JUNE TDM

[recollecters]

TEST DRIVE

JUNE TEST DRIVE The city of Recollé. The kids are out for the summer and the weather's just fine. The sun's shining brightly, not a cloud in the clear gray sky. Everything seems at peace and citizens are out and about, smiling to one another and enjoying each other's company. Oh, and this thing (complete with cardboard cut-out) has currently taken the place of the founders' statues in Recollé Square. But that's probably not a big deal.  What will you do today? I. What is this thing? Why is this thing here? For those of you in Tribunal Terrace today you may wish to investigate the five-foot-tall spinning wheel. How did it even get here? And where did the statues of the founders go? Even if you cannot answer those questions, it's hard to ignore the urge to give it a spin. Check out those colors go 'round and 'round. Depending on what number you land on, you will find a notification pop up on your phone with a short list of…words. Are these supposed to be qualifications? Weird. That was a waste of time. However, the moment you walk away you will find yourself accosted by various recruiters wherever you go, congratulating you on your impressive resumé and leading you to an office in Chata. Their offices have been equipped with tabletop-sized spinning wheels much like the one in Recollé Square that will spin 'round and 'round, determining the position you qualify for. Are you ready to show how these traits make you the perfect applicant? It looks like you have time to consult with your fellow candidates before your turn comes. Or perhaps you've managed to resist spinning that wheel. The recruiters absolutely love your willpower and determination and want you to join their team! For those who can resist, they will still find themselves whisked away by recruiters to the same office and thrown straight into training to prepare for interviewing their neighbors. Recruiters will set up pairs of interviewers and applicants, leaving them alone to ask the hard-hitting questions and pick the most qualified candidate. Do your best and beat out the rest! It's your time to shine. II. Just because school is out for the summer doesn't mean Apparassage is quiet. Students and faculty alike are bustling about already preparing for the next school year. Campus tours of Recollé University run every two hours, and there are open house tours of the local elementary, middle and high school. Perhaps you're a future student exploring the campus and getting to know your future classmates. Maybe you're faculty or a student guide wrangling the kids and keeping them in line. Or you just might be one of the unfortunate ones who have found yourself with six weeks of summer school. However, no matter where you find yourself in this district things get a little tricky when you're ready to leave for the day. The sidewalks outside of the buildings have all disintegrated, revealing a large void leading to nowhere beneath your feet. Without a clear path it seems impossible to escape, but stacked at the entrances of every doorway are large tiles with the letters of the alphabet carefully printed on them. When you look across the devoid path, you may notice you have a partner in a similar position with their own stack of letters. Get ready to expand your vocabulary. Building a bridge of connecting words may be your only chance of getting home before sunset. Strangely, as the letters are laid out they seem to suspend mid-air enough to hold your weight as you make your way carefully across this pit. Balance and precision are key in this game. The stack floats along behind you as you cross the void, letters seemingly adding to the pile to provide more materials to build. But like all games, there can be only one winner. Those who clear their letters first will arrive outside of the district safely, free now to come and go as they please. For those who do not clear their stack in time, you might have luck jumping from word to word to cross the finish line. Try as you might, if this is the method you follow, the moment you land on the winning word to leave the district the letters will glitch out, sending you plummeting into the void and landing on a long slope down to the bottom. Upon landing, you will see a series of chutes and ladders one can use to climb back up. Some ladders lead back to Apparassage. Some lead straight into Tisse, and some even lead to unexpected places. Where will you end up? The journey is up to you now. III. The days are longer, the nights are shorter, the sun is shining and it's noticeably warmer. Isn't it a perfect time for a summer potluck? The citizens of Recollé seem to think so and have all gathered today in Hollingberry Field with friends and loved ones to share food and fun. Kids chase after each other in friendly games of tag and hide-and-seek while other attendants mingle with one another, piling plates of food and sharing with their neighbor. Why, even Mayor Mayer is out today for this summer kickoff with his lovely red Chocobo, Seabiscuit. As the evening begins to wind down, however, there's a startled cry from the Mayor as he realizes someone has kidnapped his beloved pet from right under his nose. Was it you? How about you? Everyone has become a suspect and it's up to you to solve whodunnit. The Mayor provides everyone with a pen and a pad of paper divided into three sections for a suspect, a method, and a location. Grab a friend (or even a group of strangers) and get ready to interrogate each other to crack this case. (With a little looking, however, it's easy to see that Seabiscuit's merely wandered down the hill away from the park. But maybe it's better not to tell the Mayor. He seems very adamant about this game.) For anyone who manages to solve the case, the Mayor will be immensely grateful and reward you with a valuable prize! Congratulations! However, for anyone who fails to solve the puzzle, or even anyone found guilty of this heinous crime, by order of the Mayor you will be subjected to jail time for a full half an hour. (The Mayor can't stay too mad at his citizens. He loves them all.) IV. A nice, leisurely stroll through the entertainment district of Tisse seems to be in order. Summer sales are aplenty and now's the perfect time to shop 'til you drop. On the other hand, that doesn't seem to be the only thing dropping in Tisse. Do you hear that? Perhaps it is easy to ignore the sounds of stone crashing to the ground. Construction isn't unusual in this district. You think maybe you passed an ongoing demolition on your way inside a shop. But the crash happens again, and again, and again, a loud string of booms growing closer and closer. Are those buildings tipping into one another? Or is it your imagination? You may not have time to answer while the string of events is put into motion. A crane swings overhead, knocking into a well-placed boulder that begins to roll down the street. Cranes, pulleys and wires move in sync as the ball rolls right toward you. Will you run? Will you collide right into the next set of traps? You may recall learning about this type of experiment once upon a time, coming to realize the elaborately planned Rube Goldberg machine spans the entirety of the city. Maybe you're one of the lucky ones and you find a safe shop to dive into to escape. Or perhaps your sole focus is to run and get as far as you can, failing to notice that the large boulder herds you right to the end of the district and into a caged-in area. Make yourself comfortable. Someone from the outside will have to free you. But hey, maybe you aren't alone in this trap. Misery loves company, doesn't it? BONUS. The Retrospec app is at it again, just as useless as it's always been. After downloading to your device and allowing you to upload a profile picture, the app seems to take over your phone. Any time you open your phone to use it, a splash screen appears prompting you to pick one of the brightly colored wedges (or one of the two grayed out ones.) It's time to exercise your brain and buff your trivia stats. Answering a question from your selected category will allow you to use your phone once again, but if you get it wrong? Retrospec will encourage you not to give up and try again. ...or, you know, you could ask someone to help figure out the answer. Hey, that person looks like they're bursting with knowledge! Perhaps it's best to see if they can help you stop this madness. As usual, any attempt to get the company to reply are futile. Once a question has been answered correctly, phones will return to their usual functionality until the next time it settles into idle mode. 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! Your June TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here!

