repeter | OCTOBER TDM

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OCTOBER TDM

TEST DRIVE

OCTOBER TEST DRIVE
The city of Recollé...

When the crypt doors creak, and the tombstones quake, spooks come out for a singing wake. Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize...grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize...

Every year during the Halloween season, the city of Recollé comes to life with plenty of fall activities for everyone. There's something to do in every district if one were to take a look.

What will you do today?

I.
Family fun seems to be the theme today over in Tribunal Terrace. Several tables are set up and in a semi-circle near Recollé Square with stacks of pumpkins, carving tools, paint and anything else you may need to create your own jack o'lantern. Other stations are set up for face-painting and games to win mini-sized candy bars including a ring toss, bowling, and bobbing for apples. Be careful with the apples though. They like to wiggle and jiggle with their happy little faces staring up out of the water.

...so maybe apple-bobbing is for the brave at heart. Are you the artsy type to carve a beautiful pumpkin? Are you helping to run the games (or even cheating to get more candy)? It's time to relax and let your creativity flow.

II.
Pumpkin-carving not your speed? Never fear, horror is here. Over in Tisse there's plenty to do for those looking for a little more adventure. Several coffee shops have harvest specials made with pumpkin, maple, and pecan flavors. Over at Flix a monster movie marathon and costume contest are taking place (with a prize of two free passes for the best monster costumes.) But the highlight of this district is the annual haunted funhouse.

Anyone daring enough will find the usual spooks and scares in a haunted house, jump scares and fog machines galore. But...the house certainly didn't look so big from the outside. How did you possibly get shuffled straight to the center? No worries. This hall of mirrors will guide you out safely...if the walls closing in don't crush you first. It's a race against time as the halls narrow, and if you're one of the lucky ones you'll escape and exit through the main doors.

For those not quite so lucky, the walls will stop just inches from crushing you completely before the floor drops open and you find yourself on a slide, falling through the dark and tumbling into an underground room filled with plastic skeletons, rubber spiders and more. There must be a way out, right? Hopefully you aren't alone and you can navigate the lair with a friend or two.

III.

Meanwhile, the rest of the city's usual hustle and bustle continues. The shopping districts are busy, students wander the sidewalks after class, and that oddly-shaped ghost appears right in the middle of the crowd.

Wait, what? You could have sworn that ghost wasn't there before. Maybe you don't even believe in ghosts. You may blink a few times to clear your vision, but the faint outline of the ghost remains as a few more of them pop up around the city. They won't speak, but they will cause some trouble for anyone who gets too close whether it's by playing pranks on passerbys, stealing items and running away, sitting on a person and applying a gravitational force so they can't move or other crafty, sneaky tactics.

Are the ghosts messing with you? Or are you going to find a way to mess with the ghosts?

IV.
As the sun begins to set, a strange sort of fog rolls in. Several citizens of the city may not even think it's unusual and others seem to capitalize on the weather. The Churchhill Downs Stables are hosting their annual haunted hayrides through Recollé Woods as soon as the sun sets. There are plenty of carts and chocobos saddled up and ready to go.

Once passengers are seated the chocobos begin to trot forward into the woods as a pre-recorded ghost tour of the city takes place. The stories range from silly ones about two ghost children who like to play hide and seek in these woods to scarier ones about a jilted lover chasing her husband off a cliff at the edge of ocean. For the most part they're a bit cheesy and in good fun, but something about this haunted ride seems a bit...off. Peering into the fog you may see something strange that follows you, be it a monster or a shadow or an object. You may hear things whispering your name and you may see your greatest fear manifest right out of the fog and chase your cart through the woods. Even worse, it seems to follow you right out of the woods and back into the city. No matter where you run or where you hide, the fears from the fog will track you down and they change for every single person in the city.

Will you run or will you fight? You may wish to be careful since the creatures will fight back.

