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

one;

[sotenbori]

[majima is not, in fact, missing a dog -- but the sight of the poor dog all wet and burrowed in emil's jacket kind of makes him get a little sentimental.

not that he gets sentimental.

but if he were the kind of guy who cries, dog in the rain one 100% do it.]

Did you find him out here?

[frisyr]

[ The dog is still a bit shaky from the cold, fur a bit damp and standing up in little clumps. ]

I did. Just over there. Hiding underneath a box.

[ Oh no, Majima. Oh no. The dog.

It hiccups. ]

Do you recognize him?

[sotenbori]

[hiding under a box...oh no....]

No, I've never seen him before.

[oh no]

[frisyr]

Oh.

[ Deflated. ]

Do you want to help me find his owner? Or maybe his mom?

[ He's so young, Emil's surprised he wouldn't be kept with a mother. ]

[sotenbori]

[that's actually a really good suggestion - and now he won't feel as useless.]

Yeah, let me help. We'll see what we can find together.

[on the other hand, an owner who left his dog alone like this??? did they even deserve to get it back?]

[frisyr]

[ No, probably not. There wasn't even a halfhearted attempt at a can of dog food or anything. Honestly, they were probably banking on the fact that it's such a well-populated city with people who would take in strays. ]

I'm thinking it can't be too far from home. Maybe he'll remember something if we just walk around.

[sotenbori]

Okay, yeah, let's try that.

[he's not entirely convinced that's going to work, but at least it's somewhere to start.]

[frisyr]

[ Emil steps it up, still tapping people on the shoulder and trying to get their attention, but everyone seems busy.

In fact, someone even bumps into the puppy, and Emil's about to start and altercation. ]

Hey, watch where you're going!

[ He's got this guy grabbed by the collar. ]Icon

[sotenbori]

[majima's not exactly the best candidate to break up fights, when he's usually the one starting them and especially when this poor puppy is involved, but fortunately for this rando, it didn't look like he actually intended to bump into the puppy.]

Hey, hey -- I don't think he meant it. Just let him apologize to the poor pup.

ps i don't know why it keeps posting icon....

[frisyr]

Fine, but he started it.

[ Emil glares down the stranger who apologizes to the pup and then tries to extricate himself quickly from the situation. ]

Even if he didn't mean it on purpose, can't he see the dog is scared and cold?

no worries dw is weird sometimes

[sotenbori]

Yeah, it was a fucked up thing to do but we have more important problems.

[#priortizing]

Lets try and find the owner.

[frisyr]

[ The rain seems to be coming down harder now and people aren't even bothering to stop. ]

He must be hungry, I'm going to find him something to eat.

If you want to wait it out, maybe we can try again when it's less rainy.

[sotenbori]

What if the owner abandoned it on purpose?

[it's worth asking, unfortunately.]

[frisyr]

[ He looks down at the pup sadly, and scratches it behind the ears. ]

I suppose I'l have to take him to a good shelter.

[ The dog whimpers a bit. ]

...Or take him with me...

[sotenbori]

He'll be happier if he doesn't have to go to a shelter. One of us should definitely take him.

[frisyr]

Okay.

I'm just worried, I have a tiny apartment. It's on the second floor, so it's not a long walk downstairs... And I'm sure my roommate won't mind.

[ Okay Emil... ]

[sotenbori]

Are ya sure?

[because that sounds like maybe he's ... not sure]

I can take him if your roomie might be a problem -- I don't live with anyone.

[frisyr]

[ Ok, but can he trust this guy? Emil looks down at the defenseless pup. ]

I'll work something out.

[ Sorry Goro. ]

Until I can find him a permanent home.

[sotenbori]

As long as he gets taken care of, that's all that matters.

[frisyr]

[ Nods ]

I guess I should get him dry and find something for him to eat.

Isn't that right, buddy?

[ He looks down to see the pup giving both of them the biggest, saddest puppy eyes that would fit on his head. ]

Anyway, thanks for the help, Mr...?

[sotenbori]

Majima.

[he takes another look at the SADDEST PUPPY ever and is deeply sad to be parting ways with it but this guy is gonna take care of it. it'll be okay]

Do you want some money for its food?

[frisyr]

[ He really wants to say yes because he's poor af but... ]

No, I couldn't. But...

You can bring him some food if you want to come see him.

[sotenbori]

Yeah, maybe.

[it seems silly to care so much about this poor puppy, doesn't it? but also look how cute it is]

[frisyr]

I think he likes you.

[ Dog makes a pip ]

See?

[sotenbori]

[oh no don't do this to him]

He barely knows me, he's just doin' that 'cause he's cute.