Comments

[refate]

[ His eyes narrow. That's... yeah that's helpful, my guy. But Kon just shrugs, like it's not a big deal, thinking it over. ] What city was found by some guy...

[ At least he can answer his non-trivia question. It is, admittedly, with what would amount to a trivia question, but whatever. ] "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." [ A beat. ] Photographic memory and too much time on the internet. You maybe want Machu Picchu for the other one.

[juzubeads]

Apparently. Stupid....I didn't even give it permission for this?

[He doesn't think so. But then, he is also not the best with technology, so. It could also be that he did and didn't realize at the time or something, knowing Kyo. Unfortunately. At least he isn't dropping the phone when he grumbles, gesturing a little from such a height.]

alice? (elliot liddell) | are you alice?

[b_loodflower]

ii. there's no way he’s going to make it

[ honestly speaking, Elliot didn’t like school at all. it had felt useless to him, and it was somewhat a miracle he even graduated highschool. it was mostly thanks to his older brother’s stern look that made Elliot at least attend class enough to not be dropped, and scraped by with his grades.

so he really had no plans of stepping a foot in a school again. but, whether it was his usual curiosity or a sliver of regret over taking his education lightly, Elliot had come around to take a look at the university. but… ]

I-Is this what all universities are like? [ because he had definitely not heard about this sorta of thing happening in his hometown. maybe this was the so called “entrance exams”? anyway, he really didn’t fancy falling to what may be death. it seemed the only thing was to start trying to remember every word possible ] Uhh… S-N-A-R-K… that’s a word right?

