repeter | MARCH TEST DRIVE

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MARCH TEST DRIVE

TEST DRIVE

MARCH TEST DRIVE
The city of Recollé...

To infinity...and beyond!

I.
Wake up, get up, get out there, Retrospecters! Today's a new day and with the roads in place thanks to the efforts of Retrospec users, several locations may be explored. With Pesgare three hours south by boat, Respatrum an hour east and underground, Bosuma two hours west through the Recollé Woods and Magatus seven hours north from the city, visitors may come and go to explore the regions and their points of interest.

The travel may take some time and the scenery will change around you as you go. Those same monsters from before continue to lurk just outside of the city and on the path to these locations and wild flora sprawls over various pathways. Take some time to study them if you'd like.

And speaking of study, along the way you'll find various road signs and warnings along the way including giant man-eating frogs, fire-breathing horses, severe flood warnings and more. In addition you will find large directories in the middle of the road pointing you in the directions of the four locations.

However, you'll also find these helpful guys who just want to do a good job and will get to work on these new roads! But wait, shouldn't they be working on some of the unfinished pathways and not the main ones? How do you stop these crazy things anyway? You may have to find a way to subdue the jackhammers or direct them to a new location. Good luck getting them to listen over the noise.

II.
Then again, with these pathways open now you may find yourself already in one of these new districts and very, very far away from your home. One minute maybe you're driving along, listening to your favorite road trip playlist as you prepare for Spring Break and the next you'll realize a wrong turn has lead you straight into the heart of a snowy mountain. Has this forest always been here? This seaside village is way too crowded!

No matter which of the areas you end up in, it will be up to you to find your way out and back without a map on-hand. There's a good chance you can find strangers or maybe even some friends in these regions to fill you in, but there's always something going on to distract from your main goal.

In Pesgare, you may find yourself in the midst of a heavy rain shower. While some of you may be prepared and have an umbrella on hand, others will notice that the rain is an iridescent color that falls and curves in arcs. Getting soaked by the rain may invoke a strange desire to cause a scene and yell dramatically at whoever is close by (and perhaps even belt it out if you're unfortunately unlucky.)

In Respatrum, the sound of loud cheering and applause draws your attention to a large stadium. In the center of the ring is a man with a red cape, waving it in front of a burning, burly bull. A final flourish sends the bull back into its pen, raring and ready to go the next round. But wait! Without warning, the organizer of the bull fights grabs you by the shoulders and hands you a cape, shoving you straight into the ring with the crowd roaring above you and the bull bursting out of its cage. What a rush!

In Bosuma, the creatures of the forest appear to be out and around including rabbits, squirrels, giant woodpeckers and rainbow-colored deer that aren't afraid to approach people. In fact, all of the creatures appear content to welcome these newcomers and show them around the forest. At night, several large, blooming flowers begin to glow in various neon colors. Colored pollen also appears to be falling from the flowers, leaving a mist over you that sweeps over you like a soft waterfall. Depending on the color though, you may find yourself feeling a little different...

And finally, what's going in Magatus? Why it's sports! A winter sports competition is going on at the mountain looming above the Magatus ski lodge and the snow is fresh and perfect! However, landing on the slope is probably a bad idea, isn't it? Hope you're ready for a slippery ride down the mountain!

III.

Back in the city itself, life goes back to normal and several citizens are preparing for spring. The Recollé Community Center has gathered together to start cleaning up the local parks and community areas to plant brand new flowers to brighten up the city. Are you good with a shovel? Come join them in rehousing potted plants, picking up garbage and dead shrubbery from winter's harsh temperatures and more.

If planting's not your style, over at Recollé High School several citizens are working together to prepare for the musical production Villainous, as put on by the high school's drama club! Sets still need to be built, costumes need to be finished and advertisements need to be distributed! For you artistic types out there, the drama club would love your support and time to get them ready as the premiere draws closer and closer.

IV.
Those of you who have lived here for years know that Mayor Mayer loves holidays. He does his best to never miss a celebration of any kind and while sometimes his efforts are smaller and more personal, this year he seizes the opportunity to celebrate an entire weekend dedicated to St. Patrick's Day! Though the holiday is on 3/17, festivities extend to 3/18 for two days of fun.

What does this mean? It means that everywhere you go you'll find discounted prices for anyone wearing green, carts selling corned beef sandwiches and cabbage salads, and for those of legal age bars are specializing in green beer and green mixed drinks for miles. Seabiscuit the chocobo rides proudly through the city with the mayor dressed as a leprechaun, encouraging citizens to hunt for his pot of gold that he's hidden somewhere in the city! A series of clues will lead players onward and spreading out through locations such as Expressive, the Towers, Freshens and more. With luck, citizens playing along will find small golden coins emblazoned with a chocobo portrait!

