recollecters: (Default)
Recollé Mods ([personal profile] recollecters) wrote in [community profile] repeter2017-04-16 09:01 pm

APRIL TDM

TEST DRIVE
APRIL TEST DRIVE
The city of Recollé. A beautiful city you've called home for quite some time. While things can be a little weird, isn't that true of all homes? It's fully spring now, and there are flowers to be found everywhere. April's showers are a familiarity as well, the occasional downpour or drizzle keeping you on your toes.

What will you do today?

I.
April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, there are already plenty of flowers to be had, but that part of the old rhyme being true doesn't save you from the first part of it. While the weather forecasters do their best, their success rate for predicting the rain seems to be about fifty-fifty. Unfortunately, sometimes when they do predict the rain happening, they misjudge how bad it's going to be. Was the sky was clear when you last looked outside? It may not be quite so clear now. Hope you remembered to bring an umbrella today.

But it's not so bad, really! Maybe if you forgot to prepare, someone will share their umbrella with you. Not in the mood to talk to anyone? You can probably find some thrifty umbrella vendors on the streets of Tisse. When in doubt, there are always some loaner umbrellas scattered around in Apprassage at the Recollé Library as well. The library asks that you return any of the mismatched loaners found at the door, but it's not like the system is that strongly enforced. Well, other than the library stamp on the umbrellas, that is.

If you find yourself in Chata today, you could always buy a magazine off the street corners to hold overhead. If you look like you may buy something, vendors don't seem to mind if you idle under their awnings. Check out the latest fashions coming this spring while you wait it out. It looks like buckles are in, but some of the high fashion clothes look a little odder than usual. The hot, new dresses range from large like a billowing tarp to appearing more like an artfully arranged handkerchief than anything else. Fashion sure is weird sometimes.

II.
Recollé Square in Tribunal Terrace boasts a huge assortment of flower gardens scattered throughout the district, though they all appear to be whatever citizens felt like planting at the time. In fact, only flowers in Apprassage seem to match, especially around the University. Today, while the rain's stopped, a large group of people seem to be taking advantage of Recollé Square's mismatching for flower picking, crown and wreath weaving, and bouquet arranging. The activities seem to be loosely led by the city's PTA and some of the other socialite groups from around town. Then again, for long-standing citizens of the city this isn't unusual either. You seem to remember that this is an annual sort of thing even though there isn't actually a name for the event.

Some booths are set up around the park to swap seeds, flowers and food for cash or gossip, the guidelines a little more loose outside of the business districts. It seems as though lot of families are picnicking this weekend. There's even some kind of contest going on for the best flower crown - though usually the city tends to collectively pick a kid for the winner, so your best artistic talents might not get you the admiration you crave.

In addition, there's the most accurately judged flower-growing contest if you've been waiting for this day for a year or more, but that event tends to have the same people involved every year and the majority of Recollé isn't too heavily invested in it. They're here for the picnics and flower crowns, and it seems about the same as it always does. This year, though, there do seem to be more flowers than ever...and for that matter, they're a lot bigger than usual, too.

III.
Despite some of the fashion fiascos the magazines are displaying, maybe you should spend some time shopping this week. It may come as a surprise to you that your clothes haven't been fitting properly as of late. Those skinny jeans are just a hair too loose, and your favorite shirt seems baggier than it used to be. The problem, however, is that every shop you go to seems to stock clothes with the same issues. You're down a size or two or three, or maybe they're just marking everything down wrong. And surely you don't have the time or money to replace your entire wardrobe...will you take your chances? Complain to the store's manager? Or maybe you're an unfortunate soul who has to try and explain the unexplainable. Maybe offering a coupon will appease shoppers today.

IV.
Apparently walking around your neighborhood isn't quite as safe as it used to be - or it isn't safe if you want to trust your eyes. One second the little old lady who lives at the corner appears to be walking her pitbull just as she has every day for the last several years. The next, the pitbull is gone and she's walking a rather angry-looking caterpillar. Blink and you'll miss it, but as time goes on you'll see more and more of these larger-than-life insects wandering around. No matter how hard you try to explain it, the only other people who seem to see this as the least bit weird are people with the Retrospec app.

