repeter | JANUARY TDM

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JANUARY TDM - OVERFLOW

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 overflow post! You may use this post to post new top-levels if you didn't post to the original TDM (found here) or link your original top-level to continue threading.

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.

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I. Tent for Animal Shelter

The group of volunteers from the animal shelter have their own tent that they are affixing. With the cold weather and many attractions they hope for donations over adoptions, but it just wouldn't draw much interest if they didn't bring a few pets along for display, now would it? One of the cats is a chubby ginger beast who lays in full monorail position on the desk next to Pitou. He belongs to the young volunteer, and purrs with thunderous approval every time someone reaches out to pat his head or ruffle his ears. Pitou has a rather catlike look as well, big expressive eyes and a dainty but mischievous set to their mouth.

"Come cuddle a sweet homeless kitten!" Pitou calls energetically. "They're chilly today, they could use the attention! You know you want to."

While you pet the kitten, expect to be wheedled for a donation.

II. Street Food & Groceries

In the bulky coat they wear, Pitou is struggling to juggle its overflowing bags of groceries, as well as the street food that cannot be resisted. The bags of groceries are especially large and bulky due to quite a large amount of cat food. The cats back home at the apartment can't be left out of the Founder's Day festivities, in Pitou's opinion. It's a feast.

This does not stop the small individual from trying to balance one of the bags on their hip while reaching excitedly for a grilled fish on a stick, or two. Nor from repeating this maneuver down the line in pursuit of every delicious taste and smell. It is inevitable that someone will eventually jostle the groceries out of their grip, to which a self-centered Pitou will peevishly chastise,

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Upon noticing that they've also dropped their street food, their despair is almost comical.

III. Party Time, With Interruption

Pitou is dressed in a costume of their own, some cyberpunk mismatch of lolita and nurse, on their way to a dance party when they were called up by a frantic stage director. One of the children had decimated their costume, and emergency repairs were needed.

A.
Which is how Pitou, who is not very good with children, found themselves surrounded by brats ogling and touching the outfit they're wearing.

"Stop that," Pitou bats a hand away impatiently while attempting to pull together an emergency replacement costume from scraps. Luckily children were small, Pitou has made doll clothes from some large mannequin types, although this is a particularly rushed job, and the seamstress bends in close over its stitches, with a frown of concentration.

B.
Finally freed from such a dire emergency, Pitou goes running across town to make the party. Too much time wasted and they would just have to leave to head to the morgue anyway! The work of a mortician never sleeps. Pitou is very graceful, even in ridiculous platform boots, but when they hit a Founder's Day crowd and still can't slither through impatience begins to get the better of them,

"Move, move, move!"

C.
At the club at last, Pitou is ready to dance, have a drink, and chat up any interesting characters. This person has poor respect for personal space, and tact, both.

IV. Bawk Bawk Bawk

Curiosity killed the cat... While searching out the source of the clucking, Pitou lets loose a whole squad of chickens which flood out into the street, wings flapping wildly.

WILDCARD.

Bring it! Or PM me, or comment here at AU Workshop. Current draft of app (WIP) is here.

BONUS.

PITOU B.

is WORKING LATE AT THE MORGUE AGAIN SOMEONE BRING ME A COFFEE 😿

less than 2 minutes ago from RetrospecMobile

Edited 2017-01-23 00:40 (UTC)

Ardyn never considered himself much of a cat person, per se. He had nothing against the fuzzy little creatures, and he could appreciate their sense of independence, not to mention the entertainment they provided by way of the internet. Still, as he draws his scarf closer to his neck to fight against the chill of the air, it’s difficult for him to not notice the chubby cat sprawled across the desk of the person manning the animal shelter tent. He looks over at Pitou, who is doing a rather good job of grabbing the attention of passerby’s, given the deadly combination of the words “cuddle”, “homeless”, and “kitten”.

Even he has to stop and comment, adjusting the brim of his dark hat out of pure habit.

“The siren call of bleeding hearts everywhere." His tone is casual, flippant. But not necessarily dismissive.

Pitou flashes a very toothy smile, there's a certain charm to it but there is also something undeniably predatory in it. There is a pet crate beneath the table being that Pitou reaches down into, luring out a cat. Not a tiny peeping kitten, it was much too cold for them, but the six month old calico is sleek and small with big green eyes.

"This is Lily, she is just one of our many fine specimens," there's a sense of humor behind the used car salesman act. The cat is set on the table where she is free to interact with the fat tiger or be picked up by the visitor. "I have five of them already, or I'd just take her myself. In the meantime, she and her numerous friends eat a lot of food and use up a lot of litter."

Ardyn knows the tone of someone trying to sell something when he hears it. But where most uninterested individuals would respond with a polite decline, or a hasty excuse, the man merely tilts his head in wry consideration.

“You’re hoping to have me walk away from this tent with a cat hoisted in my arms, aren’t you? I can see where this is going.” Even as the words escape him, Ardyn steps forward to pet the small, sleek calico, giving her little scratches on her head. He lifts his gaze to look at Pitou again.

