repeter | JANUARY TDM

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JANUARY TDM

TEST DRIVE

JANUARY TEST DRIVE
The city of Recollé. A beautiful city with beautiful people. The place you call home. It's a wonderful home, isn't it? With everything you could possibly ever want right at your fingertips, why would you ever want to leave?

In honor of this glorious city, the residents of Recollé are preparing for its annual Founder's Day celebration…you'll help out, won't you?

I.
Recollé Square is bustling with activity today and several residents are working together to pitch a large tent. Others are working together to decorate the fountain of the founders with flowers and streamers. Children and dogs run through the area and there's song in the air as everyone works together.

Are you one of the people helping with the streamers? Or perhaps you're holding the ropes of the tent taunt so it doesn't blow away? Hey, maybe you're catering the whole event to feed those hard workers! The choices are endless…but you might want to catch those balloons that are starting to float away!

II.
Meanwhile in Chata, business is booming as everyone crowds the parking lot of Freshens trying to fight their way into the store. You really should have thought to buy your groceries much sooner. Everyone knows that Founder's Day is one of the best potluck days and, weather permitting, picnic days. Are you having any luck getting into the store? Is that the last rack of ribs? You better hurry and snag them!

On the flipside, shop owners in Chata are busy setting up food stalls and merchandise tables in preparation of the main event. The smell of sweets and spices fills the air and you can't help but follow your nose to check it out. The vendors are all friendly and happy to give away samples of their goods in the hopes that you'll be back in a few days' time. Or maybe you're one of those vendors hoping to attract customers for Founder's Day. Do you have all of your supplies? Your permits? Is that teenager trying to steal apples from your produce stand? Everything's a little chaotic in the days before Founder's Day.

III.
The work doesn't stop there. Over in Tisse it's party central with flashing lights, sound tests, and a festive atmosphere that says the celebration's already started for several businesses. The line for Expressive is out the door with customers eager for their Founder's Day special. Be careful, you might have to finagle your way through the crowd. Throughout the day you may hear music and mic tests coming from the Atrium as the local schools work together during their dress rehearsal for the Founder's Day Pageant. You might even have an insider's look if you're one of the students in the pageant or one of the stage hands helping with last-minute set design, costume alteration or any of the other countless things that could go wrong.

The employees at the boutiques inside the Towers are bustling as well, swapping their floor displays and handing out flyers and coupons to shoppers to encourage them to come back for their big sales. Maybe you are one of those employees and now you're dealing with some wicked papercuts, or maybe the smell of butter is seeping into your clothing as Flix opens its doors to an early marathon of historical films depicting the life and tales of the city.

Tisse is most certainly the busiest of the districts today, but there's still so much to be done!

IV.
Most important of all, back in Tribunal Terrace residents will find Mayor Mayer out and about today which may seem unusual. The Mayor tends to stay inside City Hall keeping the city running from there, but today he's speaking with someone handling a large truck. People passing by may hear some scurrying from inside the truck, the sound of claws skittering on the metal floor, and…is that clucking? No, wait, now it's the sound of hoofs clomping and the whinny of a horse.

What's going on in there? Maybe you should investigate and ask around. Employees working for the Mayor will only give you a strange look in response, and the Mayor himself is unavailable for commentary…but it can't just be your imagination, can it?

Upon further examination and questioning residents will be told that these are horses for pony rides for the kids on Founder's Day, but that doesn't stop all of the weird noises. What on earth is going on?

BONUS.
Despite the festivities and the light-hearted mood of the city, it's still winter. Like all winters prior, it's chilly enough that you'll need a warm coat outside, but the storm season has passed. Instead, today in all districts there's a light flurry of snow falling, snowflakes gently twirling and landing on your shoulders and in your hair. It's not enough to stop the work, but it may send several people to crowd inside coffee shops for a hot drink or shops to take a break from the cold.

Bet you weren't expecting that influx of business, were you?

