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

Revolver Ocelot | Metal Gear Solid

[sonofpatriots]

I. All Fun & Games

[A look of true bafflement settles upon Adamska's face as he eyes the five-foot-tall spinning wheel perched here in the middle of Terrace Tribunal. It seems that the Hollywood star isn't the only one standing here eyeing the odd spectacle happening here today. It seems that the elegant statues have been replaced by this gaudy nightmare comprised of loud bright colors. Try as he might to pry himself away from such an oddity, Adamska finds himself edging closer to the spinner. He silently observes this farce with a calculating gaze as he circles around the spectators ever so slowly.]

Just what sort of game is this?

[He mumbles quietly as he takes up a pensive pose. There's a hint of curiosity within those pale blue eyes, one that borderlines on mischief as he inches closer. The urge to take the plunge and play along with this absurd game confounds him. Normally, Romanov would simply ignore such childish affairs but today he's feeling particularly spry. That's why the dapper gentleman steps forward to play. He reaches up to grab ahold one of the prongs before using all of his might to spin it. The spinner goes round and round until eventually landing upon the number nine. In that instance, Adamska's cellphone suddenly vibrates.]

Hm? [A confused hum escapes Adamska as he pries out his phone from the pockets of his tan trenchcoat. Be damned if it's the middle of summer, Adamska is dressed handsomely in a crisp white long sleeved shirt, dark gray waistcoat with matching slacks and black heeled leather boots. Of course his signature red ribbon is tied neatly at the end of his ponytail and his matching red tie sits neatly around his neck. He should be sweating up a storm in such attire but he's as cool as an icecube.

Another curious hum escapes the movie star as he eyes the notification upon his phone. It seems some strange app just suddenly downloaded itself upon his cellphone. How odd.]

Open, self-entitled, fishnet stocking, six-pack?

[He blinks his eyes several times.]

What?

[Would any of you believe that all four ring true here? Food for thought.]


III. Where's Seabiscuit?

[A humorous scoff escapes Adamska once he caught sight of that overgrown drumstick beside the Mayor. Of all the ridiculous shit happening here in Recollé, it all takes a backseat to the fact the Mayor is prancing around town with a chicken as his prized sidekick. It's enough to make Adamska roll his eyes and question the thin fabric of his sanity. From what he last remembered, horses exist. Not these strange chicken-horse hybrids. It's bizarre enough to see the standard yellow ones prancing around but that red one is downright absurd. So imagine how humored Adamska is to know that dear Seabiscuit has suddenly vanished. He idly hopes someone took the damn things out to pasture and shot it dead but that's rather cruel, no?

Hopefully someone ate the cuss instead. That would tickle his funny bone like no other.]

Wait, I'm a suspect?!

[There's obvious dismay in Admaska's tone once the security guards block his path. It seems that Seabiscuit's disappearance is more serious than he previously thought. An annoyed huff escapes the stately old codger as he snatches the notepad out of the guard's hand. He's a little too damn old to be playing "Where's Waldo?", don't you think? Adamska bites back a swear as he's forced to play along with this shenanigan.]

I don't even like chicken!

[He's agitated, woefully agitated.]


IV. Rube Goldberg

[Adamska nearly jumped out of his skin once he heard the collision. He was out in the middle of Tisse today just to enjoy a leisure stroll when the loud boom shook him to his core. He whipped around quickly in the direction of crash only to find himself staring at the enormous boulder quickly rolling down the hill with alarming speed. Despite all his years being an action star upon the big screen, nothing quite prepared Adamska for something likened to this. He stares at the incoming boulder with wide eyes. His mind is screaming at him to run but the old gentleman is frozen in place in complete shock.

It's not everyday that Adamska finds himself in this kind of predicament and to be frank, he's not in the right mindset for this kind of nonsense. Had this been the set of Sons of Liberty, one of his Oscar winning films, then maybe he would've reacted witth finesse and speed. However, he was just out for a god damn stroll and now theres an enormous boulder about several seconds away from crushing him.

This isn't fair! Not fair at all!

The reality of it all hits Adamska a little too late. There's no way he can escape the incoming boulder unless someone actually yanks him out of the way in Time but who. would possibly save this Hollywood legend from starring in the obituary of tomorrow's papers? Hopefully someone! That sequel film he's working on will never come to fruition if the leading man dies here.]

Wildcard.

[Want to do something else than the prompts here? Hit me up in PM.]

IV

[gudaguda]

Watch out!

[ A young girl, with a loud and clear voice and a lot more awareness about the current predicament than Adamska is able to summon a burst of strength to drag him into the coffee shop that she just came out.