Oh, do you not have the Retrospec app? Think again. The sound of chirping crickets will follow you until the next time you look at your mobile device or a public computer, prompting you to accept a profile and upload a user picture. Congratulations! It seems as though you've been selected to be a new tester!

...it's going to be one of those days.

BONUS.
While the Retrospec app only infrequently has posts from the company itself - and those have thus far proven to be universally useless - this month there is an onslaught of updates. At least once per day there's a picture of a new type of flower or insect, along with a "fun fact" about whatever the company has posted.

Did you know, for example, that wasps feeding on fermenting juice have been known to get "drunk' and pass out? Ancient civilizations burned aster leaves to ward off evil spirits. Ticks can grow from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a marble. Roses are related to apples, raspberries, cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears and almonds. Houseflies find sugar with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive than human tongues. Praying mantises prey on other insects, and perhaps you'd better watch your step.

Wait, what?

As usual, any attempt to get the company to reply about the increasingly disturbing information they're sending out is useless. The daily facts grow less and less useful and eventually seem to be nothing but fun facts about how flowers and bugs could kill you or one another. Kind of unfortunate for you, if this is your first time getting any messages whatsoever from the app. How do you unsubscribe? Good luck figuring it out.

Welcome to the [community profile] recolle test drive meme! All characters will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun! The April 2017 TDM directory can be found here. The April 2017 Workshop can be found here. The mod questions comment is here.
wantshappiness: (flustered || PANIC)

iv

[personal profile] wantshappiness 2017-04-17 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[If it's any consolation, the cricket chirps coming from Brett is joined by the ones coming from Yuuri. It's like they're in the middle of some sort of cricket duet.]

Um.

[At least she's not alone???? But wait. What if she's the only one hearing this sound? WHAT IF SHE'S GONE CRAZY?]
toushiro: (51442_900)

ew.

[personal profile] toushiro 2017-04-17 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ why is this old lady talking to him. well, whatever, he'll answer anyway, even if he's notably disgruntled at the clothing situation: ]

They're too big, in my case.
gudaguda: (pic#11127625)

[personal profile] gudaguda 2017-04-17 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That actually gets Sakura to put her head in her hands. That's where she was going to head if the stores here were a bust. ]

Okay Sakura think... think... what can you do now...

[ She looks from her hands to Elda, trying keep herself composed but her voice is very much distressed and fed up. ]

I don't want the money at all. I just want clothes that fit me.

[ Elda looks like she's positively uncomfortable in her clothes. At the very least, Sakura isn't the only one who is in this predicament. ]
notbunaga: (Default)

[personal profile] notbunaga 2017-04-17 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Unpredictable, sure...but this doesn't seem like it's "unpredictable" this seems like it's something that couldn't just come in unexpected, out of nowhere.

But you know what? He at least has a point in that there's no sense in overthinking it. Freak shower or not, there're more important things to life.

Like tea.
]

What, me? Fine, I guess...I went out to get some dog food for Souji, and then the weather took a turn for the worse. You already know about the umbrella thief.

What about you? Did you get lost in the city again?

[not to be blunt but

yknow
]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-17 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah? [ doubtful ]

Anyways, I dunno anything about it. You're better off asking some nerd at school who knows about this stuff.

[ She means nerd in the most affectionate way possible, but also. Nerds. They know their tech. ]
trappingheart: (pic#11089625)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-17 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
And where the hell do you get off, telling me not to act like a child, when you pick fights with me in the hallway literally every day between 3rd and 4th period?! You're lucky enough that I don't bash your face in there, pipsqueak!

[ Hey now, no need to bring his size into this-- ]

Who do you think you are, my mother?! Speaking of mothers, shouldn't you go running back to yours?
thesettingsun: smile (I can't explain to you)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-17 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[? What's such a big deal about this app?]

There's no way I missed a new app on my phone for a couple of months. Maybe a couple of days, I don't know, but definitely not more than a week.
gudaguda: (pic#11127622)

1

[personal profile] gudaguda 2017-04-17 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Despite being 20 years old, Sakura is pretty much a twig and finds herself careening over. It's definitely not helped by the The contents of her grocery bag spill everywhere and her umbrella is knocked out of her hand. Sakura herself is on the floor, on her back and wincing in pain. ]

Ita ita ita...

[ Sakura takes a moment to regain her composure, before recognising Miller. ]

Miller-san.