“Do I look like much a cat person to you?” The question is purposefully a ridiculous one. How would a stranger know, after all? It’s not that being a bit eccentric, as others have been quick to label him, skewed preferences one way or another.

"I'm hoooping," Pitou drawls out the word, chirpy, "To fill you with so much obligation and guilt for this cute creature that you will open up your wallet and let me swipe your credit card in order to set up a monthly donation to your local animal shelter. We'll send you lots of pamphlets and crap that you don't want as thanks."

Pitou's smile, as they place their chin into the cup of their hands, is extremely self-satisfied.

"Besides, you can never tell who is and isn't a cat person just by looking at them," voice lowers to a threatening whisper: "We're everywhere."

All right, well done. That odd forthrightness actually makes him laugh, and it’s open and sincere. Not quite the response he had expected, but enough to amuse him — which, honestly, is what really mattered in the end. He lifts his shoulders to shrug, quirking a brow up.

“That’s too ominous to bear. Even for a heartless, apathetic man like myself, who isn’t usually prone to opening up his wallet to strangers, much less on a monthly basis.”

The heartless and apathetic part, at least, is a farce. But don’t tell anyone.

“You’ll have to really sell it to me, especially if you want to clutter up my mail with pamphlets.”

There is an intensity to this little person with their platinum dyed hair and big expressive eyes that is extremely and undeniably different. The forthrightness is just one symptom of their eccentricities, luckily... there are cute cats between them to soften the blow of Pitou Blythe's deranged social sensibilities.

"Well, if you don't like the emotional appeal..." Pitou shrugs, reaching out with a fingertip to stroke the big orange cat's nose. "Then let me talk to you about the practical services we provide."

The practical services are all about spaying and neutering strays for population control and health benefits to felines all throughout the community!

"Kitten season will be upon us when the winter breaks, did you know cats can get pregnant as early as 5 months old? With 5 kittens a litter over the rest of their life... The population expands exponentially, which is bad for everyone involved, both us and the cats."

That incredibly toothy smile again, very white with pronounced canine teeth. "Does financing cat surgery sound more appealing?"

Never let it be said that Ardyn is someone bothered by odd social sensibilities. If anything, it breaks up the monotony in otherwise dull days. (Not that Founder’s Day could ever really be called dull, what with the throngs of people and the energy to go with it.) With his free hand that isn’t petting Lily, he gestures while he speaks, fluid and theatrical.

“You say practicality, and yet here I am faced with a more expensive option,” he says, though there’s a grin on his face as he speaks. “Well, at first. I’m sure month after month after month of donations will eventually catch up with the notion of financing anything.”

That same hand then slides into his coat pocket, the garment which billows behind him slightly in the chill wind. “You said you owned five cats? What is it that you like so much about them?”

He hasn’t given a yes or no to either of the options, not quite yet.

A raised eyebrow, vaguely condescending, as if anyone should need to ask why someone might like cats. With that in mind, Pitou decides to be facetious first, can rarely resist the chance to tease,

"I can fit more cats in my apartment, you know how rent prices are in the city."

If nothing else, Pitou clearly thinks they're funny, definitely the kind of person to smirk at their own jokes. A moment to let the bullshit land, but then the little volunteer stretches in their chair, a dramatic cat-like arc.

"It takes work to get to know a cat, they keep their secrets until they're ready," settling back down, Pitou folds elegant long-fingered hands on the table between them. Lily comes by, ducking her head to rub her cheek against the back of Pitou's hand. "More challenge, more reward. Dogs especially are too easy, but if I had the room I'd foster anybody."

'Anybody' as if the animals were people, guests...

He appreciates facetiousness in all forms. If anything, it only adds Pitou credence, as far as cat-surgery-financing or monthly donations were concerned. He lets the joke linger for a bit, and Ardyn even indulges them with a chuckle of his own.

"So, you appreciate having to work for a feline's affection." A hand moves to his hip, the other runs his fingers through perpetually windswept hair in an idle gesture, since Lily's attentions have fluttered elsewhere. If Pitou sports anything close to a half-smirk, Ardyn is clearly reflecting it right back. Their choice of wording wasn't particularly surprising, either. If someone was bound to view pets as "anybodies", it would be someone working at an animal shelter tent.

"Some would call them willful, stubborn, and too picky. What's wrong with the open sincerity of canines?"

[ The only thing rowdier than the crowds on the streets today were the ones in all the clubs and bars. Yin's been visiting a few here and there, but the atmosphere was always throwing her off. It didn't help that she couldn't find any of her usual friends at any of them, with them all either busy with Founder's Day business, or taking advantage of the events to take care of other business...

All that's left a sour taste in Yin's mouth that cheap beer hasn't had much luck in cleaning out, but at least this particular establishment had more color and energy to fill her senses. It was a lot easier to lose herself in here and pretend she doesn't care if she spends tonight alone (as usual).

Though it's in a transition from one song to the next, with the lights changing, that she catches sight of a familiar head of hair. At least she thinks it's familiar. Yin squints at the figure waiting for their order nearby. It's hard to tell in that outfit but, well, Yin's not shy about calling out to them anyway. ]

Hey! Nice boots!

