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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.
thesettingsun: smile (I can't explain to you)

I

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-18 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Of course Shuji offers to share his umbrella with Mista! He practically rushes over when he sees how soaked Mista's getting.

...And of course Mista turns it down and splatters him some in the process. Shuji's concern turns to mild irritation.]


A gym membership would be more reliable if you're worried about getting free showers...
protegge: <user name="rightgunman"> (🔫 out in the desert)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-18 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Shuji is a good person who gets no appreciation from smelly boys. Mista doesn't seem to notice the concern. It's just water??? It's fine, chill.]

I have one. [DO YOU NOT SEE THE GUNS? The guns.] But if it's gonna rain anyway, it can rain on me. I don't mind.

[Even though his hair's sticking to his face even more now. What a mess.]
thesettingsun: smile (and you will uh)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-18 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[The guns are there and easily noticeable. And so is the awful state of Mista's everything right now.]

Some of us arrange our hair and don't want it drenched.

[How long has Shuji been doing that side braid thing? A while. It's an art.]

I guess your skin will thank you.
protegge: <user name="peaked"> | dnt (🔫 like a tomahawk chopper)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-18 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that's right. I'm soaking up Mother Nature's bounty or something.

[Rain has minerals, right? Maybe. He glances sideways at Shuji, though, as something finally clicks. Drenched . . . hair . . . oh . . . some people care about that. He forgot.]

Shit. Sorry. You look fine, though.

[Better than Mista, anyway.]
thesettingsun: smile (I call him a douchebag man)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-18 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I have a hairdryer, it's no big deal.

[...mostly because he really likes Mista and doesn't want to be mad at him.]

Planning to spend a lot of time in the great weather?
protegge: art by pixiv id#3527715 (🔫 'til they see you break)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-21 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
[Yep, that's how Mista gets away with most of the shit he gets away with. You heard it here first.]

I dunno. I had plans, but they fell through, and now I got nothing to do.

Why? [He grins sideways at Shuji.] You got a job for me or something? I got time for one, maybe two wrongs that need righting. Damsels to save, et cetera.
thesettingsun: smile (and you will uh)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-21 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
If only. We're hiring but the boss says he'd have to be desperate to hire you again.

[All he did was yell at a customer! That's not so bad! Anyway, it would mean they'd be understaffed less often than they are now, which is all the time...]
protegge: <user name="peaked"> | dnt (🔫 'cause we're clapping our hands now)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-24 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. It must suck to have that much of a stick up your ass all the time.

[Mista shakes his head despairingly. A pitiable man.]

It's cool. I'm gainfully employed and shit now. Miss working with you, though.
thesettingsun: smile (would you give me just one more chance)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-24 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
If I was allowed to quit, I'd leave that job and come work with you right away!

[Does he know where Mista works or even what he really does? Nope! But Mista is his favorite, so he definitely could survive any job if it was as his coworker. He's sure of it!]

...But, you know. My parents won't let me do something like that.
protegge: <user name="rightgunman"> (🔫 out in the desert)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-24 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Shuji, you big nerd. Mista wraps an arm around his shoulder. A rain-soaked, dripping arm. Be grateful you're not getting a noogie or something right now.]

I know. They're all about the resumes. It's cool! Look, you gotta do what your mom wants. It's international law. You'd be breaking the Geneva Convention otherwise.

[That's not what the Geneva Convention is? But okay.]

Even if we're not working together, you're still my favorite, all right. Don't stress.

[. . .]

Unless he's letting people get away with being shitty to you again, 'cause then I'll egg his car. []
thesettingsun: smile (okay you won't die)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-24 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mista is so lucky his clothes are all in comparatively poor condition right now anyway, because otherwise he'd be upset about getting his shirt dripped on.

He's Mista's favorite, though! That's always nice to hear. It gives him warm feelings even in the middle of the pouring rain.]


A-actually, he's been okay lately, so really there's no reason to get involved or anything like that...!

[HE'D GET FIRED BY ASSOCIATION]
protegge: <user name="rightgunman"> (🔫 out in the desert)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-24 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmmm.

[HMMM. Mista seems to consider this for a few moments, then nods grudgingly.]

If you're sure. I don't like that guy. Usually managers and me get along okay, but he's a real piece of work.
thesettingsun: smile (I won't ride along in your helicopter bo)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-24 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe he just has really bad taste.

[Because anyone with good taste would get along with Mista, obviously. It doesn't even need to be said.]
protegge: <user name="rightgunman"> (🔫 in my backpack)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-29 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
No shit. 'Cause I'm perfect.

[how can you say this with a straight face. stop misleading this gentle young adult who is actually older than you.]
thesettingsun: neutral (now I'm gonna set you up)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-29 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Mm!

[Stop agreeing with him???]

Sometimes people are like that and we should treat them gently. They can't help their bad taste.
protegge: art by <user name="seijhoe" site="tumblr.com"> (🔫 & i'm filled with guilt)

[personal profile] protegge 2017-04-29 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
It's okay. Maybe he'll learn someday and apologize to both of us.

[This will never happen.]
thesettingsun: upset (to bring her back to life)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-04-29 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Never ever.]

Maybe you'll get reinstated and get a raise!