Sakura had just finished her shift at the cafe that day and was about to leave, before all of this nonsense with boulders and disasters happened.

Her heart is racing as she clings onto his arm, her grip like a vice as she listens to the sound of the boulder rolling away. ]

[sonofpatriots]

[It's not until he feels someone yank his arm, that Adamska snaps out of his slight daze. With both eyes wide with surprise and maybe some form of twisted amusement, Adamska ducks into the nearby shop not a moment too soon. The alleged boulder goes rolling down the hill in search of the next unlucky son of a bitch, while the two of them cower inside.

Subconsciously, Adamska places his hand on top of hers in hopes of easing the poor girl's fright. He has no idea who she is or even what she's doing here but he's grateful nonetheless for her help. It might be embarrassing to say he was rescued by a little girl but he was.]

Hopefully, I can repay the debt. [He whispers gently as he turns to face her. That Texan drawl is in full swing right now. Adamska sounds like a honest to God cowboy right about now.] I hope I didn't give you too much of fright, dear.

[Adamska flashes her a quick smile.]

[gudaguda]

[ Sakura shakes her head, now that her breathing's calmed down enough, she's able to talk. ]

It's okay...

[ That smile is disarmingly charming, no matter how quick it was. It's all shiny teeth and a confident reassurance that makes you want to believe in this words. She can't help but feel that it is... oddly familiar. ]

Are you new here? I'm sorry that your first impression of Recolle was this... stuff.

[ She waves her hand as if to indicate the general craziness of today. ]

[sonofpatriots]

[The question is expected considering that Adamska doesn't look like your average inhabitant. He's neither a college student nor a professor. Recollé is very much a college town in every sense of the word. Everything about this city revolves around the prestigious university just a few blocks away. While Recollé isn't without some air of beauty or mystery to it, Recollé definitely isn't considered one of the big three: New York, Paris and Tokyo.]

Do I look like tourist? [He asks with a deep chuckle.] And here I thought I was blending in well with the locals. I'm kind of humored.

[Adamska glances out the window briefly once he hears something crashing about outside along with a few screams. It seems that whatever the hell is going on is continuing.]

This is quite the day, isn't? [He grumbles with just a touch of agitation in his voice.] To answer your question, darlin', I'm actually here on business.

[They're filming his next movie here in Recollé but that's a secret.]

iii

[elevelvetor]

An even surer sign of guilt! Worry not, guards, I will handle this suspect. [ She smiles incredibly brightly, tapping her pen against her pad, and... oh, wait. Ohhh, wait!! She's almost certain she recognizes this man... His voice... ] If you'll come with me, sir, I'll make this quick and painless, and either clear your name so you may leave freely, or find you guilty of crimes most heinous. If you're truly innocent, you've nothing fear, as well. [ It's good logic. She'll motion Adamska along, giving the guards another pleased smile. ] I promise it won't take more than a moment. I'm very skilled in these things. [ Or the role she's playing right now is. Rookie detectives, begone!! Those aren't half as entertaining as people such as Poirot or Holmes. ]

[sonofpatriots]

Suspect? Really? [There's a touch of amusement in his gone that Adamska does well to keep at bay once this pixie of a girl steps forward. This is an elaborate act. That much he could tell just by how the young woman captured the crowd's attention. He's mildly impressed, if not humored by this display of bravado that seems natural.

It's hard not to smile some but Adamska has the best poker face.]

Tch, Americans. [He scoffs with his full Russian accent. If they're going to be roleplaying, he might as well assume the role of the dodgy foreigner.] Always too in love with the sound of their own voice. You claim to have your suspect based on accusations alone, typical.

[The arrogant way he brushes his hair over his shoulder adds a slight comedic effect that is all too calculated but amusing nonetheless. Adamska is having some fun here. Might well, right? The little lady got him slightly intrigued with how far she'll take this.]

Your name if you will? Surely you people have better manners than this.

[elevelvetor]

[ It's definitely... that guy! That one guy. What was his name exactly...? Well, no matter, he's asked for hers first— ] Detective Elizabeth Velveteen, at your service. [ She bows her head politely, then straightens up to look at him as she consults her pad again. Well... He's not on her list of suspects, but if the guards consider him one... ] And yours? So I may reassure your innocence, should you prove to be so. [ She's going so hard on this. ]

[sonofpatriots]

[So she's playing the role of Sherlock and the Gang, hm? Adamska suspected as much considering how eagerly she took control of the situation. This little woman might be a tad young but she has potential. That's why he decides to keep up the act in hopes of seeing more of this potential for himself.