[ she says with a short wave before realising that all her groceries are not in her bag and on the concrete instead. ]

My shopping!
vitis: (exactly what you'd expect)

[personal profile] vitis 2017-04-17 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ OH NO to put it mildly, john's pretty surprised— though he can't really help the unexpected laugh that escapes him. oops. ]

My bad; thought we were the same size— [ there might be a, uh, somewhat teasing note there. HE KNOWS THEY ARE PRETTY SIMILAR?? THERE'S NO WAY??? concluding this place must be shoddy with their labeling, he holds out a hand again. ]

Here. I'll fix it.

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-17 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
You can do it. I believe in you.

[ If the monotone isn't convincing, Mafuyu claps rhythmically to cheer him on. She stands blocking the changing room door and folds her arms across her chest. ]

Come on, hurry up. No one's going to come inside if that's what you're worried about.
mincingminuet: (Gasp)

I Can Fix It

[personal profile] mincingminuet 2017-04-17 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Penelope didn't exactly have the greatest landlord in the world. He didn't seem to care much for her, for some reason. Maybe it was because she had made him upgrade the internet wiring in the walls? It didn't matter much, beyond that it meant she was on her own when it came to dealing with stuff like a broken sink. It wasn't something she had the technical knowhow for, and the business card she'd found promised cheap and reliable service if you asked for Frank.

So, she'd called for Frank.

The knock on her door gets her out of her chair with a quickness, because today was a day off classes and she'd already finished her daily video so she'd been more or less puttering around waiting for the handyman. When she pulls open the door to greet him and wave him in though, she freezes the instant she gets a good look at his face.

He's taller than she remembers, of course, and a little more worn seeming, but who wouldn't be after so long in the service? But still, she recognizes him. Her mind blanks for a second, thoughts whiting out as she just stares up at him with big blue eyes.]


...Frank...?
thesettingsun: smile (I'm a good guy)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-17 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[If you call him overweight he'll cry-

Take the stupid belt back, John.]


It's just one belt in one store, it doesn't mean anything.
allthreefourths: (pic#9362126)

[personal profile] allthreefourths 2017-04-17 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ this is probably revenge for Toast Hell, isn't it. at least pretending to be drawn in by conspiracy theories is slightly less embarrassing when it's someone he knows, mostly because he doesn't have to try to defend his reputation here.

... actually it's already ruined in levy's case, probably, but let's move past that.

hiccup pauses for a moment, somewhat surprised that he didn't realize it was levy he was subjecting to this tinfoil hat moment but... he recovers soon enough, his slight tenseness making way for a more relaxed stance. ]


Levy. [ ... this is still a mistake!! ] You know I took a total of... I think it was one or two biology classes, right?
flowrite: (pic#11290560)

[personal profile] flowrite 2017-04-17 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[The trap slips off with relative ease and Fai brandishes it in the air for a moment before replacing it amongst his hoard of oddities on the tabletop. At the accusation he laughs again.]

Actually I keep it in my bag to keep my clients entertained now and then. Whyever would I want to trap someone at my table in a coffee shop?
strategyguide: (no rest for the wicked)

Yay!

[personal profile] strategyguide 2017-04-17 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately, yeah.

[Brows furrowed and lips pressed into a firm line, Robin showed the screen to Mohammed so he could read the newest fact that had popped up.]

Fun Fact: All parts of the Manchineel Tree are so toxic to people that it has the nickname Manzanilla de la Muerte, "Little Apple of Death". Most trees are marked with warning signs, but not all of them!

Pleasant, isn't it?

[It made him wonder if the fabled Snow White actually ate a fruit from this tree.]
Edited 2017-04-17 23:21 (UTC)
thesettingsun: mad (I'm not a toy)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
There's someone already inside, that's bad enough...!

[But there's really nothing he can do about it now. He reluctantly pulls off the shirt he'd worn here - it doesn't fit either, but it's close - and puts on the sack other shirt.

...It's hideously baggy. Or at least he thinks so - it might just be a little more baggy than is normal, even for shirts that are meant to be worn loose, but to him it's repulsive.]


I can't. There's no way. I can't possibly wear this outside of this room.
broham: (7)

[personal profile] broham 2017-04-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah...whoops? He isn't some kind of international criminal with no morals, so he actually does feel a bit bad about it. He hadn't meant to soak her.

