SEPTEMBER TDM

[recollecters]

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 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!

Comments

[thesettingsun]

[There isn't any way Shuji can not hug Mista when he starts crying. He's crying too, ugly tears streaming down his cheeks, and he can't wipe his own tears away because hugging Mista is more important.]

Love you too. So much.

[If only that was enough.]

What - what should I get you?

[protegge]

[For a moment, he presses his face against Shuji's shoulder and just tries to remember how to breathe. It's harder than he expected. But he doesn't want to just stand here crying. That's not fair to either of them. He wants a decent memory, even if it goes sideways.]

[Blinking the worst of the tears away, he looks over Shuji's shoulder at the different stalls. There's so much ugly bullshit, and he loves all of it. But then--]

[He lets out a choked laugh. There's . . . a tiger. Just a couple stalls down, there's a huge, ugly tiger, which for some reason is wearing a cowboy hat and boots.]

That. [He points.] Gotta be that, right?

[thesettingsun]

[Of course that's what Mista wants. Shuji can't suppress a laugh either even in the middle of his tears.]

As you wish.

[He has to stop hugging Mista to head to the stall, and he does so reluctantly - but he can still hold Mista's hand on the way there. No one could stop them.]

[protegge]

[This--this is better. There's still that hurt at the back of his throat and heavy in his chest, but Shuji's hand in his makes him feel lighter. Even if it's just for the moment, it means a lot.]

[He trails after Shuji obediently, a faint, tired smile on his lips.]

You know these games are all rigged, right?

[thesettingsun]

I know, but I won't let that stop me.

[...hopefully he remembers how to deal with the rigged games and can actually get Mista that plush. Otherwise he'll die of shame.]

[protegge]

[It's okay. In that case, Mista'd probably just steal it. For now, he just squeezes Shuji's hand.]

I believe in you.

[He always does. He always will. Nothing's gonna change that, ever.]

[thesettingsun]

[When Mista believes in him, how can Shuji let him down?

The game is throwing darts to pop balloons. Shuji remembers from one of the nights he'd spent watching Youtube instead of studying that balloons are only easy to pop when they're fully inflated, so aim for the fullest balloons even if they're far away. He sort of wishes that he'd been an archer instead of a scythe...sman... but even so.

Three darts. He aims for a full ballon that's far away and pops it. Then another that's at an odd angle and pops it. Then another that's at a difficult angle and on the edge - and pops that one too.]

There. Any prize you want.

[protegge]

[Mista . . . is a little pink in the face, overwhelmed by Shuji's unexpectedly good aim. This is a terrible time to think about how much of a babe Shuji is. They literally aren't even dating anymore. Stupid hot ex.]

[He rubs the back of his neck, glances at the prizes.]

. . . I want you to get it for me. [A little sulky. Get it and hand it to him. The spoils of war. A triumphant hunter returns with his stupid, ugly prize.]

[thesettingsun]

[This is the worst time to think about how cute Mista is. But Shuji will forgive himself for that, because Mista is constantly cute. It's just a fact.

Smiling a little wider, he pulls the tiger down from its shelf and holds it out to Mista.]

I've captured the vicious tiger for you.

[They're still on the same wavelength, even now.]

[protegge]

Yeah.

[Mista's mouth twitches, and he ducks his head to hide the weird not-quite-right smile that he nevertheless totally means, before reaching out to take the tiger. He pulls it tight against his chest and wraps both arms around it immediately.]

. . . Yeah. I didn't think anybody could do it, but you did. You always find a way, Shu.

Thanks. [He's never going to let this tiger go, ever.]

[thesettingsun]

You're welcome. Anything for you.

[...Even breaking up with him, in the long run, will be better for both of them than continue a relationship supported with lies. It doesn't feel like this is the option for both of their happiness, but he knows it is.

He wishes he really could do anything for Mista. Could fix the issues of forgetting Retrospec, could secure their relationship as it was and should have continued to been. But he's only human, and in many ways not even that anymore.]

Are you going to name it?

[protegge]

[Naming it seems final, somehow, like putting the nail in the coffin of their relationship. It's hard, too, because all he can think is Shuji Shuji Shuji, and that's too weird of a name. . . . Still.]

Yeah, but--I think anything I name it right now would be shitty and sad.

. . . Do you have any ideas?

[thesettingsun]

...Tonio?

[It's Tony the Tiger, but more Italian. Stil kind of shitty and dumb, but at least not sad.]

[protegge]

Pfft. That's dumb.

[But. He loves it, actually? He only hesitates for a second before kissing two fingers and pressing them against Shuji's forehead.]

Tonio. He's great. [Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...............eat.] And he's gonna smell like popcorn forever.

[thesettingsun]

[Mista loves many dumb things. Like Shuji, for instance. He touches his own forehead where Mista's fingers were because he's dumb and gay.]

There are worse things to smell like. Unless you're on a diet, then popcorn is the worst.

[protegge]

I'll never go on a diet, I love food too much.

[And you. But now he has to go on a Shuji diet, he thinks wryly, half-grinning at Shuji's silly gesture.]

I'll just do a fuckton of crunches and be fine. No worries. No matter what, I'll always have good abs.

[Are they flirting? He's pretty sure he's flirting. He should stop.]

[thesettingsun]

It's true, I can confirm it personally.

[...oh no. Shuji's expression falls.]

Are we flirting. We should stop?

[protegge]

. . . Yeah. Force of habit, sorry.

[It's tempting to say something like--can I kiss you one more time? or one for the road? or something like that. But it's a bad, bad idea.]

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji has similar thoughts, and similarly knows they're terrible ideas.]

Don't be sorry. God knows I'm being worse about it, if anyone should be sorry it's me.

[How do you not flirt with Mista, he was flirting with Mista before Mista even knew he liked him.]

[protegge]

[What is not flirting with Shuji, can you eat it.]

Or maybe neither of us should be sorry and just accept that this is hard as shit.

[thesettingsun]

...Yeah. We should probably do that.

[It's hard to accept, too.]

[protegge]

Yeah.

[And . . . neither of them want this moment to end, do they.]

[Maybe he can be Shuji's hero one more time.]

I should probably go, huh?

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji doesn't want him to leave. Don't leave - it's on the tip of his tongue. Stay here a little while longer.]

...one of us is going to have to, eventually. It's not going to get any easier.

[Even if it feels impossible right now.]

[protegge]

Yeah. I'm gonna do something stupid eventually, probably.

[He sighs. Scrubs the back of his neck with his hand. And shoots Shuji another crooked smile.]

I'm going now. But I'm gonna love you forever. Don't forget, okay? It's okay that this is ending, but that doesn't mean you're not a fucking wonder of the world.

[thesettingsun]

[They'd both be stupid. They're both the kind of stupid that's perfect for one another.

Shuji smiles. He wants to cry, but he can hold it until after Mista leaves. There's no way Mista will leave him while he's crying.]

Same to you. I love you so much - you'll always be my hero.