And later…much later, in fact, those carrying cell phones or tablets will feel a jolt from the device. A closer look will reveal that a new application has started to install itself on these devices, but you can't seem to open it right away. That's a bit odd, isn't it? It might be wise to check other devices in the city to see if the application's installed itself. Upon further investigation, though, you'll find only a handful of residents have the app installed. The app pops up on any public computer you may use but fades away the moment you log off.

Strange, strange, strange. Once it fully loads on your device, you'll find that the app, Retrospec, appears to be a social media app with the option to friend people, share statuses, pictures, videos and more. Those sections are currently blocked out, however. Take some time to fill out your profile if you'd like; that portion of the application seems to be the only one that can be accessed currently. All other social media (Facebook, Twitter, and regular texting) are accessible, but the app itself stubbornly remains on your own profile page.

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 if both parties agree, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. (Additionally: we will not be allowing TDM threads to be used for memory regains.) Write as many or few prompts as you want, tag around, and have fun!

As a reminder: as per our app rules, please try not to reference other characters in your threads or in your AUs if that character isn't being applied for! Our favorite example is as follows: if an Elsa from Frozen is being TDM'd, we ask that the player not reference her sister Anna by name unless an Anna is planning to TDM and be part of the same AU. Elsa can reference her younger sister in threads as much as she'd like if she has a sister in her AU, but we ask that names are not specified without having that character TDM'd and without the player's permission. Please also remember that posting to the TDM does not equate a reserve, which open on 1/18.

The January 2017 TDM directory can be found here. The January 2017 Workshop can be found here. The mod questions comment is here.

Our overflow post can be found here.

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[Maya is practically ready to jump out of her skin. No, she hadn't noticed Rachel nearby at all. No, she can't really recall seeing this girl around before, even if Rachel had seen her. Having thought she was alone, she jumps back a little, looking around suspiciously, before just realizing she... hadn't been paying enough attention.

She lets out sigh, but puffs her cheeks a little at the same time. The suspicious look doesn't fade as she looks down at the app on her phone and then hastily shoves it in her pocket. How did she know that? This girl wasn't spying on what she was doing, was she? That'd be super rude.]

Weird app? [...the first thing she thinks to blurt out.] I mean, that's a bit of a random question, isn't it...? [Canned, fake laughter follows.]

[So they're both complete strangers to each other. Not like that won't result in some horrific irony later, or anything.

In any case, Rachel returns Maya's suspicion and nervous laughter with a dull, flat tone.]

Sorry. I just sitting here when I overheard you. By accident. An app just downloaded itself to my phone and I thought maybe that's what you meant by getting a virus.

[She looked at her screen, frowning.] It says it's called Retrospec, or something.

[Maya begins to compose herself, covering herself (either well or poorly, it all depends on your perception) with yet more nervous laughter.

Oh. Oh, okay. So she's not being some creepy stalker. GOOD.

...does this girl seem mad? ... Nah, Maya's sure she's fine.] Ah. Well. Heh! Just ... didn't see you there.

[Smooth. She coughs into her hand and straightens up, eyes flicking to the other girl's phone for a moment. That... was the name of the thing that had appeared on hers, wasn't it?] Uh, that's super weird, right?

[The nervous laughter kind of undersells the "covering" part. Also the coughing into her hand. But Rachel did come out of nowhere, so she's not gonna dwell on it. Her expression changes a little, as she nods.]

It is pretty weird, yes. You didn't buy or agree to anything, right? Maybe it's something the OS is pushing...

[A thought occurs to her for a moment, and a moment later she acts on it. Normally, she doesn't introduce herself so readily, but she doesn't want this girl to keep thinking there's something weird about her. Being guarded doesn't mean being unfriendly, right?]

Oh, my name's Rachel, by the way.

[Oh, good, good! The weird girl is starting to think she's less weird, clearly. Chalk one up for her winning personality!

(That's how it works, right?)]

No, no. I didn't buy anything! I was starting to think I got hacked or something, but if it got pushed to someone else at the same time... [She sighs and shrugs.] I guess I can always just restore it when I get home, but that's such a pain. [And she'll totally forget to do it.

