repeter | SEPTEMBER TDM

Entry tags:

! event,
! tdm

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

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh.....then I guess we just have to wait out here till they find us?

[If he didn't see them in there while looking for her. It's likely she has just missed them among the crowds. Still, she shifts then, giving a shrug at being unsure why there aren't bugs around here. She focuses on the other question then, as they are let forward to sit in the carriage of the ferris wheel.]

And what about anything else? I mean, anything else you remembered from Japan?

Probably. There's a good chance we'll run into them, if Fai is looking for us. That is, if he hasn't found your brother first...

[Considering what a mother hen Fai is, anyway. The games and rides seemed to be his thing, but he'd probably make it a priority to track down his kids first and foremost.

He blinks for a moment as they're ushered to the carriage of the ferris wheel, not realizing how much time they had killed by talking. It was their turn already? He lets Sakura go in first, waiting for her to sit down before settling onto the seat next to her. Her question has him frown a bit in thought, however, digging through his memory and what he might have gotten back since she had dropped off the app. Neither of them were all that great, but... he had promised to be upfront with her about these things, and so he was going to honor that. Even if recalling one of them left him feeling more than a bit unsettled.]

I remembered a few things, but nothing specifically about the cards or anything like that. I'm not sure what was behind it, but... there were these strings controlling me, like a puppet, trying to make me...

[His eyes shadow a bit, the image of his sword nearly flaying her in two, his arm moving against his will, strong in his mind. He didn't really want to say it, but...]

... trying to make me attack you. We figured out where the strings were, and you were going to cut them, but... you seemed to be having trouble with your key, for whatever reason. I'm not sure what wound up happening after that.

There was also something else, when I was a bit older, but... it was just me talking with that one girl. Tomoyo, I think? She was mentioning how you had a lot of people around to support you, no matter what, but I wasn't sure what it was in the context to.

[Or why he felt so guilty afterwards, but... he wasn't going to bring that up until he figured it out.]

I guess we'll see. We can keep an eye out. Maybe when the ferris wheel gets higher we can try keep an eye out.

[For all that sometimes Fai could be akin to an oversized child himself in his personality and such, he was responsible enough to make sure he at least could try keep track of his adopted children. Sakura sits and fidgets with her skirt as she listens, glancing to him once they were in and ready for the ride.]

String? You mean like a thread....? That was....

[Wait. Wait, she had been having trouble because.....Sakura raises a hand to her head, biting her lip.]

Clow-san. He said something about my staff having a new power? From my own power, not his magic?

[Though well. Tomoyo had seemed rather close to her from what she could remember, so that made sense.]

I'm sure he'll be easy to spot once we get a better view of the park. He's not all that hard to miss.

[Because even without his eyepatch now, his height and bright blond hair would be a dead-giveaway. There weren't many people in Recolle who looked quite like him, after all. Of course, it was going to be a little bit yet before they reached a proper height to see him, what with the carriage making it's slow descent upward as more passengers are let in below.

He nods at her question, recalling the dripping wet strands that had ensnared the boy in his memories.]

Yeah. There were a number of them around me, but we weren't able to tell at first since they were almost invisible. I used some sort of... water ability, to reveal them, but...

[His eye is drawn to the shift in her expression, however, the hand to her head, and immediately he tenses. Did she remember something? Already? His hand reaches over to gently settle on top of her free one, a quiet form of support, and his brow creases as the words sink in.]

Wasn't the power you were using always your own, though? It's why they said you were stronger than him, wasn't it? Stronger than Clow? I thought the only thing of his that you were using was his cards.

Right!

[As tall, lanky and blonde as he was, not to mention his clothes, Fai should stand out well enough if he is close enough for them to spot him. Once they do get high enough to, at least.

But she doesn't mind if the ride is slower, considering some of the other rides, and given they did have stuff to discuss together. It seems a decent chance to do so now, without others potentially eavesdropping or anything.]