iv. you definitely didn’t hear the shriek

[ all he wanted was to just buy some cupcakes??? how did that turn into some sort of deathtrap domino?! the moment the buildings had started to tip over, Elliot had already begun running away. of course it was just his luck that he had run toward the path of the boulder. and having graduated from Prometheus School of Running Away From Things not thought about running into a store, Elliot had been chased right into the cage ]

Dammit, what the hell!? What's the point of all this! [ after few minutes of kicking at the cage bars, he flops down with a dramatic sigh before opening his box of cupcakes. at least he wouldn’t be going hungry as he waited to be rescued ]

wildcard

[ please feel free to throw me whatever! my au workshop is here. maybe you just found him in the shade with a sign that says “Please take me home.” like some abandoned pet??? ]

yusuke kitagawa | persona 5

[gouache]

i.

[ yusuke had tried the wheel on a whim, unsure of what to expect once he landed on a 2, but getting ushered into a building for a job wasn't one of them. the offered position of competitive eater is, admittedly, not something he'd mind doing but he unfortunately lacks the necessary qualifications. he didn't know being a competitive eater required many qualifications aside from having a healthy appetite, honestly. ]

I don't have a dragon, but I can assure you that I'm more than capable of participating in a seafood eating contest on my own.

[ it's free to enter?? he's a growing boy??? please. ]

ii.

[ building a bridge with words was not something he had planned for when he decided to sign up for the university campus tour to check out the art department. but it doesn't really look like he's got a choice, so whatever, he takes his stack of letters and looks through them. not a lot he can make with these, but he'll deal. ]

Excuse me. [ or he can approach the person closest to him and attempt to get their attention. ] Would you like to trade some letters with me? I'm trying to spell "chiaroscuro" and I'm missing another "o".

bonus trivia.

[ of course yusuke can really only answer art related questions with no problem and when he chose the "art" category that's what he was expecting, you know, artist related questions. he wasn't expecting things like how many letters are in the Hawaiian alphabet? or how old was novelist Harper Lee at the time of her death in February, 2016? it's no surprise he's stumped more often than he'd like to be.

regardless, there are worst ways of spending his time. so occasionally, you might hear rick astley playing in the background while yusuke is people watching, sketchbook open and forgotten on the bench next to him. it's open to a page of a half-finished drawing, which may or may not be of you. ]

wildcard.

[ hit me up with a pm or over at ramparts if you'd like to do something else! his au workshop comment is here, for reference. ]

[flexer]

You're fine. [ Getting that out of the way. ]

It's doing that thing, right?

[ Talking as if it's some huge secret... well, technically it is but whatever. ]

What's it asking?

Kurogane | Tsubasa Chronicles

[shutupmage]

OOC: Sorry for not using any smalltext. I'm blind, and I use a screen reader. It can read published html to me just fine, but it can't really parse unpublished code in a way that makes sense, so I tend to stick to prose. Feel free to comment in whatever format you like, and if it really bugs you I can try to smalltext! There will just be a lot of edits./ooc

Recruiters are Annoying

He hadn't spun the wheel, mainly because it looked like a really stupid idea. And he had things to do today that didn't involve wasting time on some game.

So when he headed for his dojo and got accosted by lots of people congratulating him on his willpower, he had to sigh and scowl a little. It wouldn't be a good idea to outright yell at them, though, so he just pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to push his way past.

"Look, thanks. But I have a job I'm late to, so if you could let me by that'd be great."

They didn't seem too keen on that idea, though, and Kurogane found himself standing in the middle of a bunch of them looking for an escape.

Jail

Being caged wasn't something he appreciated. In fact, he rather hated it. The state of this jail didn't really do anything to soften that, so when he was thrown in with some of the others who'd been found guilty, he decided he might as well yell about it because it was so ridiculous.

"I didn't even see the damn thing, why would I want to steal it? What possible benefit would taking the mayor's chocobo have on my life? This is stupid."

Yeah, his cellmates probably weren't any more appreciative of his yelling than he was of being there.

Wildcard

I'm pretty boring so if neither of these work for you and you want to do something with Kuro, just hit me with anything at all or contact me on plurk at mutedtempest and I'll think of something!

ii

[b_loodflower]

[ wait don't use that "E" there, Elliot had everything set to spell out the word "caucus" and now you've ruined it. for that Leo you get a glare and a kick to your E tile ]

Well, why don't you find out yourself?

one

[b_loodflower]

[ there's no way in hell he's moving. mainly because right now he's in the process of consuming a sandwich. but also because he has no idea what you're talking about ]

Woah, hey. I don't care if Seabiscuit is actually a horse or a chocobo or some kind of unicorn okay? As you can see [ he holds up the sandwich in the hand not being held by Mari ] I have more important things to do.