[ boots. she said boots, right? shit. maybe that last bottle was a bad idea. or the one before that. ]

[ The dancer turns, posing with the ridiculous boot in view. It was a challenge to much of anything when their platforms after a certain height, Pitou took some pride in being able to do anything in any outfit. Total disregard for fashion or gender made those possibilities quite varied. ]

They are!

[ Pitou's total disregard for social nicety........ It takes a moment or so, but then Pitou does realize it recognizes who they're talking to. ]

Yin! When do I ever see you outside the practice hall? Hrm?

[ Quick to tease, as always. ]

[ Yin snorted. that's not quite right; it was more like, when did anyone BUT Pitou see Yin IN the training hall? it isn't like she was active in the martial arts field anymore, and she was sick of being stared at like some sort of freak when she did decide to poke her head in and take a few swings at a training dummy. ]

Yeah well... This isn't exactly my scene, but everywhere else was packed. [ true, Yin was more dressed to mosh than to dance, but no one seemed to be giving her a hard time. they were all wrapped up in their little worlds which suited her just fine.

Yin put the bottle down and leaned her weight back against the counter. ] You fit right in, though. Took me a second.

My very own creation.

[ Pitou trills happily, arms outstretched to give attention to the rest of the outfit. They happened to be in feminine wear today, but it was just as common to see them in some ornate suit of their own design as well. It was a pretty androgyny. Pitou's habit was to mix and match, blur lines, combine different worlds to their own affect. Just as likely to compliment your shoes as to contemplate aloud how they would dress you up for your casket, smile threatening. ]

And this 'scene' has loose qualifications. Just be a freak.

[ There's that smile, cruelly amused. ]

[ Yin casts one look down to her right and then back up. she knows they don't mean "freak" in a bad way. people have been co-opting and owning terms like that for a long time. Yin's just used to it being hurled her way with negative implications and thus it's hard to ignore the dull sting just five letters can leave behind.

in the next moment, Yin is beaming with pride, with those black studs of hers adding a sinister bend to that crooked, toothy smile of hers. ] I got that part on lock-down.

You here to drink, or— [ Yin polishes off her beer and sets the bottle down hard on the counter before she jerks her head toward the crowd. ] —are you here to dance?

"Pitou."

There's a particular sing-song cadence to their name, paired with a certain clicking of heels walking down the hall towards them. Only one person sings a name like that, wears high heels constantly when not on direct call, and would make it sound so endearing in the bargain.

"Pitou."

And without a knock at the door but strolling in, Grell makes her entrance, coming in all bright and red and with a gentle smile. And also, two cups of coffee, one of which she sets down daintily in front of Pitou.

"Don't tell me they're slave-driving you again."

"Nearly two people die every second, Dr. Sutcliffe," Pitou answers, utterly cheerful, hand zipping out for the coffee and bringing it, steaming hot, to their mouth. A thankless little sip and a cry of: "Hot, hot, hot."

Licking the roof of their mouth, Pitou gives Grell a mischievious look. "That's what we down here like to call job security."

Arms spread, encapsulating... no one but Pitou and the corpses.

Edited 2017-01-25 02:57 (UTC)

"Don't we know it."

She raises her own cup in a tiny mock salute. The dead kept on dying, and so their work was neverending. Stable, but constant. And sometimes downright overwhelming.

"But it doesn't mean nearly two people show up here every second. And besides, why should you be the one to stay late? Unless, don't tell me you volunteered for all this work?"

Edited 2017-01-25 07:14 (UTC)

"What can I say, I keep strange hours," a laugh like a comic book villain, Pitou always thinks their own jokes are funny. They peel the top off their coffee, impatient for it to cool faster, blowing on the surface of it. "Sleep all day, sew all night."

They've been warned about making those kind of jokes while on the showroom floor, but there's no one here to chastise them for their morbidity now.

"In another life, maybe those you sew for would be more appreciative of the fact."

Who's going to scold them right now though? The dead? The caskets? At least around Pitou Grell doesn't feel quite so strange about voicing the comments that occasionally crop up in her head.

"At least you can say that your technique is dead on."

"Oh well, you see I have birds at home so I can't..." Hope says in a rush before trailing off. It's not that she didn't like cats! Quite the contrary, she thought the little kittens looked adorable. She'd really love to be able to give one a home too, but we'll, birds and cats just didn't mix!

"I'm sorry." She says, looking totally deflated. How could she reject a poor helpless kitten! The world was so unfair.

Pitou's eyes narrow, a predator eying prey... and then deciding it would be just too easy to bully this one. There has to be a little sport in it. Instead, the volunteer just quirks an eyebrow before smiling, friendly but blindingly white.

"We also take donations. We always need food, and any old towels you're looking to replace would be used," a smooth tone, watching the girl with bemusement to see if that calms her flailing.

Edited 2017-01-28 03:26 (UTC)

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JANUARY TDM - OVERFLOW

Neferpitou | Hunter x Hunter | OTA

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III-C (I'm really bad at prose but I can switch if you need me to!)

np, either is great

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bonus.

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