recollecters: (Default)
Recollé Mods ([personal profile] recollecters) wrote in [community profile] repeter2018-09-17 05:35 pm
Entry tags:

SEPTEMBER TDM

TEST DRIVE
SEPTEMBER TEST DRIVE - EVENT AND FOURTH WALL EDITION
The city of Recollé...

...or, at least, a good mimicry of the city. It's been a few weeks since you've found yourself in this digitized version of your beloved city. You've found yourself surrounded by NPC versions of your friends and family who aren't a part of the Retrospec project, you've encountered strange and new places, and the viruses continue to appear despite the fight you've put up.

On the evening of the 17th, things change again. No matter where you are, Alphas and Betas will hear the sound of loud clacking, something similar to fingers typing frantically on a keyboard. The dial-up sound rings out, echoing off of buildings and in your ears as a bright blue flash of code scrolls before your eyes.

Perhaps it doesn't make sense, but your handheld device might help. It beeps to alert you of a new message, screen lighting up as a navigation app appears and seems to stick. It appears to be an ordinary app like Google Maps or Waze, but the destination is pre-installed and your feet begin to move on their own accord.

I. - IN-GAME CHARACTERS ONLY
If you're strong enough, you might be able to break free of the mysterious hold that's dragging you across the city and out toward the outskirts of Tisse. It's hard to locate the source of the pull, but everyone will find that as they traverse the city they're all heading in one direction. The navigation app cheerfully blurts out instructions as your body operates on auto-pilot, causing you to stumble through the city and the other districts.

You'll find yourself colliding into another user, soon walking in front or behind them as everyone around you begins to form one solid line. The human chain forms steadily and…aren't you lucky? You get to hold hands! Single file, everyone. Maybe you lucked out and you're holding hands with a friend. If you're stuck between two strangers, well, maybe that's a little awkward but the chain is impossible to break.

You continue to move. Locked hand in hand with every user in the city, you'll have to help each other navigate, avoid obstacles, and make sure you don't lag behind. Viruses linger and will follow this mass of people, snapping at your heels and attempting to devour anything nearby. Can you fight without your hands? It may be time to find out.

The night sky is a bit cloudy and your only source of light is the moon and the glow of lights on buildings you pass by in all districts. The walk shouldn't take you long, but as you venture further away from the center of the city the sun begins to rise and obscures your vision a bit.

Has time sped up? Or are you simply walking further than you thought? What an interesting question.

II-A. - IN-GAME CHARACTERS ONLY
The navigation app leads the group through a long, winding journey that ends just beyond the furthest point of Tisse as the day breaks. As the app chimes, the air before you shimmers as a glass-walled building materializes. Unlike the other buildings in the city, it appears to be solid and smooth, lacking the pixelated quality a majority of the city has by now. The human chain breaks and you let go of your neighbor. You're now free to explore this place.

Stepping inside, you find rows and rows of glass cases and chambers off to the sides and in stacks. Accommodated with work stations and instruction manuals, you may find yourself drawn to these computers before the empty cases. While the manuals appear old and frayed, there are instructions one can follow to create the person of their dreams. Are you looking for someone athletic? Simply change the input for a higher muscle mass than your average model. What about someone funny? Copy and paste some knock-knock jokes to embed in their code. It's easy to create anything you desire. The book allows for anything, even those who aren't exactly human. As you code and build, the glass cases and chambers begin to fog up, smoke whirling around inside as something begins to grow and take shape.

Be careful! You may have a clear vision in mind of what you wish to create, but the programming may have other ideas…

…for those who don't wish to experiment for themselves, or those who are strong enough to shake off those urges, there are several other floors to explore. Unlike the cases downstairs, these ones are occupied and filled with finished models pre-labeled "Projected Example" or "Reboot". Perhaps these faces are familiar to you, or they're someone who looks interesting. A lost friend. Someone from your memories. Someone who you feel doesn't belong encased in glass at all. The possibilities seem endless when it comes to who you'll find inside, but as you continue to stare at the case before you…the glass cracks.

