker.

[ She opens her mouth, closes it, and then goes back to deciding if she wants to try to eat this... ]

Mmm, this might be a strange question, but do you speak Japanese?

It's hardly strange.

[ He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Not that it ever does, unfortunately. ]

But yes, I do. [ Most of his accent, however, is gone. ] I moved here when I was in my teens and learned English over my time here. But my father, even though he moved us here, wanted me not to forget. So... I still practice the language to continue to grant the few wishes that he had for me.

[ He laughs a humorless laugh. ] A bit more personal information than what you probably intended on knowing, but I feel "yes" hardly seems fair when I'm being both probing and dismissive in the same breath. [ Where he asks questions about the unnatural world, then disregards them as nothing he is going to search into. It is rather rude on his part, to be honest, but he also thinks it is mildly funny.

Still, his morals refuse to leave him alone and so he realizes that he should give a little rather than continue to be difficult. ]

[ That answer is... long. Long and makes her laugh a little before she makes to put two pieces of the tofu at the end of her spoon, as if considering going to put... her ... mouth... to it...

Humming though, she nods and ... switches to fluent Japanese. It's spoken with an accent which is a smidge northern as compared to a Tokyo accent but all the same, ~~and the player can't do it so~~ ]

< Honestly, that's understandable, to want to hold on to heritage like that. My one son, Toushiro, has been trying to rediscover his roots that way. And I know that every holiday I end up working from my Grandmother's English recipes. Yorkshire Pudding and the like. >

[ He hums and has a moment of looking mildly surprised. Here he thought it was just a simple question, but it seems like there was something she was searching for beneath it. ]

< My father was... an interesting man. > [ Kei continues to smile. ] < He probably would've been happy to know someone understood him. But you said your one son? Does that mean that you have more than one? My, my, I wouldn't have thought you were old enough for children. Congratulations, you wear your age and beauty well, Elda. >

< Two, yes. They're both adopted but even so, you're flattering me, Shigaraki-san. >

[ She's forty-one but between her petite size, purpose hair and her youthful appearance? Yeah, she really, really does kind of look too young for it. and hell, to have two of them who are as old of hers are she might be pushing it unless she got married or at least pregnant young.

Still, only her first name, this time... huh?

Still, she laughs some and...

Inches the spoon closer. ]

< To call me youthful and beautiful, I mean. >

Edited 2018-01-30 06:56 (UTC)

< It is part of a restaurant to give a comforting atmosphere to its people, isn't that so? But also, a fact is fact. >

[ He opens his hands in surrender, without really surrendering anything. His smile always remains the same empty one as before -- nothing against her or against anyone; this simply is who he is as a person. ]

< But I must ask, if you don't mind. Are your children also part of the app? >

< One of them is. He's Gintaro Suzukaze on the app, but he goes by Silver. >

[ . . . This spoon and her are in a mexican standoff. ]

< I see. Should I attempt to say hello to him? Though I suppose it would be odd for me to do so... >

[ A beat. ]

< It won't kill you. > [ Probably. ]

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hi typo (cries)

I mean my typos are forever so

solidarity!

fist bump

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