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

[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]

[Fai grins in return and leans over again, this time to give Majima a friendly bump on the shoulder with his own.]

I don't have to, but I want to! Unless you don't like it?

[The answer to his question is... not what he was expecting. He's heard of the place. Fai's step falters, the grin still plastered on his face while he takes a moment to process this.]

Club Sunshine?

[majima's pretty surprised at the reaction - surprised enough not to answer Fai's first question. he can't really tell what the deal is, here, but his gut instinct is to assume that's a bad reaction, not a good one.]

Yeah -- something wrong with that?

No! No.

[He shakes his head quickly, still grinning.]

Nothing wrong! I was just wondering how the club works! I've heard of it before, but I guess I don't really understand that sort of thing?

[Nice save, Fai.]

[it's a good enough save, at least. majima doesn't know him well enough to pry or to know for certain that it isn't what he's getting at face value so he just nods, prepared to give him a real answer. it's not an uncommon question]

It's like a host club, but fancier. You pay to spend time with a girl or guy to talk [and his tone is pretty good at telegraphing and only talk] about anything, really. Some people think it's a nice way to unwind after a long work day, others see it as good company to drink with. It just depends on the customer.

Oh!

[Well, that sounds... only vaguely like what he used to do. With a lot less dancing, and--presumably--a lot less stripping.

Fai grins.]

Well, that's not what I was imagining at all! I heard someone refer to it once as a "cabaret club," and that's not exactly what came to mind at the term "cabaret"!

[majima laughs a little, and nods.]

I know. It's supposed to imply the classiness but...

[it's what it was called before he bought it and he's just rolled with the concept, honestly. he waves his hand a little bit dismissively.]

It's nice, though. I've got a good staff.

It does sound very nice! Thank you for explaining it to me!

[He's got a good staff, huh? Well that sort of answers his next question. Doesn't exactly sound like Majima's a bouncer from the way he's talking about it, or one of the... "hosts"?]

Are you a manager, then?

Of course. Obviously the best thing you can do is see it for yourself.

[he doesn't finish the sales pitch, though, it's more just automatic at this point. since, well:]

I'm the owner, actually.

[Fai's eyebrows shoot up.]

You? No! How old are you? Twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?

[Oh god why is everyone a more functional and accomplished adult than he is??]

I'm twenty-three, actually.

[majima smiles a little sheepishly -- he is pretty young to own a business, he knows that. he got lucky that it was failing so hard when he bought it. he's been lucky it's turned around so well -- but he's painfully aware how young he is in the business world. and he doesn't want fai to feel bad, either, he can kind of see that's where this is going.]

[That actually causes Fai to stop in mid-stride, gaping at Majima... which has the unfortunate side-effect of the umbrella passing him by and leaving him out in the rain for a moment before he yelps and jumps to catch back up.]

Oh my god, you're twenty-three? And you own your own business? That's--

[His expression wavers for a moment before settling back on his usual grin. This isn't about him. He can drown his sorrows about being a terrible adult later, when he's alone.]

That's amazing!

[at least fai catches up with him. he rubs the back of his neck with his hand, embarrassed.]

It's not really that big of a deal. The credit really goes to my staff for bein' so good at their jobs.

[Still grinning, Fai reaches over and lightly nudges Majima with an elbow.]

He's modest too! And he goes around rescuing people from the rain! I don't know, I'm starting to doubt you're even real, Mr. Hero~

Just 'cause I gave you a jacket --

[he's actively trying not to blush now?? so good job fai]

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