MAY TDM

[recollecters]

TEST DRIVE

MAY TEST DRIVE The city of Recollé... ...well. Good luck! I. You might've noticed by now that some things in this dear city of yours are a little...weird. Most of the buildings and landmarks around you are only partially visible and the world appears to be covered in all kinds of strange colors. As you step out the door today, you can't quite shake off the feeling that you're being followed. Every time you turn your head, nothing appears to be in your line of vision but the creeping sensation won't go away. However, with one final well-timed turn you catch it out of the corner of your eye: a large paintbrush dripping in your favorite color, floating in mid-air. The brush doesn't seem to go away no matter how long you look at it, but one of two things happens here. For those of you who grab the brush, you'll find yourself suddenly yanked forward as the brush guides you to a nearby building, bush, or busy sidewalk, the colored paint splattering everywhere but leaving behind a black finish instead of the original color. The brush has a mind of its own as it brings you right next to a friend or a stranger to get to work. They must have a brush, too. For those of you who ignore the brush, however...well...it doesn't like being ignored. As you turn away the brush zips forward and begins to paint your face. And your arms. And your clothes? Hopefully someone will come by and try to help soon! II. With that exciting chain of events out of the way, it's time to get to work! It's not hard to notice what it is you're supposed to do now. Certain members of the city have paintbrushes similar to yours and only those with brushes can restore the city as it was. Individually painting the area will highlight all items in black, but pairing up with someone else's color will allow for a bit of color to attach. Blending the brushes together will generate new, bright colors that will stick! Two reds can paint an object red while a red and a blue can change an object to purple. Of course, you're free to go at it alone. There's nothing stopping you from embarking on this journey with your own two hands. On the other hand the longer you work by yourself, the higher your risks become of unearthing something you may not want. One minute you might be painting a garden bench back into existence when suddenly a sound alerts you that something's wrong. The object seems to warp right in front of you, sprouting teeth, eyes, and even sometimes limbs. Non-stationary objects such as vehicles, animals, postal boxes and more will begin to chase painters around all five districts of the city. Stationary objects will do anything to grab you in their grasp and stop your hard work. The only way to soothe these objects is to mix up a new color and douse them with paint, but that just might be a little harder than it looks while you're on the move. III. The strange thing is that even with a large portion of the city invisible to the naked eye, by now everyone around you has accepted that this is just how things will go. If you talk to your family or friends or teachers or co-workers who are without a paintbrush, they'll simply tell you that even though it started a few weeks ago there are other things in the city to worry about. They'll tell tales of people with powers and weird physical changes that shouldn't be possible and they'll point out the thinning monsters that are roaming the city and cleaning up the stray paint. Despite this, life is expected to go on as normal. Classes are still in session and your employers expect you to be at work on time. Grocery stores are up and running and if you can find them several of your favorite businesses are still open as well. Maybe today you're in class procrastinating on a school project, or perhaps you're staring out the window at your boring job waiting for the next time you can catch a break. If you're brave enough, you might be one of those who wanders the half-missing aisles of Freshens because your family still insists on their cookout this weekend. This appears to be the new norm...so what are you doing today in the lovely "city" of Recollé? IV. Several citizens have been using their brushes to expand their horizons and paint beyond the limits of the city, working to recreate the roads to go back to other regions. While this will require far more work and dedication, some of the paths are outlined and cleared. Granted, with the revival of the roads comes the revival of a few other creatures including monsters of varying breeds. Have you ever fought a monster before? No? Well now's your chance! Some of these monsters are easy to take down but others will hunt and attack. While the paint brushes won't do much to deter the creatures themselves, they're useful to paint new hiding spots until you come up with a plan of attack. That counts, doesn't it? Good luck out there. BONUS. Perhaps the strangest thing of all is that your phone works. It's fully functional, colored and solid without having to repaint it into existence. Being able to send texts and check maps are vital tools in the restructure of the city, but at the same time it comes with something you may not want. The Retrospec app appears on your phone and even without setting up a profile you'll find yourself receiving a message from a Retrospec user named Zee Carlisle. Bad timing, this was really bad timing! Hey newbies, sorry, we are a little swamped with the stabilization process right now but let me kick you to some people who can help out. 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. Finally, please remember that this will be the last application month until September! Your May TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!

Comments

[frivolities]

Isn’t that your own fault for doing that in a public place? It’s not an invasion of privacy if anyone walking by could see.

[ She sits back, giving him a hurt look. If he’s going to be fussy about her wanting company, she might as well make it more difficult for him. It’ll be entertaining. ]

Our first date and you want me to pay for myself?

[ Tsk, tsk. ]

[idealest]

[ His pen pauses. Surely she must be joking, but he says very firmly: ]

This isn't a date.

[frivolities]

First we’re suddenly going dutch, then you claim it’s not a date?

[ Huff! ]

You really are clueless aren’t you?

[idealest]

[ ......

He's certain he doesn't know this woman, but she's so self-assured that a tiny part of him begins to wonder if he does know her after all. It wouldn't be the first time he was involved with a memory misstep...

He looks up at her, a hint of uncertainty unfurrowing his brow. ]

I don't understand.

[frivolities]

[ Obviously.

Here's a fun game: how long can she keep this up without laughing in his face? She’s practically got him hook, line, and sinker, and she was hardly even trying! And to really sell it, Okuni lets out a resigned sigh and a vaguely insulted pout. ]

Don’t tell me you forgot.

[idealest]

[ This is... a dilemma.

This woman doesn't seem like the type Sakichi would be actively associating with, and yet he has no answer for her apparent familiarity. No one would be this insistent about bothering him for no good reason, surely. (Surely.)

He decides that he'll hear her out. It would be short-sighted to dismiss her out of hand. He finally lowers his pen and settles his laser-focused stare on her. ]

You'll have to refresh my memory.

[frivolities]

[ He sure has a certain intensity about him, doesn’t he. And so far, no sense of humor, either. So this should be fun, she thinks, resting her chin on her hand. ]

The library?

[ A guess, but he looks young enough to be a university student like herself. And if not, he seems like the type who’d like libraries, anyway. ]

I asked about your hair, and you said we could talk about it over tea?

[ And there is her tea now! How convenient. ]

[idealest]

[ He huffs softly. He does occasionally visit the library, but... ]

I'm not one to date a stranger. Are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else?

[ If her account of him is true, then he must have been feeling particularly out of character that day. But then again, sudden unexplained changes in character have happened to him before too.

Life in Recolle can be so troublesome. ]

[frivolities]

[ Is that all he's worried about...? ]

I wouldn't mistake that hair. [ Delicately, she lifts her cup to take a sip of her tea. ] And you haven't told me anything about that, either.

[idealest]

[ Hm. He lets the first point slide for now. The second is easy enough to answer; it's a well-worn response, tested by the many people in his life wondering why such a no-nonsense man chose now to sprout a rebellious hair phase. His expression is effortlessly neutral, but his attention remains on the woman across the table. ]

I inherited this hair from another lifetime. Until a couple months ago, my hair was black. I've tried cutting it, but it only grows back overnight.

[ And that's the whole story, as far as he's concerned. Hence why he has a hard time believing he would invite anyone to tea over three sentences. ]