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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I. On the Road to Bosuma

[Cloud usually found someone else to ride pillion when he took his motorcycle out for a long ride to test out a new modification. It was a good policy, but sometimes it was tempting to dispense with the "just in case" measures. It was only a new catalytic converter design, after all. Even if that system failed completely, Cloud wouldn't be stuck out in the middle of nowhere by himself. Fenrir would still run. Besides, it was just after six in the morning when Cloud finished installing it. On a Saturday. Cloud would have had to wait several extra hours for a travel buddy. He could get away with going by himself, just this once.

It turned out that the catalytic converter worked perfectly, just as Cloud knew it would. What he didn't count on was going around a curve in the road at full speed and find himself headed straight for a car that was broken down right in the middle of his lane. Out of other options, Cloud jerked the motorcycle sharply toward the shoulder of the road, slammed on the breaks, and laid it down. Yeah, he'd end up with road rash and the side of his bike would be torn up by gravel too, but it was still a hell of a lot better than slamming into the car or running down any stranded passengers who might be milling around.

His body came to a stop well before Fenrir did. Grateful yet again for the full leather riding outfit he'd sprung for last year, he sat up on the gravel slope and tugged off his scratched-up helmet. Cloud was fine, but someone else might be hurt. A car doesn't stop dead in the middle of the highway for no good reason. He was on his feet a moment later, heading quickly back up to the stopped car.]

Hello? Is there anybody here?

__________________

II. Winter Sports in Magatus

[Growing up in an isolated valley high up on frozen Mt. Nibel, snow and boredom had been Cloud's constant companions from birth. Maybe snowboarding wasn't his true passion but he had gotten pretty good at it. He wasn't homesick, not really, but Cloud did miss the fun of zipping down the side of an icy mountain, conquering the elements with nothing but a little agility and a slab of fiberglass.

The high jump he attempted should have worked. It did work. The only problem was that the snow on this unmarked side of the mountain wasn't packed down as well as Cloud assumed it would be. Instead of slamming back down to the ground and continuing to slide, the impact was hard enough that Cloud punched right through the surface and a good five feet into the powdery layer beneath.

Great. Now he was going to have to dig himself up out of the snow AND find his way back onto a path. At least no one was around to see it, right?]

__________________

III. Prop Workshop for Villainous

Yeah, I know it will look really stupid up close, but you're going to need a much bigger light bulb if you want the top of the staff to glow bright enough for the whole audience to see it.

[One of the kids had brought a cleap plastic wizard staff from home for the big baddie to use as a prop. The cheap little LED in the plastic globe on the end was just fine for waving it around your own bedroom in the dark, but there was no way it would be visible in a stage performance. They would also need some much bigger batteries.]

But then you'll be able to bring it home afterward and use it as a flashlight? It would be great for a Halloween costume, too. Right?

__________________

IV. Fugitive From Festivities

[The green beer was fine. Cloud had no problem with Irish food. The Mayor parading around on a chocobo was amusing too, even if it was probably just an excuse to go riding around the city. Cloud would have been happy enough to leave the fake coins for other people, too, until he saw that one side was stamped with a chocobo. When he picked it up, he had a sudden irresistible urge to pinch... himself? That was weird enough, but then he realized he was a prime pinch-target for everyone around him. After about the hundredth ambush attack, Cloud finally turned to face someone who seemed way too amused by his plight.]

What's going on, and how do I get it to stop?

__________________

Bonus. But Who’s the Newbie?

What sort of strange text message was that? And why was it sent to him? Cloud had been living here for a few months now, he sort of knew his way around. Why would someone think he needed help?

I guess somebody named Zee Carlisle thinks we need to talk?

[ Andrew blinked up at the younger man looking just a little bedraggled, and tilted his head to look at the woman behind him, a slight look in her eyes that did not bode well.

Then he dug his hand into his pocket and offered a pin with a green shamrock on it. ]

Here, try this.

Huh?

[Try it? Was Cloud supposed to eat it or something? Poke people with the sharp part in self-defense? Wave it around like a cross for repelling vampires?
He reached for the bit of plastic in the other man's hand and picked it up delicately to examine it. Then he jumped.]

Ow, hey!

[His giggling stalker was already fleeing the scene by the time Cloud turned around to pout at her.]

St. Patrick's Day. Tradition apparently say that you have to wear green or get pinched.

The pin should be 'wearing green' enough.

[ And the people still behind the blond get a slow, slight frown. Not quite a glare, but it should be enough to give any other outliers pause while Cloud makes up his mind. ]

[It did give those potential attackers pause, except that the available pool of non-green-wearing targets was drying up quickly and the compulsion was starting to drive some of them to carelessness.

Cloud noticed that the guy was looking over his shoulder at something, and so his own gaze automatically followed. Oblivious to the subtle threat, he looked quizzically back up at his would-be rescuer.]

Cloud Strife | Final Fantasy 7 Compilation

IV

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II

Re: II

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iv

Re: iv

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Bonus

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