Unfortunately, something seems to be in the air and surrounding these coins. Unknown to the mayor, those who pick up these coins will find themselves hit with the overwhelming urge to find someone not wearing green and pinch them as tradition. Whether you're doing the pinching or you're a walking target, the coins' power over you will only wear off when the deed is done.

As for the mayor? Anyone who collects more than 10 coins will find that they're eligible for a prize of $50 which can be collected at city hall. Happy ~~pinching~~ hunting!

BONUS.
The nice thing is that if you're in the city or if you're in one of the new regions, your phone works. Where would we be without technology? It's nice to be in constant connection with your friends and loved ones with the ability to check emails, social updates, maps and more.

However, the internet can sometimes be a strange place and you will find yourself receiving a message from a Retrospec user named Zee Carlisle.

Hey newbies, how's it going? You're probably pretty confused, aren't you? I think I can fix that.

It's all the text says before you find yourself redirected to a private chat with another Retrospec user. Don't be shy now! Say hi and ask all of the questions you need!

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 March TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There's always that little clawing of anxiety at the back of Minato's mind when he comes across people he's supposed to know. What did they think of him? How much have they changed? Maybe it would be easier if he pretends to be a stranger. There's no hiding without drawing suspicion, though, especially when he's being stared at so intently that Minato's eyes find the ground instead of Chiaki's eyes.

When he was little, getting him to meet somebody's eyes was a feat after years of effort, and all of the sudden he feels six again, shy and unsure and wanting to go home and throw the blankets over his head.

But he's not six. He's older now, and stronger for it, and he forces himself to lift his gaze again, letting it settle somewhere off the side of Chiaki's temple. ]

Arisato. ...From elementary.

[ He had no big reveal planned. A name, a time, a place; if Chiaki remembered him, that's all he would need; if not, Minato would be more than happy to start over as strangers, make that effort to get back to where they were. ]

I’d love to meet him.

[Atsushi finally begins to relax once Heigo starts loosening up a bit, and the scenery finally begins to change from volcanic to flat plains.]

Yeah! Several different kinds of cream filled pastries and some different wedding cake fillings! I need a taste tester who’s honest. [An airy laugh.] I think you’ll tell me if it’s terrible, right?

[Lily is really happy she could provide him something fun! She's quick to grab another treat called an "Amazing Ball".]

this one have toys too! [When he offers she opens her own and cracks it open before showing him to small animal inside.]

See!

[Sorry...]

I just went exploring.

It's okay this nice man took me to get candy too! After he got my bracelet back!

It does now, I guess. [There's that bad-tempered growl again.]

[And Lucy just...shoves her phone in her pocket, and starts stalking away down the street. To either the next stop, or...all the way to work, as if petulantly walking the entire way there would prove anything.]

Police officers don't have immunity. What would the charges be, anyways?

I can't begin to express how many things are wrong with that, Lily.
So just

What's his name?

[There's nothing wrong with being known as serious!! Although it's probably gained him a reputation of being hard to approach... which isn't exactly far off from the truth, really. He looks thoroughly unimpressed by her retort, however, and shakes the dust off of his book.]

I don't see how bothering people is supposed to be considered fun.

[Xiaolang, just what DO you consider fun, then--]

It sounds like something a kindergartner would do.

That's messed up.

[It's stranding both of them, but what can they do? Not much. So he swings his hands behind his head and pivots after her, a moment later... then long-legs it a couple steps so he's more beside than behind her and she doesn't think he's following her.

Hey, they were both going the same way, right?]

Is it gonna make you late?

[Cream... filled... pastries...

Atsushi just said the magic words.]

About the cake, yes. About the pastries, I make no promises, because those happen to be my favourite kind of baking. Even bad ones are better than most other foods to me so I'm not all that discerning.

[It's surprising to Heigo how quickly the scenery becomes familiar around him, not to mention how easy it is to navigate the roads compared to this morning. Part of his brain wants to loop back into "well I was just tired, half-asleep, maybe I dreamed up the detours," but there's no point now that he knows better. If he really is going mad, it sounds like he'll have a good amount of company.

What matters most to him now is that he's in familiar territory and things are finally going smoothly, without any sentient jackhammers or flaming bulls.]

Right now I plan to go home and shower for at least a week, but I'll be looking forward to that.

Jamie did you just make that up or are those instructions from class?

I like the rhyme. It's unique!!

I'll try going for a haiku this time.

♫ Exploring other
♫ worlds is so much less scary
♫ than a good first date

[With a sniff, Ben slid his fingers along a row of cooking books with his eyes shut. He came to a sudden halt in the middle of one row, just behind 2b. There was a scraping sound--one of a flask being unscrewed before he took a long gulp and stowed it. His free hand found a book at random and he drew it out with one eye shut.]

