APRIL TDM

[recollecters]

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.

Comments

Terra | Kingdom Hearts

[lingeringwill]

[I]

[It's...raining. Of course it's raining. The rain slowly chips away at Terra's luscious locks, and the brown hair begins to slowly droop in front of his face. He's seated on a bench by himself, in the dark and in the rain, sighing and wondering what he did to deserve this. Over his shoulder, he's slung two large grocery bags, most of which appear to be filled with various types of bottles.]

Still no bus, huh...
[Yawn.]
Gonna fall asleep, catch pneumonia, and die at this rate.

[II]

[Terra is sitting cross legged in front of a small patch of violets, closely examining each of them. There's a quiet intensity to the way that he's looking at them, almost as if he's about to either rip them all out of the ground, or begin taking expert care of them. He begins muttering quietly to himself...]

These ones...definitely.

[Wildcard???]

[If you've made your way into the local library, you might just find a 6'7 guy laying across two chairs, staring into a notebook with a look of frustration, as he, a little too loudly, is continually reciting:]

Gettysburg, Fort Sumpter, Bull Run, Malvern Hill, Vicksburg, Port Hudson...

i

[complementing]

[The rush of rain gives way to little plip plop sounds. The umbrella over his head is now shielding him from getting more drenched, and Minako is the one holding the handle, giving him an amused smile.] That'd be pretty bad for me. I'd lose one of my best volunteer assistants. Want me to drive you somewhere?

[lingeringwill]

[...Seriously? He tilts his head up at her.]

...You must have one of those phones that calls you whenever someone is in need of help. [Runs his hand through his wet hair.]

You make the good samaritan look like a total jackass, you know.

[He smiles though.]

Thanks, Minako.

[complementing]

Nope! I just saw you while I was waiting for the stoplight. [She laughs and tilts her head into the distance.] Come on, I parked over there. I might have a towel in the back you can dry off with.

[lingeringwill]

[Isn't the guy supposed to be the one with the car and the umbrella and the towel? Not that it really matters, but it's kind of amusing to him. He picks up his bags which click and clank around as he shuffles up next to her.]

You don't need a car in the city, they said...

[Sigh.]

Take me home, sweet chariot.

[complementing]

[God Terra why are you so freaking TALL. Minako has to hold the umbrella up almost directly above her to make room for him underneath it.] Well, technically they were right, they just didn't account for bad weather and umbrella-less volunteers. Will your stuff be okay? [Totally not being nosy and peeking into the bag.]

[lingeringwill]

[He would trade but...]

Uh, yeah...[He yanks the bags away from her peering eyes.]

It's just stuff...[aka he did not expect to run into anyone he knew on his way home]

[complementing]

'Just stuff'. That's not suspicious at all. [But she won't pry! She'll just keep side-eyeing him on the walk over to the car to make him squirm.]

[lingeringwill]

...Don't look at me like that.

[Grumble...]

I know you already know that it's alcohol.

[complementing]

Like what? I'm not looking at you. But thanks for telling me anyways. [He gets a tiny grin.] So what'd you get?

[lingeringwill]

[He didn't mean literally okay he just knows he's being judged!!! Probably. Maybe.]

Whiskey, Gin, Vodka...

...

Beer.

[Laughs and rubs the back of his head.]

I spent a lot of money, alright?

stares at gmail where...did the notif for this go...WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME

[complementing]

Hey, it's your money, you can do what you want with it. But getting that much alcohol...let me guess. A party. A wild party.

[lingeringwill]

[Yeah, a pity party.]

...Nah. It's for me.

[His voice finds a bit of an awkward tone.]

Gotta practice making drinks. New night job.

...Mostly.

[complementing]

Aaahhh. Soooo. Do you need a taste tester?

[lingeringwill]

[He looks a bit surprised.]

Sorry, I prefer drinking sadly by myself.

[A wry smile.]

Actually, yeah. [He nudges her arm.]

Gotta promise me to drink responsibly, y'know.

[complementing]

You do know who you're talking to, right? [Minako and responsibility are this tight.] I'll wait however long it takes for me to stop feeling drunk to drive home if I have to, don't worry.

[lingeringwill]

"Terra, why is the head of the volunteer organization completely fucking wasted in your dorm room?"

"Officer, I can explain."

[Settles his stuff in her car.]

I can only imagine how much of a lightweight you must be. You wouldn't even get coffee with me. [He laughs. Yeah, definitely wasn't because you were a stranger randomly asking her on a date.]

[complementing]

Okay, wait. First, I'm not the head of ReVA, not by a long shot! [It just seems like it. She playfully whacks his arm as she escorts him to the passenger's side of the car.] Second, you know why I didn't get coffee with you that first time. We've gotten coffee together plenty of times after. And third! You're right about me being a lightweight.

[lingeringwill]

[He gets in, grinning at her. Wasn't he feeling completely morose twenty minutes ago?]

You're the head of ReVA in my heart, Minako.

[And a laugh, for good measure.]

I'll go easy on ya, kid.

II

[frostedoverland]

[Jack is pretty amused at the big guy staring intently at the violets. While he was there to help the little kids mostly, he meandered around to see id anyone in general needed help. It pained him a little but he'd learned how to make flower crowns with his sister before she passed away. He knelt down in front of him, smiling.]

Need some help, sir?

[lingeringwill]

Not really. [He stretches his arms over his head.]

Looking for a kind that I'd like to order for somebody. I like these ones, for her.

[frostedoverland]

The violets? Those are awfully pretty. You gonna make a crown for her though? Or make a bouquet?

[Jack is still going to try and offer otherwise!]

Name's Jack, by the way.

Wildcard??????????????????

[destiny_key]

[The local library is not somewhere Sora typically goes, but the rain has driven him out of his usual afterschool activities, leaving him with an open afternoon and an astute case of boredom.

A loud reciting of places he was only vaguely aware of was not what he'd signed up for.]

...Terra? What're you doing?

[lingeringwill]

[Terra groans quietly to himself when he hears Sora's voice. Of course someone was listening. Of course it was someone he knew.]

...What does it look like I'm doing? [He turns his head towards Sora, adjusting his position on his makeshift chair-couch.]

I'm suffering.

[destiny_key]

Suffering?

[Sora laughs, coming closer and popping down into a nearby chair.]

Looked more like you were trying to memorize a code. You studying for a test or something?