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.
crow_dad: (Thinking carefully)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-18 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
[It's endearing to be so openly admired. Koga takes a moment to enjoy it as he gives her a smile and waits for her opinion on flowers. Which seems to be rather practical in the end.]

Many flowers can be used for teas as well. Though I suppose sunflowers would add color to my garden.

[And the seeds are delicious too. She has a point.]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-18 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Are they really any good for that?

[ Mafuyu wrinkles her nose at the mention of tea. She lives off fruit juice and the occasional soda, she has no taste or appreciation for subtly flavored drinks like tea. ]

I'd think it'd taste like dirt, or grass.
crow_dad: (Hmmmm...this is different)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh the young could have such little appreciation for tea. Koga's smile remained but there was a light sort of sigh that left him.]

Tea is not often made of grass nor dirt so it is unlikely to taste of either. Though I worry at what tea you have been drinking which should be made of these things.

[She must be one to like sweet drinks instead.]

Ah perhaps you would enjoy sweetened teas then. Not so traditional but perhaps something that would please you.

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Nnnnnno, I don't drink tea at all.

[ She waves her hand in front of her face, dispelling any offer that might follow to educate her on tea. ]

If you're going to sweeten it anyways, leave out the tea and just give me the ice water with sugar and lemon.

[ aka lemonade ]
crow_dad: (Older than you think)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
Lemonade then. Well, one who views himself as a father should not force disliked drinks upon others.

[So of course he will not with her.]

You spoke of sunflowers then?

[He's turning his attention there once more.]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Uh. Yeah, I like sunflowers because they're big and yellow.

[ There's also the matter of the seeds like she mentioned before, but Mafuyu's appreciation of flowers pretty much stops at the surface level of things. But anyways, before he can steer the conversation away, she turns it around again, because she's curious— ]

But back up a bit-- what's this "views himself as a father" thing? Either you're a father or you're not; just say it straight, don't make it confusing.
crow_dad: (Hmmmm...this is different)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Is there something confusing about viewing yourself as a father? It had seemed rather self explanatory to me.

[No really. That's what he thinks.]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:36 pm (UTC)(link)
If you're a father, you're a father to someone— who?

[ and if that person is real and not imaginary, then just say he's a dad and be done with it ]
crow_dad: (Such pride)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
All of my children.

[Well this is going to become interesting fast...]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
How many children?

[ one? ten? with how many mistresses, Koga please ]
crow_dad: (Thinking carefully)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 12:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I would say there are hundreds after all these years.

[When you call your fans your children...]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh my god ]

Oh my god.

[ Mafuyu just backs the heck away because??? please be more direct, Koga, before she loses her mind ]

You can't have hundreds of children! Take some responsibility!!
crow_dad: (Lost in thought)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
I would not say I am being irresponsible. They all are free to come up to me as they please and even to stay at my place as they wish or even to take lessons on sword play.

[Maaaaaybe he should clear up the confusion here. But maaaaaaybe he's unaware of the fact that there is confusion happening.]

It would be difficult not to have hundreds at this point though. It really has been so many years since I started.

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't want to hear it!!

[ Mafuyu clamps her hands over her ears so hard and so fast, she might as well have given herself a concussion to not have to listen to this conversation ]

That's impure! Despicable! Shameful!
crow_dad: (Hmmmm...this is different)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-20 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Is there something impure about modeling? Has something changed with the mind of the young these days?

[He looks really young but he's so much older than he looks. Please don't mind him.]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-20 12:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ With her ears covered and shouting as she'd been doing, Mafuyu doesn't hear at all. But she sees his lips move and she lifts her hands away slightly as she can listen, but still close enough to plug her ears if need be ]

Say again? Clearly, this time!
crow_dad: (Thinking carefully)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-21 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Is there something impure about modeling?

[There. She heard him this time, right?]

[personal profile] buncho 2017-04-21 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[ modeling, lots of children, he doesn't mean—?! ]

N... n... [ she can't say it, she's too embarrassed to say it, in the end she's still a child. but she forces it out, her voice small and quiet this time so nobody else can hear. ] ...nude modeling?? Nothin' like that?
crow_dad: (Filled with joy)

[personal profile] crow_dad 2017-04-24 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes. I've done that. I believe there is a recent magazine with me on the cover like that.

[What's wrong with nude modeling? He's attractive.]