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.
trappingheart: (pic#10641138)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-18 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
You know, you're the second person today to tell me that flowers make good food. Do you guys just make a habit out of taking a bite out of shit that grows out of the ground?

[ Still, she's got a can of white spray paint with his name on it, and it makes that satisfying rattle when she tosses it in his general direction. Something about the pebble in there, just shaking around, has been soothing to her since she started this whole lifestyle.. ]

I'm not the best with skies, but I think they'd look good under a bunch of stars and a huge moon...
feistytrader: (okay then)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-18 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
I just read that one on the internet. There are way tastier things than flowers.

[He reaches into his bag and pulls out some dark blue and purple. Maybe a light yellow, too...?]

One huge moon, coming up. I bet you'll get pretty good at skies with practice, though. I mean, look at your flowers.

[The flowers are totally punk rock and stuff.]
trappingheart: (pic#11111011)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-18 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
It's just how striking the permanent red is on the white stone. It's a really strong color, so it pops out like crazy, but for an image like this, it works well.

[ She tries not to look too happy at the fact that she's being praised. She doesn't do a very good job. ]

It's gonna be a bitch for them to take off, which was kind of the intention.
feistytrader: (this sneasel is just a year old)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-18 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
They should keep it. Getting rid of something like this would be a waste.

[Yoshiko could have a pretty good career as an artist. He'll keep that thought to himself as he carefully adds a background and a nice big moon.]

They just don't have an appreciation for fine art.
trappingheart: (pic#10641126)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-18 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
That's what I keep saying! It's basically free art, like, people get paid to do what I'm doing! Sure, maybe their content is nicer, but just because it's not my property doesn't mean I can't put my own shit on it, especially if it looks good!

[ Actually, that's exactly what it means... ]
Edited 2017-04-18 23:40 (UTC)
feistytrader: (listening in)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-19 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
[...Actually, that's exactly what it- oh, whatever.]

Even if it isn't legal, it's definitely an improvement. Most people have pretty boring houses and businesses.

[And cars, and lockers, and... You get the idea.]
trappingheart: (pic#11089625)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-19 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly! See, you totally understand me! This whole damn city, it's so stuffy! The buildings, the houses, the storefronts, the billboards! They all suck! Why can't everyone see things the way I do?! Sure, tons of people come out from all over, for college or from abroad or whatever, but once you live here all your life, there's nothing all that special about it!

[ Let's go back to capping off some spider lilies. The permanent red is running onto the painted grass beneath them, but that's fine; it almost looks like the grass is bloodstained, the flowers dripping. ]

It's the same shit every day, you know?! Just...mundane nonsense!
feistytrader: (listening in)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-19 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[...It's nothing terribly special. It's just a boring city with the same old things. Other than that weird app, anyway. That's new.]

Are you saying you want to spray paint over a billboard?

[That is not what he should have taken from that.]
trappingheart: (pic#11274039)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-19 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
If I said yes, would you help?

[ It doesn't seem like she minds too much, in any case. And judging from her smile, she's not saying she doesn't want to-- ]
feistytrader: (gold's hat is huge too)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-19 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Probably. Depends on the billboard.

[And what they're putting up there. Either way, he wouldn't have suggested it if he was completely opposed to the idea.]
trappingheart: (pic#10800346)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-19 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I want to put devil horns and a goatee on that one guy running for office next term. Not because I'm trying to make a statement about his policies or anything, I just want to put devil horns and a goatee on him.
feistytrader: (12)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-04-19 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[That guy running for office, huh... Silver opens up his phone, shuts the damn retrospec app, and goes to google the guy.]

...You know, he might actually deserve the devil horns and goatee.]
trappingheart: (pic#11111011)

[personal profile] trappingheart 2017-04-19 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
If that's the case, it all works out. Serendipity, right? People will be like, "oh, what a politically charged masterpiece," and all I gotta do is give him horns and awful facial hair. Maybe a forked tail sticking out from behind him. Some fire in the background, if we have the time...