I'm....not sure on the details exactly. I know the cards were his. And that I eventually get more powerful? But. I'm sure we'll remember more to figure it out?

[Honestly, it was better this than the rollercoaster, as that would have been impossible to hold any sort of conversation on. Height aside, this was a much more peaceful and quiet ride, and it was... nice, really, to be up here with just Sakura. It was romantic, even.

... although romance wasn't on the forefront of his mind at this moment, instead trying sift through his memories to see if anything clicked. It was annoying having these things come to them without any order or context behind them. His hand comes to his chin, fingers lingering near his lips in thought.]

... probably. Though the pieces aren't always fitting together...

In the memory, though... it was hard to see, but your key looked a little different. It looked more like a star with wings than a... bird thing. [Or whatever that shape was. He frowns a bit, because now that he mentions the shape of the key...]

There was something else I had remembered too, a while ago. You-- the other you-- she was trying to do something to a couple of the cards, that needed a lot of energy and I-- the other me, he wound up helping you with it. I'm not sure what was going on, but... your staff looked different there, too. It had huge wings and a star and a moon on it.

Do you think it evolves when you get more powerful?

Wings and a star? Well, even without Fly, the bird staff had wings too. Just not as big. Fly helped them grow. Maybe the staff you saw was with using Fly too?

[She isn't quite sure yet though. But what he suggests seems to be what Clow had been implying? From what little pieces of memories she has to be able to put together. It's complicated. To say the least. Frustrating, only remembering parts of this other life and not necessarily in any sort of chronological order for that matter.

She holds her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her skirt.]

I'm not sure. Maybe that's it. With more of the cards, the more powerful I'd get? I just know that eventually I do get more powerful.

[His eyes drift to the window momentarily, trying to see if he could spot Fai from the vantage point they were at-- they were a little higher in height now-- but to no avail. Maybe he was behind one of the booths or something? But her question gets him to shake his head, bringing back the image of the strange wand in his head.]

No, you were holding it differently than you usually do when you used Fly. Sort of like you were in the middle of... activating something...? The memory's sort of hazy, since the other me-- he was exhausted, for some reason. Like he was trying to stay awake, no matter what.

[His eyes are drawn to her fidgeting hands, and his own hand reaches out on instinct to gently settle upon one of them, to calm her down a little. Was she nervous about something?]

Do we even know how many cards there were in the first place, though? You had... about ten or so before, didn't you? If there were a vast amount of cards, I could see how having that much abilities at your disposal could make you stronger.

Though... I guess our 'magic' and the cards are two different things. I remember the other me saying he had the most power in his family, which is why he was the one to go looking for the cards...

Exhausted? I hope he -- you? was alright....

[It might not have been this specific Xiaolang but even so. Sakura wants to believe that in the end things worked out and he was alright. This other version of him. She pauses when he reaches and takes her hand, glancing over to him.]

Ten sounds about right. I'm not sure how many there were in total yet though. But I supposed that makes sense? If they sent you because you were the most powerful. I

[His expression grows conflicted when she asks that, his natural need not to worry her warring with his promise to be more candid with her. If he told her, chances are she'd remember and fret even more, but not telling her would just have her panic when she did eventually recall it. Maybe it was best to take the middle road.]

I...I don't know, to be honest. I-- he, rather-- he wound up passing out before everything got fixed. [There's a pause, before he hastily adds--] But we were younger in those memories, so-- if we wind up going to school together when we're older, then everything must have turned out alright in the end, I think.

[Never mind it's still really worrisome to pass out like that, and he'd be concerned if it was the other way around, but...!!

When she pauses to look at him, though, after he places his hand on hers, he can't help but feel a bit self-conscious. Maybe he moved too quickly on that? But the line of conversation distracts him from dwelling too much on it, instead focusing on the mess of memories in his head.]

The other me... he said at one point that you had power too, and that's why you could use the cards in the first place. He also said that people with power were drawn to one another...

[Which could have weird implications in regards to their own relationship!! Although if Xiaolang still liked her this much without her magic, that probably wasn't the case...