BONUS.
With only a few short weeks left until the end of October, Retrospec's Halloween Mode is in full swing and popping up on new users' devices. Retrospec users will find their application decked out in cheerful Halloween colors, and their userpics in a randomized (work safe) costume. However, there's always a trick to each treat and this time the seasonal mode can't be turned off for new users. Notifications chime with zombie groans, a rousing game of Candy Crush must be played and beaten before you can use your device again, and the new Trick or Treat function has a few upgrades. When a user enables this function, they will be met with the phrase "Trick or Treat?" Users who select "treat" will get one virtual candy! Yay! The catch though is that they will also find themselves in a costume representing that specific candy.

Should a user pick "trick", however, they will find all sorts of harmless but unpleasant things happening to them including but not limited to pranks, being splashed by vehicles driving through puddles of water, being unable to speak in anything but rhymes and other such things. None of these effects last over ten minutes, but the game will show up periodically over and over again and even giving you the option to play the game with others.

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!

For current players, TDM threads will not count toward your Trick or Treat freebie! Additionally, please remember that TDM threads can only be used for bonus points, not regains.

Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation.

Your October TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!

Page 17 of 148

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Are you serious? But yours looks like it's going so well! You've put a lot of work into it!

[She doesn't have much experience with carving pumpkins, but it looks like a great start!!]

[Truthfully, she didn't know her and Charlotte were going to be wearing basically the same outfits - then again, considering their personalities, it was pretty natural that they'd both end up as witches.]

Oh, please, you're just trying to flatter me!

[Haruka laughs - it's the least genuine little giggle in the world - and then glances around, leans to the side. Elbow on the counter, cheek in her hand.]

Are you getting paid for this? I didn't bother to ask, I just figured you'd get bored without me.

Totes! Leave it to me!

[He then breaks into a sprint trying to catch up to the ghost! He's a bit wary of using his teleportation in public, so he's hoping that moving on foot can do the trick.]

Are they stealing things again?

ii.
[ The haunted funhouse was a mistake... With so many people inside, the screaming ahead of him gives the jumpscares away, and Minato only looks mildly disappointed at the fake rubber spiders and bats and snakes, stalling the line every time he sees them so he can look closer.

He barely gets through half the building like this when he gives up, plugs his ears with earbuds, and finds somewhere to sit, nestled in the darkness in front of some heavy velvet sheets next to a pile of skeletons and zombies and looking very much like one of the props because he predictably falls right asleep. Brow furrowed upon closer look, he seems to be caught in a bad dream, and every once in a while he kicks out in his sleep— possibly catching you on the foot, or simply in the way and tripping you on your way through the haunted house. Or maybe, miraculously, nobody wakes him up until closing, whereupon you're one of the actors who finally gets to breathe and start taking off their costumes and shrieks at this guy passed out on the floor. ]

iii.
[ Ghosts are a hundred times more tiring than people, and Minato looks simply exhausted as he heads to work today. He drops his stuff off at the vet's office, and then heads next door to the senior dog sanctuary where he's in charge of some volunteers helping around today. And he's going to need the help, because as hard as he tries to pretend the ghosts don't exist, animals always have a sense for these things, and the incessant barking is driving a nail into the back of his skull.

He pops two painkillers and hands the closest volunteer a broom, nodding his head towards the front door. The ghosts haven't made their way inside the building yet; our job today is to hold the fort and keep the ghosts out. Defend the dogs with your life. ]

iv.a
[ He'd picked up a late shift at the coffee shop, Expressive, this night, wiping down the tables when there aren't customers and brewing drinks when there are (though it's almost midnight... why are you drinking coffee so close to midnight...). Once in a while, somebody comes in and mills around the door, nervous glances out the windows as if waiting for something to pass through with the thickening fog. That's alright, and they can stay, maybe keep Minato company and warn him what's out there before he has to close up for the night and head out himself. ]
iv.b.
[ After work, it's earbuds in his ears, hands in his pockets, eyes to the ground as he leaves the shop. A perfect mugging victim, if he weren't surrounded by a low, steady beeping that follows him as he walks through the fog, warning of a Fear that he cannot hear with his ears covered, but you can. ]
iv.c.
[ If he makes it out safely, it's not home that he heads to right away, but the shrine over at Tribunal Terrace. He tips in some coins at the offertory box, mumbles a quick prayer under his breath, and then sits with his back against the box. He gets a thermos out. It's him. He's the one drinking coffee so close to midnight. ]

wildcard
[ Feel free to shoot him a text, write up anything discussed in the workshop, make up anything dated any time during the month, or throw me a blank comment and I'll write up a starter! For reference, here is Minato on the workshop. ]