It's just that this comes out as a rather indifferent sounding grunt at first, giving off the impression maybe he isn't too bothered.

...until eventually.
]

Sorry. Didn't see you down there.

[His umbrella was too small for him anyway, so...he hands it to her? No hard feelings? (Even if it isn't much help now that she's already soaked...)]
me_matey: (things are so passionate times are so re)

iii

[personal profile] me_matey 2017-04-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Nah, that's no good. Go with the other one. -Unsolicited advice from a familiar voice. Despite the sunglasses and the big jacket, it didn't take a long look to notice who it was. Though given the way she was dressed, and that huge purse...

Anyways. The point was, she ran into a friend! And didn't have to think long about what he was shopping for.-


It'll be out of style in, like, a day. Definitely do with other one, homeboi.
toushiro: (56867_900)

[personal profile] toushiro 2017-04-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
You're the one who spits at me every other day in class! How the hell do you expect me to not get--

[ --mad. you know, speaking of mad. that is very much a thing that's happening now. ]

I'm not a pipsqueak, you brat!

[ so now we have two teenagers yelling at each other in the middle of hot topic. fantastic. ]
hjack69: (pic#11153282)

[personal profile] hjack69 2017-04-17 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Worst surprise reunion ever tbh. BUT: ]

...Jeez, alright, it's not just me. [ He sounds super relieved?? Weird Retrospec shit is one thing, but you kinda have to differentiate that from weird possible insanity things. ] Before I answer anything else - wouldn't happen to have some crappy new app you can't uninstall on your phone, wouldja? It's called Retrospec, kinda looks like the diet soda of social media?
matchbreaker: (POLKA DOT IT)

[personal profile] matchbreaker 2017-04-17 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Same. I couldn't care less about money.

[ . . . Of course, Elda's rich, so.

That said, the woman resists the urge to bite her nails, instead sighting. ... Sakura. ... That feels familiar too.

Ah well. ]


We could go to the used stores? Those will have old stock.

[ The thought appalls her, but.. ]
trappingheart: (pic#11089658)

amazing

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-17 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sounds like high school, alright. ]

I'm not a brat, you squirt! Small fry! Runt! Twerp! I could go on!
vitis: (o)

[personal profile] vitis 2017-04-17 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he'll take the stupid belt back and take out a small switchblade from a pocket. john pierces a hole through the very very end of the belt. frankly, it'd be good for lassoing a cow now.

here, shuji.
]

If that doesn't help, then you might be shit outta luck! [ frankly... ]
voideity: (roxy086_ikimaru)

i

[personal profile] voideity 2017-04-17 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ roxy has a cheap yellow rain poncho on over her clothes instead of an umbrella, because at the time it seemed like a Great Buy. it is not a great buy. it's just amazing that she managed to bring it today. ]

Whoa, careful there kiddo!

[ then she sees the umbrella and turns serious. ]

... I will give you ten dollars for that umbrella. [ IT'S BEAUTIFUL?? ]
burlyheart: (Default)

Potemkin | Guilty Gear

[personal profile] burlyheart 2017-04-17 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
II.

[Peter isn't playing in the park or smelling the flowers. Not that you would really expect him to, but he's way too dressed, way too stiff, and looks frankly trapped, like one of the oversized butterflies hovering around the garden that stepped onto oversized flypaper. Or a man who has never had any desire to be prominent standing by a decorated contest display.

Which makes sense, because he's not the contestant. The entrant is this young man's mother, who shows off with determination her prestige line camellias that took the past several months to grow.

Said young man is out here to help out, by giving presentations to any one who comes by, judge or spectator.]


And you see, this strain was developed from a mutation discovered in British gardens sometime during the 1800s...

[Remember to take deep, discrete breaths, Potemkin thinks desperately.]

I.

[At some point between Officer Hoboken leaving his car and coming back, it started to rain. Now he is facing his car through a curtain of heavy rain, but his reaction is cool. He had preparations for this.

From underneath the overhang of a building, Potemkin shakes out a thin plastic raincoat. It billows larger and larger until it's carried by the wind like a sail, with still no opening in sight. Maybe there's something wrong after all.]
Edited 2017-04-17 23:26 (UTC)