In short, he's having fun.]

A detective with no badge to back it up? [He shakes his head in disapproval.] Are Americans typically this sloppy? Ah, well. I suppose it cannot be helped, no?

[A direct quote from one of his earlier films. The alleged detective might actually know some of the script he's reenacting. After all, he's already in character right now.]

A mud breed hailing from jolly old England cannot hope to hold much finesse, and I say this loosely since I dislike the Brits.

Romanov. [He smirks a little as he finally gives his name with great dramatic Bond-esque flair.] Adamska Romanov.

Believe me when I say I have nothing against dear Seabiscuit but the red feather fowl is an eyesore.

[elevelvetor]

Ah, yes, that was your name... [ Very good, very good. Let her write this down. ]

Pardon the informality, Mr. Romanov, but I wasn't expecting to have duty sprung on me at a simple picnic, and thus neglected to bring my badge! [ Act the part, act the part... ] And you shouldn't say such things, regardless of if you have something against Sir Seabiscuit or not. It raises your suspect quotation!

[ ... ]

Though, Mr. Romanov, I must confess, I don't believe you're involved at all. [ She hides her pad behind her back, smiling cheerfully. ] An actor such as yourself has no reason to ransom or otherwise take care of Sir Seabiscuit, after all.

[sonofpatriots]

[This is cute, just down right cute. While Adam doesn't know this girl at all, he can just tell she's getting a kick from all this. Just look at that smile. The young lady is having just as much fun as the crowd spectating this. It seems that they have quite the audience now.]

Sir Seabiscuit? [He huffs somewhat dramatically at that.] Correct me if I'm wrong, little lady, but wasn't Seabisicut suppose to be a four-legged domesticated beast with a brown shiny coat and big innocent doe-like eyes?

[A slight smirk plays upon his lips as he mentions that fact. Just how in the hell did everyone just get up one day and forget all about horses is beyond him. He always loved horses too growing up. Watching his favorite western with Aunt Ruth on Sunday mornings was the highlight of his youth. Hell, he even rode on a horse before, so how could they all just suddenly be replaced by these fine-feathered fowls? Adamska have no idea.]

Oh? [He arches his brow someone once the girl hides her notepad. Just what did she write about him? Adamska is curious.] Is that right?

[The actor smirks a bit when he gets ca!led out on his profession. No wonder the girl looks at him with such recognition. She knows exactly who he is.]

Well, I can't say you're wrong about that. I certainly don't have much motive to demand randsom for a gigantic fluffy chicken. [That damn thing is an overgrown red chicken in his opinion, either that or a damn ostrich.] Besides where would I even hide it?

It's not exactly something that could fit in a pocket.

[elevelvetor]

It really isn't. My best guess is that it might've gotten scared out of the park or out of sight...

[ ... She seems to just notice their spectators now, looking perturbed for just a moment before she slips back into being perfectly fine. She's acted before, after all! She is perfectly fine with watchers. ]

Which does render this list useless, unless someone on here is responsible for frightening the poor thing. Horse or bird, whichever it'd like to be. [ She won't judge it for what it wants to be; it's easier to just go with things like this too, memories rubbing each other the wrong way be damned. ] I don't believe any of these people would have any reason to though, not seriously. It's only a pet, after all.

[b0mbshell]

I.) All Fun & Games

[Kaz is looking at his phone with a furrowed brow, walking along the sidewalk and doing the oh-so-traditional thing that someone does in all the best meeting scenes in movies where he bumps into Adamska. Only it is a slight bump and it doesn't result in a dramatic dropping of phones and accusing glares or adorable hijinks. It ends with a quick-] Sorry about that. [-before he's going around.]

MISER WEAK BEAUTY RUTHLESS

Holy hell... [He's muttering to himself, wondering what grimdark piece of hell this is that possessed his phone.]

[Wait...]

[Kaz turns around.]

Oh my god... [he breathes.] I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you. I'm Kazuhira Miller. I'm sorry, I don't mean to- [he puts his hand on his own chest.] -I'm a fan. I didn't expect to see any of the Peace Walker actors, ever. It's one of my favorite movies.

[sonofpatriots]

[The slight bump won a mild grunt of annoyance and a side glance. Adamska was still fiddling around with his phone when this wayward blond came bumbling on over. He didn't say anything until he heard that slight blip from the man's phone. It's then that the Hollywood star turns fully with his brow arched mighty high.]

Misery, weak, beauty and ruthless?