[ Soleil isn't too bad with a knife, but she doesn't have an artistic bone in her body, so her attempt at carving the silhouette of a cat head hasn't gone quite as well as she hoped. It was the easiest thing she could think of, too, but the end result is...oddly lumpy, not symmetrical, and looks like an elementary schooler made it. She accepts that and moves on to watch others carve their own.

She sees Charlotte. Surely a nice, pretty girl will be carving some sort of cute jack-o-lantern, like maybe a happy face or a nice animal. Just as she gets close enough to speak up, Charlotte goes to town on the pumpkin. ]

--Uh.

[ Give her a moment to watch this. ]

Hey, um, Charlotte, you okay there?

Oh gosh, that's so kind of you! What would I do without you?

[Ughhhhhh she cannot catch a break, can she? Charlotte's still smiling though the expression is obviously a little strained at this point.]

I am getting paid, though. A little extra work doing something I enjoy is definitely worth it!

[How much longer until her shift's up? She can't look at her phone without it being suspicious, so she's stuck here until her little alarm goes off. Damn.]

[Air heavy around them, she can't help but to feel on edge. Euphie grew up fairly sheltered but there were times she was the target of fans of her parents. It would be hard to not, but the way it felt like eyes were on her now left her feeling much the same. Like someone was following her every move.]

Y-Yeah...kids, that has to be it right? [She shakes her head and stays close to him.]

Let's get back now...that would be for the best.

Everything's sketched out, so the rest is just carving where the shading is.

[ A mechanical process, not as much fun as it could be, so he tilts his head towards her pumpkin to emphasize his point. ]

Trading is like... an art collaboration? Might be fun.

[It's sort of impressively awful. It's not that she's not artistic, she's just very happy with this large knife. Give her a moment—]

Oh, Soleil! It's nice to see you!

[...She's quick to put the knife down and act like that totally isn't just what she was doing, um.]

How are you? It feels like it's been so long since we last ran into each other!

[...it totally hasn't been that long.]

[ Sakura's a little weary as she follows Aki, Kiyomitsu hanging from her waist. It seems as if she's taken to carrying her sword around like an actual samurai now. ]

About two weeks, I think.

[ Aki will find that the fridge is fully stocked - it seems that Sakura's new job pays well. The stuff in the fridge is ~~fancy~~ now. ]

[ Oh boy. Okay. At least it came back without destroying anything, and Minato can start to guess where she could fix some things. First of all would be not flinging the ring as hard as she can. ]

The distance isn't that far for the ring toss, right? You can let it go slowly, and your timing will be better too.

[ This fog is creepy and the sensation of not being alone more so, but Soleil is not one to get chills easily, even when it is would be smart to. No, instead, she sees someone and the genius idea to take advantage of this opportunity is more important than spooky fog nonsense.

She sees Amanda, distracted. Soleil tiptoes through the fog closer and closer, until she is close enough to tickle her sides. ]

Hey, Amanda!

Oh, darling, you know men aren't good for much company. Especially when they're trying to sneak a peek at your pumpkin carriages.

[Frankly, the more distressing thing about this conversation for Charlotte is probably that Haruka just made that innuendo. Sighing, she sits back up, readjusts her outfit as she glances out over the field - when she sees a guy about to walk by, she reaches across, elbows Charlotte 'gently' in the side.

Then again, considering that Charlotte does track and the closest thing Haruka gets to exercise is pushing lab equipment around, she probably can't hurt her much anyway.]

If you enjoy it, I'll let you handle this one solo~? Do your best, Lottie, dear! [When did Charlotte get a nickname? Who can say.]