She sighs, but gives a slight smirk. Ah, of course - this girl didn't know her!] I'm Maya! Maya Aimoto.

[Oh, she doesn't think you're weird, Maya. Rachel just doesn't want to get hung up on awkwardness. Better to just gloss over it than dwell, right?

Because that's totally how you make friends.]

Hello, Maya. We probably go to the same school. But uh... if you had gotten hacked, you'd have more problems like your phone running hot, or pop ups in your browser.

[At that, she looks down at her phone, bringing up the strange app to look at it.]

Huh. It's some sort of social media thing...

Proooobably.

[She otherwise brushes off the school comment and the continued introduction, reaching back for her phone. Nope. Not running hot, and she hadn't seen any other pop ups.

She's usually good at hiding her reactions to things to a degree when she found them vexing. Right now, she's having a hard time not just straight up pouting.] Don't people have enough social media apps? Probably won't last a week, especially if they're forcing it... I guess it could have come from some other app, maybe? [Not that she can fathom what.]

[That pout doesn't go unnoticed by Rachel. As bad as she may be making friends, she does pay attention to other people's reactions. So... maybe it'd be best to try and be reassuring now.]

Maybe that's why they pushed the download through the OS. They wouldn't be able to get an inroad over the competition, otherwise.

Erm, though... if you're worried about having to replace your phone, or what your parents might thing, I wouldn't worry. If it's happening to multiple people, it's not your fault, right? And if it's not a malicious program...

[That's what Maya was worried about, right? Rachel sure hoped that was the case.]

[If Maya were more perceptive, she'd say something about how Microsoft has gotten in trouble for that sort of thing before, but she's not. So while that chance is missed, she does gather enough that she notes:] That sounds like it should be illegal somewhere or another.

[She furrows her brow a bit.] Well, if it's not malicious and just annoying, it's... probably fine. [She puffs her cheeks a bit.] Still annoying, though. People are worried enough about Big Brother nowadays as it is, right?

[She lets out a long sigh, sliding the phone back into her pocket. She then... slaps her own cheeks lightly. She's starting to realize she's letting her annoyance shine through a little too much. She shakes her head and forces a smile, though it looks genuine.] Eh, I'm sure it won't be that big of a deal, though! I've just had a long day, y'know?

[Rachel never said it wasn't worth getting heat for doing it. Just that it was a potential reason.]

You'd be surprised. This sort of thing is contentious.

[She blinked for a moment, and then looked to the side before thumbing her way out of the app and nodding]

I can imagine. Were you helping set everything up?

[Somehow, the normally more awkward Rachel didn't realize she'd fallen into a casual conversation. And with someone she didn't know, or crash into accidentally, too boot! At least, not yet.]

[Contentious... oh, she has big words. Well, Maya did kind of peg her as a nerd, anyhow.] Nah, I don't think I would be. My Mom's a lawyer, I see all sorts of things.

[But then, the topic shifts to Maya and she has no problem smiling wide and giving a thumb's up.] You bet! I guess I got a little worn out, been working since this morning! I figure if I go at it full force, maybe some others will too.

[Rachel blinked. This girl seemed rather sure that her personality was infectious, wasn't she? ... Not that Rachel knew what that was like.]

A lawyer, huh? That's a respectable profession. My mother is a doctor.

[Please don't ask about her father.]

... Does that work out for you? Getting other people to follow your example I mean...

Well, sure. I guess it is. Pays the bills, I learn a lot of stuff from it...! My Dad works downtown for some accounting firm.

[So they're often pretty busy.

Nothing she's worried about, though. Nope. No ma'am.

The question causes another laugh to leave her, and she scratches her head. She wishes she could answer that in an absolute "yes" but even she's aware that she could maybe just come off as a loud tryhard to some people. But so long as you don't feel that way, right?

...right?

Eh, she'll just answer in the positive, whether or not it's exactly on the money.]

