repeter | APRIL TDM

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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ OOC: A small note - contrary to his icons, Baren has both eyes at the moment! ]

[ I : RAINING CATS AND DOGS ]

[Baren's always been good with animals. It would seem that this doesn't change given the weather.

Which is why he's managed to lift an umbrella from somewhere (hopefully not... yours) and is using it to get around town... with a small following. Damp stray cats approach Baren to get out of the rain and climb up to his shoulders, a few dogs following suit and shaking themselves dry in the small space under the umbrella - only earning a small eyebrow raise from Baren before he shakes his head. Funny, coming from a guy who normally raises a fuss at anyone who even so much as scuffs his shoes.

When he passes by you, caught out in the rain, his reaction depends. For men, he laughs. Meanly. And he keeps walking with his little pet parade brushing against his legs. Truly a shithead. For women, he seems to ignore them entirely - up until they walk a few steps past him and then he pauses, glancing back over his shoulder with a pensive look. Whether or not he takes time out of his day to help appears to be based on how far the lady in question might be from her destination.

Or you can catch him in the entrance of some alleyway, lowering himself down to the ground to get a look at something... underneath the dumpster? The answer becomes apparent as a small dog comes rushing out to Baren as if the model was his owner, leaping into his arms - a dirty, furry, wet dog smelly mess. To which he just seems to crack up.]

Ha! You're a smelly little shit, aren't you!

[ II : A THORN IN MY SIDE ]

Hey! You!

[Whether you know him or not, Baren seems to be calling out to you? Here he is, perched on some picnic table, making a waving motion to call you over (not unlike a dog). If you caught him earlier, there might've been a little girl or boy sitting on the actual bench part, having asked Baren to either a ) help them make flower crowns or b ) tell them gross plant facts. (He did both.)

Yet it seems like he still has bundles of flowers next to him, so what's he gonna do with those? He smiles. So innocently.]

Let me do your hair.

[ . . . well. To be honest. Today his own hair is especially floral and glitzy. Maybe you're in good hands?

(Don't do it.)]

[ WILDCARD A : PAINT THE TOWN RED ]

[So here's the thing: Baren's a model. Whether you love him or hate him, there's no doubt that you see him. In magazines. On runways. Or like today, on some of the posters or billboards posted around town.

Considering his willingness to be half-dressed, the "billowing tarps" of fashion still look fine on him, artfully arranged as he lounges on some ornate couch still looking like the king of the world. He's plastered somewhere on the Recollé skyline, image blown up for everyone to see - but if anyone catches it, it would appear that someone has graffiti'd bright red devil horns on the billboard. Odd. Who could the culprit be?]

My agent is going to kill me.... ♪

[It's the perfect crime. .... except that it's not? Here's Baren, humming along one of the busy streets in Chata. His posters line the street and here he is with a paint pen and an artistic vision. This Baren poster gets a crown. This Baren poster gets a halo. This Baren poster gets a devil's tail.

He's doodling on his own face and seems to crack up as he goes along. Some other poor models might have posters up that have also gotten ever so gently defaced (hope you enjoy your unibrow or new shoujo flower background!) but Baren's still chuckling at his own stupid joke.]

[ WILDCARD B : DEAL OR NO DEAL ]

[You were probably walking along. Minding your own business. And then there was the sound of falling cloth, a roaring laugh, and then everything went black.]

Nice catch!

[Yes, you caught it with your face. But it would appear that there's something draped over you - something silky, big, and... once you get it off your head, it looks like one of those new fashion garments that's hitting the stores soon? The voice speaks up again and you'll find Baren leaning out a second floor window, grin beckoning and eyes shining with mischief.]

Hey, we're gonna play a game. It's easy, just answer a question. If you get it right, then that [he points lazily down to the cloth in your hands] designer poncho that starts at aboooout 300 bucks is yours.

How about it?

[Chuuya is one of those unlucky people caught without an umbrella, even though he swears he had it a while ago... it was either go get wet or be stuck away from his apartment, though, so he's chosen to just go for it, shooting Baren an annoyed look at that laughter. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, jerk, he knows. He expects no less, honestly.

...but then he stops. Stares after him for a second.

then runs after him, shouting:]

Hey! That's mine, asshole!

[GIVE THAT UMBRELLA BACK]

[no

which is to also say:]

Probably.

[does Baren even remember where he picked this up from... did it get left with him one day forever ago. did he grab it on his way out of chuuya's apartment one time and never look back. we're not quite sure. either way, the dogs and cats unfortunately scatter a bit at the shouting even as Baren is laughing even harder as he turns around and tilts his head]

Finder's keepers, right?

[are you 5]

no subject

I (i lied about sleeping i guess)

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ii.

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ii.

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II.

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wildcard a

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wildcard B i'm ready for regret

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wildcard a

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ii

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i

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wildcard a!