Oh, a collaboration! That could definitely be fun! Wow, what a great idea! That sounds like a lot of fun!

[Here you go, you're welcome to take her sort-of-terrifying-looking pumpkin! She'll carefully examine the tools before selecting a smaller knife. As much as she likes the large one, she's not going to be able to make precise cuts with it.]

Pain in the ass...things were easier when I thought this stuff was normal.

[She leans into the fridge a bit more, moving stuff around.]

What’s with all this food anyway? You looking to impress someone? You’re gonna be on plain noodles for weeks, you know.

Yep, that's exactly right!

[Sakura herself isn't too far ahead in terms of steps, though compared to Euphie, it's clear she's gone through the motions of pumpkin carving. Not that Japan is as fanatic about Halloween as America, don't get her wrong. It's just that her parents gave her a loooot of freedom as a child.

Smiling at the other girl, Sakura points to a red scooper left by a previous patron]

Once you take off the top, you just scoop everything out... though, um, it's a bit slimy.

[maybe Ken isn't apart of the theatrics, but with clothing like that, even a seasoned haunted houser such as Sakura takes a healthy step back when they cross paths.]

Um--

[O-oh god, and now the wall is moving but he is not moving, does he know what happens to squishy humans when they get caught in malfunctions? It's not her policy to grab people, Japanese sensibilities and all, but Sakura yelps and pulls whatever part of his sleeve isn't stained with bl..oo..d...]

The walls, sir...

[ Right. It's getting pretty late, prime pranking time for college punks, so Minato pulls the hood of his jacket over his head so that nobody around him can catch his expression very easily, and walks close enough to Euphemia so that his knuckles brush against hers, a silent reassurance that he's still there beside her even as he looks out down the street they're walking on.

There's a bright light in the distance— no, two, brighter and growing closer like the headlights of a car, but they're in the middle of the woods, so...? ]

Slowly? I thought you were supposed to throw strong or it'd just fall in front of you.

[Odd ducks indeed. Guess which duckling waddled her way into your shop, Isaac.

Even with all the nightmares, the fog creatures, and the sleepless nights, Sakura will always find time for a little... window shopping. If it happens to be a shop owned by a competitor, that's fine by her. Jaeger she figures doesn't mind or care, and so she browses around, drawing her finger against jarred membranes or whatever else the shop has to offer.]

Mmm, I wonder if they have any good paintings here...

Uh...great! Frightened for the first time tonight, but real great otherwise.

[ Seeing Charlotte with that knife was like seeing a bunny, uh, with a knife, she supposes. A bunny trying to brutally murder a pumpkin. The cognitive dissonance is strong here and she wonders if she saw correctly. Sure, that pumpkin is not doing so hot, but maybe Charlotte is just...very bad at carving? ]

So, your pumpkin is looking...um.

[ Her need to not lie to a pretty girl is in conflict with her need to not say something bad about a pretty girl. ]

Carved. You've certainly carved into it. You looked real enthusiastic to boot!

[Charlotte pulls a face at that innuendo before she carefully forces a smile again. Right, there are still people around ans she's not going to lose her cool that easily!! She can't!

She gives a little "oof" at the elbowing, but she'll take this opportunity to raise her voice and wave in the guy's direction. She's not going to comment on the nickname, but great. G r e a t. She's got a nickname now.]

Hello there! You look quite strong! Would you care to give this lovely game a try? I'm sure you'll do a great job!

As long as it spins fast enough, the angular momentum will keep it stable, and the lift will keep it in the air...

[ Not super slow, but like... okay, he motions for her to hand him the ring so he can demonstrate instead of just spouting words. ]

[Well, it's. It's making him feel rather awkward, though probably not in the way Charlotte intended. Still, she seems distressed, so...]

I... I suppose it couldn't hurt...

[THAT SMILE SPELLS DOOM FOR HIM as Bruno increasingly gains the deer-in-headlights look.]

But—what if I fail to produce an adequate painting? Won't he be disappointed...!?

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OCTOBER TDM

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minato arisato | persona 3

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