The other bit of that memory stands out to him, however, one of the many pieces that haven't come together yet.]

Do you... remember a woman at all? One that you thought was nice?

But you were alright? I guess that's all we could hope for after.

[After whatever it was he had been helping with that exhausted him so much. She's not sure on the context of that herself. At least not yet.]

People with power being drawn to each other....I remember you saying something about that. And we were talking about someone you were trying to warn me about. But I kept saying she seemed nice and I liked her anyway, somehow.

[Or something like that. As far as she recalls, what little she recalls from the bits and pieces she's remembering from home in Japan. From this other life. .]

[He nods, slowly, everything she's said matching up exactly with the memory he had just described.]

... yeah. And about how scary things don't always feel bad, right?

[But now that she had brought up the bit about him warning her about this mysterious woman... a nugget of another memory comes to mind, one he had mostly ignored due to Tomoyo teasing him instead. Could he have been talking about the same person...?]

I think... I may have warned you multiple times about her, actually. Or-- he did, anyway. [He frowns, both at the idea of associating himself with that other boy, and at Sakura's cross-lifetime habit of trusting the wrong people.] I don't think you listened to him, though.

[He glances out the window once more, the ride getting steadily to the top, his brow furrowed in thought.]

There had to be some reason he didn't trust her, though. Maybe she was after the cards too?

You think she was after the cards?

[It is strange. That Sakura would seem to feel so positively and drawn to the woman when Syaoran had been the opposite. It isn't like there was a chance Sakura knew more than him about the situation either, given he was the one more knowledgeable about magic and Clow and the cards and all in comparison in their memories.

Her gaze lowers for a moment in thought, her hands fidgeting with her skirt before her gaze follows his out the window. At the view.]

[He's quiet for a moment, turning over the possibility in his head. It's true that out of the two of them, he remembered more of the smaller details of their past lives, but Sakura sometimes knew things that put what he knew in a different light. But if she didn't know much about that teacher...]

... it's possible. She had power, after all, so maybe she was drawn to you or the whole situation at hand. I mean, that boy-- he was your rival at first, too, so he might not have liked anyone getting close to the cards.

[They're well above the grounds now, nearing the top, a breathtaking view of the park and the city below them. He feels one of Sakura's hand twitch under his own, fidgeting with her skirt again, and his thumb can't help but brush over her knuckles. There were too many questions and not enough answers here, but at least he could try to support and comfort her when she needed it-- even if the situation was less than ideal.]

... I don't see Fai from here. Do you?

Maybe? I don't think I remember enough about her yet to be sure. That's all I remember so far at least. But maybe in time we'll figure more.

[That generally seems to be how this goes, after all. In them remembering more over time. Not having control over the order of what they remember or anything. Still, she glances, her head turning to the view, to check to see if she can spot her guardian.]

I'm not sure yet.

... yeah, hopefully.

[His reply is more of a murmur, unsure what else there was to dissect. If Sakura didn't remember much more, and his own memories didn't provide enough clues, then he wasn't sure where else to look to. His eyes remain fixed out the window, trying in vain to catch sight of Fai, but to no avail. Maybe he was still in the building after all? He didn't want to mention it, as to not upset Sakura further, but...

Still, there was some worth in being up this high, even if they couldn't find who they were looking for.]

You can really see a lot from up here, huh? It's not really a view you see that often.

I guess I got used to flying around, but....this is nice.

[Something like a similar or familiar view in a different light. Not from her riding on her winged staff, but from the ride at the park, sitting with Xiaolang. This was special. More so than her riding her staff around with him like she had done numerous times in the past. This was something they could only do at the park. Something special with just the two of them, for now.]

It's an amazing view.

[Even if they haven't yet managed to find Fai among the crowd. Sakura's enjoying it all the same. Or, trying to.]

[He almost wants to kick himself, the moment she mentions flying, realizing he might have brought up a sensitive subject. After all, with her losing the app, she didn't have her items anymore, so she couldn't exactly experience this as much as she wanted to anymore. She didn't seem bothered, but he still couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish over it.]