😘 bonus!

[karm]

[ on the flip side, six finds himself invested in the trivia for entirely different reasons. at first it's annoying— but then it evolves into a challenge, after, a smug demeanour washing over his features when it fails to outwit him time and time again, regardless of the increasing obscurity of the actual questions. never mind thinking of getting rid of it, he's actually enjoying when it pops up?

the result is that he's barely paying any mind to what's around him, much less in front of him constantly tapping at his screen; it's only when his ears pick up the familiarity of stella's voice that he tears his eyes away, head tipping to the side in muted confusion. while it isn't as if he hadn't heard what she'd said per se, there's just … no connection between her words and immediate surroundings?

so, he looks around again— then a third time after that. ]

… You're talking about yourself.

[ —is his all too belated conclusion. with the most hollowed out stare known to man: ] What is it now?

II

[b_loodflower]

duh, the milky way's like rectangle right?

[racy]

Convinced? Please. As a true artist, I turn myself in. What's life without a challenge?

[ at first, she doesn't reach for his hand. doesn't proffer any actual assistance, until he says the words. with that solidified, she uses both hands, grasping onto his and giving a sharp tug. a tug rose should have given jack in his final hours, but all the same. ] And you? Don't tell me it's your first.

Considering how big and strong you look... [ she winks, if only to cover up for her brief wobble towards one of the jail walls. ]

Wildcard!

[flowrite]

Fai probably should have known by now that when the city was going crazy like this, it was best just to stay home altogether and let things sort themselves out. Venturing out into the city during one of these times meant things like getting attacked by giant spiders and nearly getting lured into the woods by strange music for some unknown (but probably sinister) purpose.

But, well. Sales.

Shopping and overpriced coffee had lured Fai out of his apartment, and the blond was currently strolling through the streets of Tisse with a bag on one arm and said overpriced coffee (iced and doused in chocolate and caramel syrup) in the opposite hand. Oh, and he was in drag. Because shopping on a hot day clearly called for going out in a cute skirt and strappy sandals with his hair piled up in a set of cute clips, right? But he was also wearing his big Audrey Hepburn sunglasses, so there was no chance of anyone recognizing him like this. His beloved job and personal safety should be totally... er. Safe.

A commotion from some distance away, maybe the next block over, caught Fai's attention. Whatever was going on over there, it sounded unpleasant. Chaotic. But this little pocket of the shopping district was still nice and normal, so Fai shrugged and started walking again. And walked right into a wall.

Or, rather, a very tall, very solid man that Fai hadn't even realized was there. Thankfully his coffee didn't spill on the man or Fai would have had to be mortified. He opened his mouth to apologize, and tipped his sunglasses down on his nose a little to get a better look at the man.

And looked up. And up. And kind of forgot to actually spit the apology out.

[racy]

[ the fact that she doesn't completely escape her grip is enough to cement the devious smile that's spread across her lips. ]

Of course that's what this is. [ she cants her head, almost feigning a sort of unprecedented innocence. ] ... don't tell me you thought of something inappropriate. Something shameless? [ you can almost hear her laughing without her actually letting it escape her. still. ]

Let the mayor decide? No thanks. The only one who picks and chooses is me. Is it not the same for you?

iii!

[gouache]

Alright, but consider Mister Green luring Seabiscuit with his favorite food. As the owner of Freshens, he must meet the demands of consumer trends with new product.

[ yusuke is considering his own list with a critical eye, frowning at the names. he's probably taking this a little too seriously, but no one said he couldn't play along.

he glances briefly down the hill to where the chocobo is and then lowers his voice. ]

Do you think he'd taste like chicken?

Laphicet l Tales of Berseria

[laodicean]

[I had Ideas for this kid here forever ago. Either happy family au sort of deal or growing up with Magilou's Menagerie sort of circus theme. Thing. And because I am awful and did not realize the hilarious and horrible implications of the more normal name 'Michael' that is. What I'd probably go with if I apped him. Yeah.]

ii:

[He's touring the school, but of course he doesn't quite expect...this. On his way out. Michael pauses at the edge of the tiles, wide-eyed and confused. Perhaps even a little hesitant as he sees the void below.]