II-B. - TDM/FOURTH WALL CHARACTERS.

Where are you? The last thing you remember was a wavering, dizzy spell that forced your eyes closed as you fell unconscious. Upon awakening the glass walls around you are stifling and thick, white and blue smoke dances around your ankles as you blink away black spots impeding your vision. Trapped inside a glass case held behind glass walls, it becomes clear that you aren't where you're supposed to be. Any items you had on your person are missing and the palm of your hand burns intensely for ten seconds as a black tattoo forms.

Branded as either a "Projected Example" or "Reboot", it isn't easy to understand what these terms mean. Perhaps that isn't what's important though. Rather, what's important is breaking your way out of this glass case and figuring out where you are.

Shadowed figures can be seen walking the hallways just outside your case, sometimes alone or sometimes with a friend. It's hard to make out any of their features, but you can hear the muffled words being said. It's only when someone is close to your case that you find your strength. The glass begins to spider crack under the pressure of your hand, allowing you to push and punch as much as necessary to break free.

There's no shame in needing assistance, of course. Some cases are thicker than others, and as the glass begins to crack it becomes easier to be heard by those outside of your case. How will you escape? Who will you find on the other side of the glass? It's a mystery and one that will not be answered until you free yourself of your enclosure.

Breaking free is easy if you try and it gives you a full range of motion. The glass won't harm you, but sparkles adorn your skin as the sunlight shines through the windows around you. You're free to explore the floors of the building and check out the other glass cases nearby. Perhaps you'll even lend a hand and help others who are trapped.

How did you all get here? That's yet another mystery that doesn't seem to have an answer, but more importantly…how do you get out of the building? This place is huge.

III. - OTA

Lucky for you, this building seems to be a safe haven from the crazy world outside. Though several stories tall and filled with cases and equipment as far as the eye can see, nothing strange seems to be happening and navigating the building is almost a pleasant experience. The glass walls allow for plenty of late-summer sunshine to filter in, giving you and everyone you're with a path to follow.

This path, however, won't lead you to the front door. The front exit no longer exists and any attempts to reroute to it will send citizens on their way through the halls of the building again. Several doors and laboratories are found on the journey though you may not enter. Labeled areas such as "memory restoration", "accounting", "legal" and "resources", these areas are scattered and just beyond your reach.

As you venture through the building and exit out the back door, the sound of music hits you full-force. Bright lights, thick grass and the sounds of children laughing await you. The grounds are vast and empty of other people. While the area is large and sprawling, it's evident that several iconic pieces of this area are missing.

A large sign hangs overhead, greeting you and welcoming you to Rainbowland. Complete with a carousel, children's rides such as spinning tea cups, bumper cars, the hurricane and the octopus, and a midway full of games, this amusement park looks like the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

Along with the usual set-up, Rainbowland is host to a special event for the next week. Scattered throughout the grounds are banners and stalls proudly proclaiming "WELCOME TO RETROSPEC." Carnival food of all kinds can be found at these stalls with the Retrospec logo plastered on the side. Eat these foods at your own risk! Sweets will grant consumers super-speed, meats such as hot dogs and burgers kick in a boost of super-strength, fried foods will cause a consumer to move in slow motion and drinks may cause temporary invisibility. Weird, right?

The midway has a few strange surprises as well. While most games are easy to play (and free at that, why isn't anyone around to take tickets from park visitors?), there are certain games set up by Retrospec themselves that have equally strange prizes. Stuffed animals of a variety of creatures from other worlds line the shelves (some you may or may not recognize), along with glass dolls of you and people you know. The likeness of these prizes is a little too spot-on; dolls will spout a common catch-phrase and stuffed animals will feel as though they are breathing.

