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

["or dear" is right -- text books definitely aren't cheap.]

Oh shit. [think, majima, think] Do you have a blow-dryer at home? You might be able to fix it with one.

[hopefully?? mostly he just wants to give this poor guy peace of mind. and, since this guy is obviously super cold, he takes off his jacket and hands it over. fixing one problem at a time, that's how to handle this situation, right?]

[How Fai wants to respond to that question: What self respecting gay man doesn't own a blow dryer?

How Fai actually responds:] I do, yes. I... I suppose it's worth a shot.

[He offers another smile which is again quickly replaced, this time by a look of surprise. It's sort of an automatic response to take the jacket offered with his other hand, though he simply holds it instead of shrugging it on.]

Are-- Are you sure? I mean, thank you, but... I'm soaking wet, I don't want to ruin it!

Yeah, you're soaking wet.

[he repeats in an "so obviously you should put on the jacket" way]

I'm not gonna let you freeze to death while we're standing here waiting for another cab. You need it more than me right now.

[And Fai just stares at him like he's grown a second head.]

N-No-- I mean thank you! But I'll be fine, it's not worth ruining your jacket over.

[And he at least attempts to pass it back]

I have a good dry cleaner.

[slowly...pushing it back on fai]

[Well... it would be rude to refuse again, wouldn't it? Fai nods and slips the strap of his messenger bag off his shoulder so he can shrug the jacket on.]

This is really nice of you, helping a stranger. I'll pay for your dry cleaning!

[yes mission accomplished]

You don't have to do that.

[but he will accept, because just like fai thinks its rude to turn someone down twice, majima too has that deep sensed respect of formalities. you turn someone down because you're supposed to, and then you accept because you're supposed to. politeness is a dance but it's an important one.]

Nonsense, it's the least I can do.

[Once he's got the jacket on and the bag is back on his shoulder, he looks around.]

Um. Am I holding you up? Were you heading somewhere important?

Just running some errands before work.

[he checks his watch for the time]

Got plenty of time before I have to be there, it's not a problem.

[Hm. Fai doesn't have to be anywhere for a while, either...]

How far away do you work? I can follow along while I look for a taxi, so you won't be late, and give you the jacket back when I find one?

...if it's not too much bother, of course!

Sounds like a good plan - it's not too far from here.

[and it works for both of them. plus if they don't find a taxi they can always wait inside and call one. what a logical stranger he's found]

[Pleased that his suggestion was met so well, Fai beams. He's actually warming up now under the stranger's jacket and he's regained a bit of his calm, ready to tag along.]

So, do I get a name for my mysterious rescuer? Should I just keep calling you 'My Hero'? Or maybe 'Good Samaritan'--oooh, or 'Knight in Shining Armor'! Or 'Knight With a Very Nice Jacket' maybe~! [He laughs]

Goro Majima.

[he offers his name and something of a smile and nods in the direction of his club.]

It's this way.

[majima starts walking, making sure Fai is still protected by the umbrella as they go]

What's your name?

[Fai's careful to keep close so Majima doesn't have to go out of his way--any more than he already has--to shield him with the umbrella. Now that they're moving and chatting somewhat comfortably, Fai's smile stays in place.]

Very nice to meet you, Mr Majima! I mean, it probably could have been under better circumstances, but I'm very glad to have met you!

[He laughs again]

I'm Fai. Or Lachance, if you prefer. Fiacre Lachance if you want to get all French about it, but most people don't~

[majima hasn't been in the business long enough for the name to mean anything to him, which is probably for the best. but at least he's smiling again which is nice! see! helping people is good.]

No kidding about the timing. That was really shitty luck.

[It's definitely a good thing Majima doesn't recognize Fai's name. Fai lives in a kind of low-level terror that someone's going to recognize him from when he used to dance; he'd probably have a heart attack on the spot. Not out of fear, just... mortification, mostly. As it is he just chuckles.]

Ah, it happens sometimes. But it was lucky for me that you were there! And I still have plenty of time to run home and get changed before my next appointment. And grab my umbrella this time!

The weather's been so weird this week, right? Like it can't fucking make up it's mind.

[hard to know when to bring an umbrella or not. it was lucky for both of them he happened to have his.]

Right. This is actually the second time this week I've gotten myself stuck in the rain. I'm going to start carrying an umbrella with me everywhere at this rate!

[He falls quiet for a moment, debating whether he should ask his next question.]

By chance, have you noticed anything else... kind of peculiar about the city, these last few days?

[Giant bugs giant bugs giant fucking bugs. Fai's half-convinced he needs to re-start therapy ASAP because he's clearly losing it.]

You mean like the giant fucking bugs?

[nailed it in one]

[Fai breathes a heavy sigh of relief and leans over against Majima's shoulder for a moment, not even really thinking about it. At least the outer shell of the jacket is... mostly dry? Except for where his hair has been dripping on it, but that's higher up.]

Oh, thank God I'm not the only one who's seen them! I was starting to think I was going crazy!

[it's alright, even if fai got him soaking wet from the rain he really wouldn't complain]

Nah, it's not just you. People are bein' weird about it, but there are other people who've noticed.

[Fai straightens back up after that anyway, but thank you Majima for being such a good sport :) ]

Right?! I've seen so many people who act like they don't even notice. How can anyone be so calm about walking a giant caterpillar on a leash?

[always :) ]

Maybe they don't actually see it.

So either they're on LSD or we are?

[He laughs, mostly to cover up the fact that this is massively messed up and he doesn't really want to think about big scary conspiracies right now.]

Anyway, that's probably enough talk about giant scary things for one day, since you still have to go to work and all. So where do you work, Mr Hero?

You don't have to keep callin' me that, ya know.

[he tries to offer him a smile like "don't worry i'm not that special."]

I work at Club Sunshine.

["work at" "own" potato potatoh]

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