Well, sometimes. People can be kind of stubborn, sometimes...!

[Fake it till you make it, as they say.]

[The mention of Maya's father makes Rachel look crestfallen for a moment. But in the end, she pays more attention to what Maya says next... and while she and this girl are clearly very different, something rings familiar in the way she answers her question.]

They really can. I've been told I'm pretty stubborn. My mother says that's what you need to succeed, but...

[She sighs and looks at her phone for a moment. People only tended to look at Rachel when it came to her grades. Or hobbies. And she hadn't really made friends there.]

That's probably different from the kind of stubbornness you mean, though.

[Or maybe it was exactly the same.]

Edited 2017-01-21 07:44 (UTC)

[There's a certain degree to which Maya is a little oblivious to the way some people can respond to how she acts when going full tilt, but she'd left that behind at the tent set-ups earlier. Thus, she does notice the momentary shift in Rachel's demeanor, and wonders if it was something she said.

Feeling slightly bad, she laughs a little and scratches the back of her head.] Yeah, my parents would probably agree with that! And I guess I get a bit of that sometimes, too...! So it just depends on what stubbornness wins out in the end, eh?

[She shakes her head a bit.] But you know, so long as you're not trying to be difficult just to be difficult, it's fine, isn't it?

[Rachel wonders how much of her heart she's been wearing on her sleeve. She likes to think she's good at hiding that, but given her issues with anxiety, that may be wishful thinking.]

Heh. Well, I just want to be someone who lives up to her expectations. So I sure hope I'm not being difficult.

["Her" expectations. Not "theirs". That may stick out, or may not.]

... I worry I try too hard sometimes, though.

["Her" expectations. Oooookay, yeah. Even Maya notices that, and she suddenly feels more than slightly bad, and more like a heel.

Good job, Rachel. That's actually a more impressive accomplishment than you know.]

Ahhh, trying hard's not... bad though, right?

[Asks the tryhard.]

But so long as you're meeting your own expectations, and what you want to do, it's fine, I think!

... My own expectations.

[That's... that's an interesting way of looking at things. Has she ever really thought about her own, or what her mother has in mind for her?

She offers Maya a bit of a smile.]

No, trying hard isn't bad. It isn't bad at all. You just have to make sure you're making yourself happy to, I guess.

[Oh, good. The girl's smiling, that makes her feel somewhat less dumb.] Yeah, yeah! That's it!

If you're not happy, it's harder to do anything, right? Much less whatever you feel like you need to.

[It's advice she tries to take herself, at least. And she definitely takes it right. Absolutely. She totally knows what she's doing.]

[Well, Rachel would be lying if she didn't find a bit of the dumbness endearing. But hey, that's not being spoken out loud.

Still smiling, Rachel looks forward, away from Maya.]

So then, I guess we need to ask ourselves... are we making ourselves happy?

[... Yeah, she realizes how awkward it is once the words leave her mouth. She shores it up with a quick, nervous laugh.]

This isn't something I thought I'd be saying when I overheard you. Sorry about that.

[Maya's eyes widen a little bit. Well, that's a ... deep question, isn't it? How did she wander into this from some nerdy girl sneaking up on her while she was whining.]

Ah- um. Hm.

[She looks a little taken off guard, and shifts from one foot to another.] Yeah, well. I try to be, y'know? Being stuck in something stuffy and confining... that's not what I'm looking for, I want to do what I want! Or at least, like. Be able to choose what I want and where I want to go. Having someone decide that for me is a bit lame, eh?

[Rachel listens to what Maya has to say, and... it has an effect on her. She could sense something similar to herself in the other girl before, but that part about "having someone decide that for" herself...

... She'd been letting other people do that all along, hadn't she?]

It... it is a bit lame. [Her voice shakes a bit as she says that.] I think you have the right idea, though. I think you should keep trying to do things that way.

[After a moment, she adds something else.]

Again... I'm really sorry for asking something so suddenly. But I have liked talking to you.

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JANUARY TDM

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