repeter | 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

No.

[ also in japanese. plain and simple. cold. there is no warmth behind his words and he's trying to hide what fondness is left for his older brother. ]

Don't tell me this is how you've been making your money.

It sure is. I mean, today it's mostly just for fun, but it makes good money.

[You know, chances are that he's going to take off at any minute, so Silver quickly packs up shop and gets up on his feet.]

Sure.

[ not believing that at all. and yes, toushiro turns away and looks like he's about to head off.

catch up? y/n ]

[y. Silver slips on over towards him and sneaks under his umbrella.]

What do you need such a huge umbrella for? Are you hoping that with the right kind of breeze, you'll take off and fly?

[He'd much rather chat about something that doesn't matter than his finances.]

[ instead of going along with silver's humor, hitsugaya simply growls to himself, grip on his umbrella tightening. ]

What do you want?

Well, I took a vow to make your life as miserable as possible by hanging out under your umbrella.

[He doesn't look at him while he speaks, but he's also looking forward, so it's kind of hard to tell what he's thinking.]

Or maybe I just want to catch up. It's not like I get to talk to you much at school.

[I know you hate me, but I still worry about you. ...He wants to say it, but if he does, Toushiro really is going to leave.]

You didn't have to hang out under my umbrella to do that.

[ .....he said too much.

hitsugaya walks on, faster, trying to lose track of silver. a part of him knows he shouldn't leave him in the rain like this, but the less rational part of him says screw it. you left, then so will i.

it's too bad he's not walking fast enough to completely distance himself. ]

[...That's better than he thought he'd hear, which is why Silver continues keeping up.]

Fine, no umbrella.

[...He puts his stack of buckets on his head instead. He looks absolutely ridiculous.]

So what's up? I'm sure you're doing fine in school, so... Have you had your first kiss yet?

I don't owe you anything.

[ still cold as ever. keep trying? ]

[Well, that stings, but there's no way he's giving up now.]

Not yet, huh? Don't worry, you're smart, athletic, and cute. I'm sure you'll score plenty of dates.

[ he says nothing, back still turned to silver. he's not buying into his praises.

sorry, he's gonna give you a hard time for....a while. ]

Plenty of people are into height differences, too. Or maybe you could start wearing heels.

[Surely something stupid that comes out of his mouth will get some kind of response here-]

[ ask and ye shall receive.

hitsugaya turns around sharply, eyes glaring daggers filled with hurt into silver's, his grip on his umbrella tightening. ]

Are you getting some sick form of amusement from pestering me like this? Or are you hoping that I'll suddenly strike up conversation with you after everything you've done?

[Well. That worked.]

...Mostly the latter.

[This isn't the time to be casual about things, especially not after seeing his expression.]

I mean, there's no way I'll be able to make it up to you, so I guess that's the next best thing.

...

[ there's something that looks pained that flashes across toushiro's face, but it disappears. don't be weak. don't show him that you care. even if your words are beginning to betray you. ]

Why did you leave?

[...Silver stops for a moment and looks... Genuinely confused. Isn't that obvious? He...

...

He never explained any of that, did he? Of course he didn't, why would he? That goes against what he was trying to do in the first place. Toushiro was too young to deal with stuff like that, too. Not that this was any better. And then there's Elda, and... Well, that doesn't matter anymore, does it? What does matter is the kind of answer he's going to give him. If he's flippant, that might really screw his chances. If he's honest, that's leaving himself entirely too exposed.]

...Isn't that obvious? I'm a coward.

[The words seem flippant, but they're honest, and he's subdued and serious as he speaks, even if he's still avoiding eye contact.]

Of course you are.

[ there's a bitterness in his tone, not really one akin to hatred but one closer to what could have been. they were brothers. they were happy. he looked up to silver as a friend, too, and silver had thrown all of that away.

storming off would have been one thing. not coming back...

it's a different story entirely. ]

You decided you didn't need us. Is that right?

No, that's not-

[This is difficult. Not that he expected it to be easy, but- he thought he'd have more time to ease into something more serious like this, if anything. That's what he gets, right? It's not like he wasn't just as abrupt when he left.

Shit. He runs a hand through his hair.]

Look, you two turned out fine, didn't you? And- I don't want anything from you either, I-

[He's not making any sense. He stops to breathe and tries again.]

Do you really want to know?

[Better get that out of the way before he makes any attempt at actual sincerity.]

...

[ they turned out fine? fine? toushiro, for one, is managing. he is okay. but there's still going to be that hole that silver left. abandoned as a baby, abandoned as a teen. he has issues that he's not going to be able to let go of, and that's his problem, so he's not going to say a word.

but silver is trying. at least toushiro can acknowledge that. ]

Yes.

[ his voice is softer, more even now. ]

[...How does he say this? ...No, no, maybe it's better if he-]

Meet me on the first at that smoothie place you really like. I'll tell you everything.

[He considers it for a moment, then quickly mouths off his phone number too, so he can yell at him if he doesn't show up or something.]

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