Finally, in addition to the Rainbowland rides, Retrospec has provided a wooden roller coaster and a large ferris wheel, both branded with their logo. For those who wish to feel the rush, the roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and comes with several hills and one full upside-down loop. Riders, however, will experience brief hallucinations after this loop; as the loop completes they'll find themselves seeing visions of a dark, underground river. The hallucination seems within reach almost as if the cart they're in will dive straight into the water. The ride ends with all riders unharmed, however.

As for the ferris wheel? It's just a ferris wheel, several stories high with bright blue, encased cars to give riders a bird's eye view of the entire city and protect them inside. As you reach the top, the car will come to a gentle stop and the view from the window will change. Instead of the beloved city of Recollé, the landscape below is different. Perhaps it's a landscape you recognize, or it's an area of a battle-ridden world. Perhaps you see your friend's high school that they've seen in their memories or islands from another life. Every view is different, but by the time you reach the ground again you're back in Recollé.

It's a carnival and it's fun, but several things that don't belong to Rainbowland seem off. Those with a keen eye and who have been around for a while may come to realize one important factor; the symbol is drawn inaccurately. The Retrospec symbol is missing a few loops and the particular shade of blue used is too dark to match.

A counterfeit Retrospec...is it possible?

Maybe it's best just to stick with what Rainbowland itself has to offer.

IV. - OTA
So maybe carnivals aren't your thing. No matter! You can leave Rainbowland whenever you'd like and make your way back to the city.

On the other hand the city and areas around it may not be as you remember it. "Projected Examples" might not recognize this place at all, but "Reboot" will recognize that the pixelation of buildings, the NPC status of people they may know and the glitches that occur aren't normal by any standards. Exploring the city will allow all visitors to ride the trains and visit the various locations Alphas and Betas have access to, create and travel through the digital scape of half-constructed concepts, and they'll find they're even more susceptible to being attacked by bug-like viruses. These viruses will follow newcomers, snapping and biting to try and devour them. Defeating one will generate two more, and while they aren't as prominent in the digital scape you may find yourself with your hands full.

There is no way to reach the outside regions of Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma and Magatus at this time, but there's plenty in the city to keep you on your toes. Visitors may have to find lodging for the next few weeks whether that's with friends or strangers, but at least all of the buildings remain standing.

And if that doesn't keep you busy enough, the NPC citizens of Recollé are happy to provide you with jobs. If you choose to speak to any of these people, they'll go off of their pre-assigned dialogue and provide you with a small quest.

"Find ten bananas and deliver them to someone with red hair."
"Pet every dog that you see."
"Catch three fish from the ocean and sell them to a neighbor."

Some of these quests may not even make sense, but they'll be assigned nevertheless. Upon completion of each quest taken on, a triumphant sound will play from overhead and a banner will appear displaying your new title. Deliver those bananas? "Gone Bananas" will flash over your head. How about those fish? "So Long and Thanks For..." will linger for a while.

Too bad no one told you those banners won't go away. When you're alone the title will be hidden, but as you speak to more people in the city the banner reappears, hovering over your head for the entire length of the conversation. The titles will change as you complete new tasks, but it appears as though they're permanent now. Congratulations!

BONUS. - OTA
Everyone will be equip with a handheld device much like a cell phone but downgraded. Containing only a drawing application, the game of Snake, the Retrospec app and the navigation app to lead you back to that glass building, it's...pretty useless. Technology in the city is hit and miss in its pixelated state, but perhaps it's better to ask the Retrospec network what the next step is.

While Alphas and Betas are still posting as their A/B IDs, "Projected Examples" and "Reboots" will find that all posts and comments are tagged as their status and their name. Examples and Reboots will also find that a "Welcome to Retrospec" guide pops up, giving them only a brief moment to read the guidelines before a bright flash appears, snapping their photo for their profile and connecting them to someone new on the network.

Whether you're sending or receiving messages, a string of colored text, numbers and code will leave or enter your device. These devices also need to be charged constantly, so be careful when taking them out of the house! You'd hate to get cut off at the worst possible moment, wouldn't you?