... mm. This probably doesn't compare much to that, I guess. Not while in a carriage like this, anyway.

[Never mind it was the experience that made it worth it, to just relax and enjoy their time together without needing to pilot any staff or keeping their balance. But while Xiaolang was content to be here, with just her, he wasn't sure if that was the same in her case. After all, how could she be happier just sitting up here with him? ~~It's because she likes you, you unconfident walnut!!~~

He shifts a little closer to her side, peering at the view from her own window.]

I think we can see the school from here, actually.

It's not bad? Or worse. Just different.

[Probably safer? In that the carriage provides more security than if she or Xiaolang himself had slipped from the staff. Still, part of her misses at least the security that the cards provided in knowing she could help out more. But she doesn't seem too down if at all when he brings up the Fly and her staff.

Instead she all put presses her face against the window to see the school, pointing when she spots it.]

There! I see it.

[He can't help but smile at her eager reaction, her joyous enthusiasm for even the littlest things bringing a happy warmth in his chest. Leaning in a little more, his eyes follow her finger as she points out the school campus, tracing the familiar layout with his gaze.]

... it's funny. It looks so small when we're all the way up here.

[The ride comes to a slow stop beneath them, perching them at the very top, and his gaze is drawn to something brighter than the cityscape below. His heart does an odd little squeeze as the situation begins to fully settle in, just the two of them surrounded by all of these lights, and he opens his mouth to say something--

And suddenly, the view outside changes with a flash, a twilight view of Recolle shifting into something much more... suburban. It looks like a playground of sorts, sand and climbing bars all around, complete with a set of swings and a rather distinctly shaped slide. It takes him a second to register it, but that giant penguin couldn't escape his mind even if he tried.]

Ah...!

E-eh? Penguin-san......?

[Because. Yes, she saw it too. Though as quick as that flash of image of that park playground was, it is gone just as fast. Leaving her confused as she still sees the image as she blinks and closes her eyes for a moment after. The swings, the slide shaped like a penguin....

It wasn't like the local park. That particular slide at least, was different. So it couldn't have been that they were just seeing the local park in the distance from this ride.]

[He stiffens when she says that, realizing she just saw the same thing he did. If it were any other park, it wouldn't have mattered, but... it was that park. The one where his other self had confessed to her, in that other life, and he had left without getting an answer. Sakura recognizing it might have meant she had the same memory too, or at the very least something else involving it. ]

That playground-- do you remember it? The one we saw just now?

[Because even if he knew she remembered them having feelings for one another, it didn't exactly mean she remembered him confessing. Or did it?]

I remember a park, the swings, at least....

[On the way home, when he had initially confessed how he felt to her. She can't help but turn a little red at that memory, before glancing back to him in confusion briefly. For a moment before glancing back out the window. But by now the park is gone. The same view they had been staring out at before that sudden glimpse.]

I wonder what just happened though? That playground was back in Japan, not here.

[He bites his lip, equally at a loss of the situation as she is. At this point, he should be used to not having the answer for these things, but it was still frustrating none the less.]

... I don't know. It could be Retrospec's doing-- or, I guess, whoever's been messing with them this past month. It's gotten complicated.

[Though there was that logo on the Ferris wheel, the one that seemed a little off...

Sakura's flushed face doesn't escape his attention, though, and for a moment he wonders if he was right in his suspicions after all. He's quiet for a moment, before he finally speaks, his voice soft.]

But I... I remember those swings too.

Was I-- I mean, the other me... was he part of that memory as well?

Were you -- he....um. I mean. Yes. You were there too. I just remember the swings in the background.

[When he had confessed to her. It mostly stands out given the different location to when he had confessed here, in Recolle, at her garden at her house with Fai and Iwai. She's not sure if she should tell him the specifics or not. They kind of had already touched on that anyway, that their other selves were also together. That their other selves also had feelings for each other.]

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