[He comments with a slight chuckle at the end of that 'ruthless' bit. How could something weak be considered ruthless? How can anything weak be considered beautiful? Adamska keeps his thoughts to himself as he regards the young man with a critical glance. Just what is this whole game about, really? It's common knowledge that strange oddities are happening within Recolle but still, this is quite ridiculous.]

Seems like I'm not the only contestant in this game--- [His words get cut off. Oh, an adoring fan? This fella here? A faint smirk settles on Romanov's lips.] Ah, it looks like the jig is up.

[He jokes with a faint chuckle at the end.]

Most people don't recognize me in person. I suppose you have a keen eye for details.

[Adamska doesn't exactly smile but he does seem relatively pleased.]

Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kazuhira. [The name sounds so...foreign upon his tongue, yet oddly familiar. Japanese isn't a language he's extensive learned in, so don't mind the slight mispronunciation there. Adamska is very much Russian despite the Texan accent.] I'm glad to hear it! Not many people recognize me from that particular film.

[It's always Western Promises or Sons of Patriots these days. Sometimes he gets a few grannies who remember him from his old role in SnakeEater or a few kids who recognize him from that Western scifi mini series, Mayfly. It's a rarity to hear anyone who's fan of Peace Walker. Kazuhira might have just made a good first impression.]

[b0mbshell]

Yeah, well... I think Jim just likes to be mean. There's probably a lot of us that are getting this neat little quiz. [He taps his phone against his hand. Good impression or no, those words choices couldn't have helped.]

So you got this app thing too, huh? [There are a few local celebrities with it, but this is the one he's most familiar with.] Seems like teenagers get it more often than not. Guess we get to be some of the odd one's out. [He's twenty-eight and as youthful and exuberant as he feels he's keenly aware that he's met very few women within his age range to flirt with on this thing.]

[Way to make him feel old.]

[Still, he's excited enough to meet a real star that having an excuse to talk is a gift itself.]

Yeah. I mean, I watched it several times back when we had cable instead of streaming. Look, if you need any help getting used to using this invasive thing, I can offer a little. And warn you that you're not going to get rid of it and it's creepy as hell.

[sonofpatriots]

Jim? [The name causes that other brow of his to arch even higher. Does Kazuhira mean the application itself or the phone? This wouldn't be the first time he met someone who likes to name his electronics but Adamska certainly hopes that isn't the case. It's a weird habit to have in his honest opinion.]

Makes me wonder just how many of us signed up for this contest. I certainly don't remember there being an registration sheet.

[He's thinking quite into this.]

I don't normally mind being a tad 'odd' but I honestly think I'm too damn old for such an app. [Adamska gripes as he glances down at the screen of his phone.] This is something to keep children entertained, not adults like us.

[His life is entertaining enough as it is.]

Back when cable was still a thing? I think you've accidentally told your age, Kaz. [Yes, he just shortened your name down to a few words there. Kazuhira is a bit of a mouthful.] Excuse me what?

[He peeks over at the blond again looking mighty confused now.]

What do you mean I can't get rid of it? There's a delete button, isn't there.

[b0mbshell]

Well, here's the problem. [He winces.] No there's not.

We keep trying to get rid of it! But it shows up on almost every device we sit down at- unless we hand it off to someone who doesn't know about it. Jim is a company rep for the app programmer, or whatever made it.

Yes, it sounds unbelievable, no I'm not lying, yes it is very creepy.

[Another wince as he spins the wheel? He doesn't even know why he'd do this to himself.]

Executioner? [Him? He rarely ever raises his voice in an argument, how could he be an executioner?] Alright, this is being creepier than usual.

[sonofpatriots]

Come again?

[What in tarnation does Miller here mean by he can't simply delete this app?! Rightfully not believing a damn thing this man just told him, Adamska goes through the painstaking task of trying to delete this offense application off his very fancy smartphone. It's a beautiful Samsung model, Korean made. This is probably as close to the Orient he'll get considering he doesn't understand a thing about their fast culture. All Adamska knows is that they make sweet tech that he simply can't live without.]

The hell--?! [Oh, crud! Miller is absolutely correct. Every time he tries to delete the Retrospec app, it comes right back under a new icon no less. Adamska stares at his phone in sheer bafflement before darting a glance over at Kazuhira again.] Where can I find Jim and throttle him--I mean, *ahem* talk to him.

[Fuck it, let's be real. He's legit plotting to do away with Jim like he does in his more villainous roles.]

Why in participate in the first place? This is clearly some sick joke.