You're not wearin' green. [He commented, not lifting his eyes from the cover of what looked to be a collection of Malasian recipes.]

There were a lot of places Minato could have cut into: recognition of the name, the fact that he's trying to get into the university for graduate school, that he doesn't miss the crowded cities in Japan but thinks Recollé is a good contender for that simply by how many people are always out and about. He could have interrupted any time, but there's hardly any space for him to do with while Jun plows forward with the conversation and finally stops in order to ask the question.

"Yeah." The answer is automatic, as most yes-no questions tend not to require that much though. He would have left it at that, but conversation attempts are something he's been trying, so he nudges at the dirt with the toe of his shoes, partially burying the flowers. "It's just a cold. Been staying out too late at night, so this is karma."

[psst, want me to write something up for grand theft auto?]

[ Suffering isn't worth that test, please... Satisfied, Minato heads inside first after making sure there aren't any spare menus or flyaway napkins he needs to collect, and then retreats back inside the coffee shop.

The lighting is warm, if somewhat dim, as if lulling patrons into a false sense of comfort and drowsiness and instigating that urge to buy a coffee. Sneaky. Minato's main post is at the counter where people order, but he goes around the other tables too, wiping down the ones where people have just left, so Ain can have his choice of wherever he wants to sit. ]

In that case, would you like to meet up in an hour from now?

We can go to the coffee shop or even the cafe!

I get restless when I'm on my own. I'd appreciate your company.

Right?? I'm sooo thrilled that you understand me.

What's your name? [She's never met Flat before. That's a new face. Akane offers him a handshake. ]

You can call me Akane!

[Heigo fully expects Kei to take the opening he's been given and drop such a heavy subject, especially given that they're at a bar and everyone else is partying so hard, but instead Kei actually takes up the topic and carries it even further. It's not that Heigo is used to being around unintelligent people, not by any means, but he's definitely not used to people hopping onto his bleak trains of thought and riding with him this way.

How interesting that he's found someone willing to discuss the futility of life as part of humankind, not write it off as depressing or heavy. Heigo actually brightens up rather than slipping deeper into his earlier melancholy as he listens, nodding along like he did earlier.]

I'd argue that it's soft and sentimental of you to protect their feelings by letting them keep up the illusion. You might be caught in a catch-22 there. [He grins to make it clear that he's just observing, not accusing.] Although it could be seen as selfish from a different point of view, but I don't think so.

[Is he dealing with quite the same thing? No, he's pretty sure his issue is the exact opposite, and something about the random chance of this meeting and this conversation prompts him to say so more directly than he ever has before.]

Not suffering. I prefer having people interact with the illusions and false images. Sometimes I craft them myself to make sure that's how it plays out.

[Stupid unreality, fucking up the bus schedule.

Lucy's head snaps around when she hears his voice again, and her head sinks into her shoulders slightly, just enough to make her resemble an irritable turtle.]

Probably.

Edited 2018-03-22 00:39 (UTC)

[ I went ahead and pinched my cheek and my hand because I needed to know and I regret and so does Minato.

I'm glad this is an AU game because this is the only time I can have Minato say this: ]

Hey, what the fuck.

[ Clover is killing time before she has to meet someone for drinks and is helping people solve clues to find coins. She turns after directing some stranger to Freshens and spots Lina right away. It's like some sixth sense that Clover can sense a sister making some kind of mess even if Lina was adopted in a good and happy family years and years ago.

She walks over as soon as she sees the person Lina bump into leave without so much as whispering an apology. ]

We'll get you another plate. [ She crouches and starts picking up the plate of food. ] The least that person should have done was apologize.

[ Clover's disapproval is clear. ]

So it would seem! I'm not familiar with this place at all - or their customs! Their currency? Their....

[GESTURES WIDELY WITH HIS ARMS he even spins around once]

Everything!

[and belatedly - ] I'd love to have dinner with you all again! I've been trying to call her for months to no avail! My letters didn't get sent, my Skypes, my Line messages, my texts...! Nothing! I'd even been told that carrier pigeons were a poor investment!

Mm, that's true! It'd be bad if someone overexerted themselves.

[THAT SAID - ]

You needn't worry. I'm being careful! [citation needed] I still have plenty of energy left to spare.

[well that's probably true]

It's a ~mystery~. This is hearsay more than anything else, but allegedly, someone asked and was told that no one on Retrospec has the right qualifications. Perhaps you can be the game changer.

I don't think Tsukasa is being taken advantage of, but his personality is unpleasant. I haven't been too impressed by what I've seen of him, but it's possible Tsukasa sees something underneath all that.

[ She's talking about Sena. Sorry, Sena. ]

Enjoy something delicious!

[no help will come for these two fools]

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MARCH TEST DRIVE

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