Welcome to the [community profile] recolle test drive meme, fourth wall event, and September event part two! Please review these instructions for this particular event! As we are combining a few different options here, we want to ensure players know what options are available. Thank you!

All characters who are TDMing 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!

Since this is a special event, the TDM is tied with a fourth wall event as well! For players who are fourth-walling characters (canon versions, different canon AUs, CRAU, versions from other games, etc), please label your top-level as "Projected Example." Players who are TDMing to app will fall under "Reboot" and we ask that you label your top-level as such! And finally, characters in-game are not required to label their top-levels with anything. This way, it's easier for your gamemates to know who's TDMing, who's just playing around, and who's already in-game.

For Prompt III, any characters who choose to ride the ferris wheel will be able to see the landscape of any canonical world once they're at the top. It doesn't matter if they would recognize it or not, but the image will be brief until the car moves again! Likewise, stuffed animals won from the Retrospec midway games can be creatures your character would recognize from their memories or from other canons they may or may not recognize. Use your best judgment!

Prompt IV may be used to create new scenarios and threads based on the prompts from Part One of September's Event! Please feel free to read the prompts in event log one and create your own scenarios for your top-levels. Additionally, you are free to make up your own silly/serious fetch-quests and titles that would be rewarded to your characters.

While normally we do not allow this, please remember that current players may earn one freebie by threading with someone who is TDMing! This thread must contain 5 consecutive comments from you to be eligible. In addition, all players may use any threads accrued in this event for bonus points.

As a special note, we will also allow current players to use a thread from this Fourth Wall/TDM/Event for their AC proofs! As this ties into a game-event, we are making an exception. However, your other proof(s) (at least ten comments) must come from sources outside of this log. Likewise, as this is an event log instead of just a standard TDM, you may use this log to trigger regains as normal.

Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation.

Your September TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!
monya: (8)

[personal profile] monya 2018-09-22 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ this kid is infuriating? first, how could he know that Morgana could transform despite his incredibly poor reaction? and he speaks so casually and... ugh. ]

A t-rex? [ okay. now that would be cool. way cooler than turning into a van. ] I'm... Morgana.

[ looking up at the booth, he points at the wall of prizes. ]

Anything up there look interesting to you? I really do want to fire a few rounds off. It feels like forever.
monya: (7)

[personal profile] monya 2018-09-22 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
More or less. I guess it's a kind of magic.

[ a shrug follows, then a lopsided grin that exposes a little bit of a fang. despite being a not-cat, he's certainly got quite a few things going for him that are indeed cat-like! his ears twitch, the fluff in them not moving, and his tail does the same spastic motion... he's not exactly the best liar either, despite being a thief. ]

... so there are other people stuck in all of these glass cells, huh? That's kind of weird. [ he idly paws at his cheek. ] Glass is kind of a weak thing to hold people behind. And if they didn't disarm everyone?

[ this is when he pulls out his slingshot and his scimitar. ]

Do you know if you can like... do anything special?

[ not that she isn't, SHE CLEARLY HELPED HIM IN HIS TIME OF NEED so she's already special to him and all ]
doublelammy: (☆ 38)

[personal profile] doublelammy 2018-09-22 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Millium seems entirely unperturbed by the mockery.]

Oh. So the big fast thing is a "roller coaster" and then that big circle is a "ferris wheel?"

[She looks over to her new bench babysitter before looking back thoughtfully. It is at this point that something occurs to her.]

...Wait, hang on. [Now she actually seems somewhat distressed.] W-what kinds of stuff? Like ghosts and stuff?

[One Fear™]
hauntedsavior: (caught a glimpse of the ending)

[personal profile] hauntedsavior 2018-09-22 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I saw a river on the coaster, around when I hit the loop. Felt like it was gonna send me headfirst into it. [she's only been on the app for seven months and she's already so desensitized to it. hell, she's barely even paying attention to this girl, instead looking out to the park with an unamused expression.] Could be ghosts if you get on there. Who knows.