[b0mbshell]

I would absolutely pay to see you throttle that man. But I'll be honest- we haven't really been able to locate anyone involved physically. At least that I know of, anyway. I might have missed something.

I feel like people would be a lot less frustrated if we had.

[He sounds genuinely disappointed. For the obvious reason that no, they don't know how to reach Jim. But also for the reason that he doesn't want to let down a star when he's first meeting them. Sort of puts a damper on the whole thing. Nothing like failing a celebrity to put one in their place.]

I'm Kazuhira Miller, by the way. Sorry I didn't get to meet you with better news.

[sonofpatriots]

Well, at least I know the sentiment is there. [Adamska states with a humored grin. While the situation itself is the most awkward thing, he can't help but feel just a smidge better knowing he's not going crazy here. Some weird is happening on Recollé, something he can't possibly figure out within a day.]

Take heart, eventually the truth has to come out, no? [He's being an optimist here but still--]

There's no need do apologies, Kaz, but I think you introduced yourself earlier.

[Oh, he's amused. So very amused, is the young man starstruck right now? Seems like it.]

[b0mbshell]

Oh, uh... Yeah. Sorry. [He sounds embarrassed.] I don't get to meet celebrities often. [He scruffs at the back of his Bowie style mullet, looking a little embarrassed.]

I guess. No one besides us seems to know the truth exists. I try to show it to someone and it's mysteriously not there. Or they remember something strange as being totally normal, so....

[Feeling helpless doesn't make one feel good, no.]

Why is it that I meet someone influential and I end up having to tell them stuff like this???

iv

[stopbleeding]

[It's not the most elegant way to save someone. The revving of a motorcycle, a blur and a sudden grip on his collar are the only warnings Adamska's given before being seemingly dragged by a jet. Luckily, at the speed they're going it's only for a bit before he's thrown to the ground as the motorcycle's driver skids to a stop. Behind them, the boulder rolls past, knocking away the corners of buildings. Seems like they're in an alley, safe, at least for now.

The driver takes off his helmet, hair matted with sweat. From the looks of it, he's been at this for awhile.]

Not a good day for a leisurely walk, old man. Might want to hole up in a gym if you need a fitness kick. You're not going to be so lucky twice.

[sonofpatriots]

[Okay, that's definitely going to hurt in the morning. The revving motorcycle snapped Adams out of his daze long enough to spot the rider zooming at him. Two for the price of one? It seems that this simple stroll around town just became ridculouly dangerous. Who would've guessed, you know? Recollé seems like a pleasant enough city on any normal day but the downright batshit craziness leaves something to be desired. Adamska is really starting to wish he decided to film this movie in someplace like L.A rather than this oddity of a town.]

Whoa! [Before he could stop and think about what's happening, Adamska gets dragged right out the way by the motorcyclist and flung several feet out of the path of that oddly placed boulder. If he hasn't been somewhat fit, Adamska would've stuck the landing but be damned if he didn't scrap his knees against the pavement briefly. This is going to leave one hell of a mark on him but at least his alleged savior thought to help him.]

Trust me, I have no intention of getting a workout.

[He ignores that 'old' comment for the sake of keeping some semblance of peace here. He's not that damn old, though. He just turned fifty two weeks prior.]

Wait a minute. [He pauses briefly.] I recognize that face of yours from somewhere.

iii.

[centurian]

I believe the politically correct term is chocobo.

[ as much as there were times (particularly at work when people liked to call "nepotism", despite the fact he'd work just as hard as the rest of them) that he hated having a federal judge for a father, he couldn't deny that it was pretty cool that he could count a hotshot actor as a family friend. ]

From what I can tell, I think we're all suspects, sir. If nothing else, you do some law enforcement on your side.

[ the "sir" is a force of habit. you don't want to insult a family friend. ]

[sonofpatriots]

Who says I want to be politically correct?

[The look that Adamska gives Garrus is something that borderlines annoyance and amusement. He's quite aware of the name of these yellow-feathered fowls but he's not calling them chocobos. In his honest opinion, they're nothing more than overgrown chickens. If he could, Adamska would wrangle up one of those damn birds and fry 'em.]

For some reason, I doubt I'll be cashing in on one of those favors your father has yet to pay. [The actor says with some amusement in his tone. He has enough potential 'blackmail' material on this fella's father to last a life time. However, Adamska would never actually use any of it. After all, he respects the man and his little family quite a bit but he knows that federal judge has done some dirt during his college frat-boy years.]

Loosen up that tie of yours a little, Garry. [That's a nickname bound to stick for awhile.] No need to be so formal.

Just call me "Adam".