Wha--?! Does this happen all the time?

iii:

Do you think Seabiscuit is okay?

[What if he was hurt and that was why he couldn't be found? Because he couldn't move if he hurt his leg or something? Michael can't help but to fret, as he turns to ask the person nearest in his worry for the pet.]

iv:

[Michael is, unfortunately, still young. So his legs aren't quite as long and fast as some others. But that doesn't mean he isn't trying, to keep himself ahead of the boulder even as he panics. Tries to focus on not tripping over and falling flat on his face.

He's partly panting from the exertion and also possibly screaming, yelling. Probably not the most coherently but still.

Help?]

[scarlet_devil]

I... imagine you aren't.

[ She's only met her briefly before, but she didn't at all seem to be the clumsy type. Everyone was distracted by Ann's parents, anyway. ]

You're welcome.

[flexer]

[ Standing up straight, or as straight as he can in this bouncy house, after she's gone and put the effort of helping him, Sousuke is already waiting for the moment he can just sit back down.

Is she flirting? If she is he can't overlook that she's wobbling like a drunkard. ] ... Pfft. [ He actually has to cover up his mouth so he can prevent himself from bursting into laughter, clearing his throat quickly after. ]

Okay. [ Expression returning to his neutral state, Sousuke carefully steps over to the wall. ] I'm assuming you want me to throw you over?

[notbunaga]

...oh well. Let's go see those jellyfish then; it's as good a place to start as any.

[It's less about the exhibits and more about waiting out the nonsense outside the aquarium anyway.]

one

[notbunaga]

[She is just not ready for this at all. It's been happening all day; people looking for that damned chocobo and moseying on around asking questions, so she's prepared to answer right away with a-]

...look, the thing about seabiscuit is-

[AND NOW MARI'S YELLING. okay.

She waits a few seconds until what she thinks is Mari settling down, then tries to speak up again-]

No, look, the chocobos are-

[And now they're holding hands. She's convinced she's being dragged off to what Aki can only assume is hell itself. Fantastic.

All this boisterousness leads her to just follow along in silence for a few seconds until she's absolutely sure she can get a word in.]

...what's wrong with chocobos anyway?

[notbunaga]

Well, there're a few possibilities. Chocobos are really social, so it's entirely possible he wandered off to find other chocobos to play with.

On the other hand, he might just be hungry.

So your best bet right now is to either find more chocobos, or start looking around in places where he might find something to eat.

[CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY.]

[notbunaga]

[She'll give her credit, she sure is. Aki would honestly believe she's used to this kind of thing with the way this is going.]

We both know your interest in signing on with our agency is tied to the fact your agent dropped you after it, miss. Please don't try to bluff with me.

[notbunaga]

If I am, you're gonna know all about it.

[Why does that sound vaguely threatening...

Still, it's warm weather, which is shorts weather, which makes it easier for her to check. Aki bends over to inspect her shin and finds that while it is scraped, it's hardly anything worth writing home about.]

...geez. If you're gonna be a weirdo, do it out of everyone else's way.

[racy]

[ she notes the distance that's been instated between the two of them.

it doesn't strike her as particularly off-putting, however. nor does it close her off to continue. ]

Oh? So it's one of those situations. Where I have your body, but not your heart. [ she feigns a certain level of dramaticism. emphasizing certain words, especially, as she gestures briefly to the other female's body. though, that's before: ]

What does it take to have it? Come on, tell your older sister all about it.

[notbunaga]

It seems as if everything's a holdover from horses. They eat the same food even though beaks aren't very good for solid foods like that, but they're able to snap them shut hard enough to bite into it.

That or swallow it whole like a duck.

[She shrugs. The world is a strange place, Kagetsuna.]

[racy]

I am doing far more than you are, aren't I? [ is...

she? well, at least she had the intentions to. or that's how she's presently considering it. ]

Also, is that any tone to take with a poor defenseless maiden? My. What a brutish man. [ forget the fact that she doesn't actually sound offended or miffed. rather, she just sounds extremely exaggerative. the trill in her voice rather shrill as she

... also speaks back in a similar volume. ]