[and that's when her head turns and the penny drops.]

Wait. How have you never heard of a roller coaster?
incandescentfaith: <user name=cupcakegraphics> (Worried)

[personal profile] incandescentfaith 2018-09-22 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know.

[Hey, she's not lying. But also, she's realizing that she too is sparkling.]

...I wish I did because I definitely did not fall into glitter.
ascatic: (46)

i think they're about the same height

[personal profile] ascatic 2018-09-22 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I didn't know one could be.

[ because then he'd be really bad at it. but what else is there, other than leaning forward and pressing his own lips against Shui's and just...



it's better than he thought. holding it, he moves to rest his hands around and on the small of Shui's back. holding Shui close. even if he didn't know the man before, no doubt he that his appearance has grown on him with every memory--- the good and the bad. ]
incandescentfaith: (Serious Thought)

[personal profile] incandescentfaith 2018-09-22 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Once Usagi is standing, Rei looks down the hallways lined with those tubes, a frown creasing her brow. She stamps down on mental panic, because there are definitely dozens of those tubes, and if the two she's interacted with are any indication each one will have a person inside. A mass kidnapping?]

I don't know, miss. But I woke up in the same sort of tube as you, though the glass was thinner I think. I heard you yelling so I came.

[Shrieking, more like.]

Are you hurt?
digthefuzz: (watch | blank)

[personal profile] digthefuzz 2018-09-22 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[It'll feel like taking money from a talking baby. But oh well.

Kurt looks from Hiro to the hoop incredulously - he must really want to lose! But then he nods.]


Um, alright! If you say so. Game on, dude!
digthefuzz: (watch | hubba wha)

[personal profile] digthefuzz 2018-09-22 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
No fart! I'm just... things are... slow? [He utters slowly, while his hand very slowly scratches at his hair.]
digthefuzz: (watch | where's the beef)

[personal profile] digthefuzz 2018-09-22 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[He blinks as he thinks that over.]

A what? Is that like... a hippo, and a griffin? [He'd never heard of that one, even on his show!]
digthefuzz: (watch | skeptical)

[personal profile] digthefuzz 2018-09-22 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Um, yeah. [He gives a nod with a frown, knowing this can't be easy to accept.] This will sound crazy, but they say that we're, like, reincarnations of people from destroyed worlds. So we get memories and items that are supposed to be from those other lives. And sometimes, like... even our bodies change to be like them.

[He pauses to let that sink in.]

You're welcome to try. But... I dunno if that'll stop everything from happening.
fiddlestick: (elliot132)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2018-09-22 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Um....yes and no?

[That's very vague Elliot. He scratches his chin]

H-Hold on, I might be able to help?
maskreant: (pic#12250837)

Stop

[personal profile] maskreant 2018-09-22 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even when he gets healed, he stays on the floor, merely twitching to show that he's alive. The miracle punch may not have bruised him, but he's in a different type of shock. Morgana is here? Curling up a bit, he decides that he should at least answer his second would-be murderer. ]

Meow.

[ He's still trying to wrap his mind around this, but hey!! He's alive! ]
maskreant: (pic#12548232)

[personal profile] maskreant 2018-09-22 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Uhm. He's speaking normal, Sonic Okumura. Oomf, she practically knocks the air out of him, but he returns the hug and swings her around. It must feel like the slowest spin...

What did she just say??
]

We're both doing fine even though Recolle has been really weird these past couple months since you've been gone.

[ Even now, he's doubting that Haru is actually here. ]

Why are you talking so fast, anyway?
maskreant: (pic#12548232)

he is a handful understand

[personal profile] maskreant 2018-09-22 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Stop. This is hurting him. ]

Even when I'm eating elephant ears?

[ He bats the hand again before holding onto it properly, though loosely. ]
trabryu: (stop it)

[personal profile] trabryu 2018-09-22 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He tried to the first and second time, but the more they talk the more he can't ignore just how much she's making fun of him and her sister. That's... despicable. His fists ball on his sides, gripping tight to contain all his fury. ]

How the fuck couldja say shit like that about your own sister?! You-- [ His words are cut off by the sudden mood dip. Her looking incredibly somber out of blue catches him off-guard. ] ...... [ Still, the things that she's saying aren't changing. They don't become any more proper than it had been this whole time. In fact, it's getting worse. He doesn't get it. He can't fathom what she's trying to say, or what's the logic behind her words. ] You're fuckin' crazy. The hell're ya spoutin' 'bout?! Why the fuck wouldja do that if you feel that sad about it?! [ Not gonna lie, a huge part of his uncontrolled frustration and anger is sourced from the fact that he sees himself in her shoes. After all, they're both guilty of the same thing - murdering their own sibling. ] Don't you... heck, regret it?! What went through your fuckin' mind when you did all those?! Aaah?!
trabryu: (quit your bullshit)

[personal profile] trabryu 2018-09-22 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Wait, wait he's going way too fast for Mondo to catch up. What's this about horses and the colour blue? What the fuck? The frown between his brows deepen as the scowl grows more intense, he puts up a hand before the boy as another hand rubs his own temples. God, what. ]

Slow the fuck down, will ya. You're saying that this is some kinda reincarnation shit? [ Heck, is this time for introductions?! He isn't calm enough for it right now. ] So you have your life here, and also previous life somewhere else... that's what you're sayin'? [ Let him just get these things straight. ]
14680: (pic#12579525)

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Isn't "interesting" just a nicer way of saying "really fucked up"
14680: (pic#12579474)

how could you....

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[ the younger girl shrugs. ]

I mean I totally just woke up in a glass cage that I somehow just broke out of without hurting myself so, at this point, I'm gonna meet a lot of what you throw at me with "why not."
14680: (pic#12579542)

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Nice. Everybody loves blue raspberry.
fiddlestick: (elliot132)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2018-09-22 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Honestly, Elliot is a little blown away by how adorable she is. Just look how happy the girl was! Over a cat cupcake! How is he going to say no?]

Heehee, if that's the one you want, sure! I wouldn't mind trying one either...
14680: (pic#12579503)

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ wow this punk? ]

Lotta big talk from someone who just got lucky with one.

[ don't make her pinch your cheek, she'll do it!! ]
14680: (pic#12579496)

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh

oh. ]


Like — in the brain?

[ oh man oops she didn't mean to be offensive ]
offset: (Default)

iv

[personal profile] offset 2018-09-22 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He's so 100% sure that this is all a dream, considering how wild it is. Maybe this is some virtual reality? Pretty cool for a videogame, but he does recognize some people. The detail is far too real and crisp to the point it unsettles him, but he continues on his merry way, keeping out of trouble and merely observing... Helping here and there.

Yes. He got stuck with side quests, too. CALL OF BOOTY hangs over his head because... He showed some randoms how to use Tindr for the very first time. Let's not talk about it. He lets the cat go, a little concerned by how frazzles it is, but then it hits him when he hears the familiar voice.

This all makes sense.
]

Ah, Jingjing! [ He did not stop the cat. Sorry. ] Nice title.

[ And he's completely fine with his sister having it because he knows she's broke and can't fund anyone. ]
Edited (i missed a word shhh) 2018-09-22 20:45 (UTC)
14680: (pic#12579544)

points and laughs

[personal profile] 14680 2018-09-22 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ sun jing, on the other hand, does not have the luxury of knowing-without-a-doubt that her own brother's title is a pure misunderstanding, because she knows him, and she knows he a ho. ♥

she'll make a brief face at it when she skids to a stop in front of him, barely snorting on a chuckle because she can't even be mad. that cat is long gone but it's nice to know his fate is worse than hers. what a comfort. ]


Same to you. Was "tea bagging" already taken?