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!

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More candies? I'm in.

[ There's an enthusiastic gleam in her eye. ]

Want to go by that example or make up a new rule?

There's always that one person who survives in the end, right?

[Jason doesn't bother holding back his amusement anymore.]

Maybe you'll live long enough to be in the sequel.

"See, now who's the one making cheesy declarations?"

[Maggie giggled, but it was in a more friendly joking tone than her usual jabs she took at people. Maybe because this wasn't a usual person to be taking jabs at. This was her sister, who, while a prime victim for teaming, was at least someone who she didn't really deserve her full bluntness.]<.small>

She's here. Gentiana is most certainly here now. She feels as real as she did when they first went on their blind date. A faint smile tugs at her lips when she remembers that evening. Who would've guessed Cupid's bow would strike twice. She feels awful forgetting all about the time they spent together and even now, her memory is still nothing other than a haze. However, Gentiana can tell there's something between them by just the way their fingers lace around each others. It feels so right to hold his hand like this, so strangely complete.

"You are only human." She says with a faint sigh. "There's only so much a person can endure and what was forced upon you was most cruel." Gentiana looks at her again, her familiar green eyes seemingly brighter than before. "It took time but you returned to me. For that, you have my gratitude." Gentiana can hear the anger in his voice and she quickly tries to soothe it away with love. She gently caresses the back of his hand in hopes of easing that anger away.

[ Manon has more or less gotten used to these horrible pranksters that you call ghosts and has been shooting menacing looks at one if they tried to get close to her. Though she does happen to see someone who's unfortunate to be caught up in their pranks.

And she laughs. ]

Oh my god, I didn't think I'd get to see anything like that out of a TV...!

[ She might help later, but laughing to release her stress comes first. ]

[Laughing happily, Yukiko beams at anyone that happens to be watching, spinning as they finish up.]

Oh that's not a problem I think. It's Halloween, and they all know it's just for fun, I think.

[She looks to the assembled kids. Probably mostly little boys.]

what do you think guys? Is Ms. Angela's song fun?

[ majima's here to, you know, stop by and see how he's doing. normal stuff. ]

Been hearin' some interestin' rumors about ghosts, Isaac.

That's nice and all, but don't you think all that is a bit too much to bring to a hospital? Is that even allowed?

[ Manon squints, looking at this hoard of... everything. ]

--Hey, where's the confetti? If there's a festival for kids, you definitely need confetti!

Even looking at her now, it's the same feeling Togusa had when he saw her at the date, when that very first text had come in from Souji with her name on it. It's a childish, giddy elation, quiet in his heart. The feeling soothes his anger at Retrospec. It doesn't forgive it. But how can he hold on to anger at a time like this?

"That you can just forgive me like that," he smiles when he raises his head again. "If it happens again, I know better, I'll return, I'll stay. Because- you were still you."

His smile turns a little shyer. "I've still enjoyed your company these last few months. Even if it felt like something was missing." To be there for her, in whatever form it actually took. That was what he admitted to Mariko, wasn't it? What he really wanted.

[THE KILLING BLOW...]

... If you truly do not mind, then of course I am willing.

[Because he can't just abandon them??]

[ Men like the guy who calls himself Hyperion (and whether that comes from a pretentious reason or not is up for debate) are the sort that come over places like this after a long day. There's a lot of figurative shit he's in charge of cleaning up every day, a lot of reasons to think people are a general waste of his time and anyone's empathy. At best they're useful. If you can trust them, that is.

Being useful can include having a conversation, though, and the more meaningless the better. Being addressed to help out in a game meant to blind out your brain with saturated colors and wacky mechanics might not be the best way to start, but it's a start.

The answer should be all over his stare. ]

Do I look like I would be.

[ Or like he uses a phone at all? Sure, if he needs to text or call his bosses, but other than that... How does I care. ]

[ Saif gives a sideways, self-effacing smile. It's not that he guy doesn't have a point, it's just: ]

You never know. Was in the bar next to a guy a couple weekends ago, he was a few thousand levels in.

[ He sets the phone down, leaning back in his tool in favor of his beer. ]

Some people are just good at it. Looks like it doesn't take any skill, but...

[ A chuckle, a shrug. ]

[ That was quite a throw, because Manon certainly felt it when it hit the back of her head. Honestly, she thought that was going to go blind for a moment there. Thankfully(?), she isn't knocked out, although the pain makes her wish she was out cold right now. She puts a hand to the back of her head, holding back any pained noises and turns around to see who threw it.

... ]

Iris...?

[ Her head hurts so much right now. ]

Yeah. It's kinda like...a switch gets turned on, and when the switch is off, you don't notice any of the weird stuff that's happening. Welcome to the world of the living, I suppose. [Okay that's not a great way of phrasing it.]

There's not always monsters. In fact, I had the app for a few months and nothing too dangerous ever happened. I think it's kinda a Halloween type deal going on right now...[Shakes his head.]

Ah, whatever. Point is...I know it's really confusing and makes no sense and all, and it's something you're gonna just have to roll with, but...[He places a gentle hand on her shoulder.]

I've got your back, okay? I'm glad that I can finally really talk to you about everything that's happened to me.

[ Manon just shoots him A Look when he says that while she's holding a plastic bone, part of the cheap Halloween decoration here. She's not wearing a costume of any kind--just her casual clothes with heels. ]

The most thrill I got was getting startled from you suddenly falling.

[ With a flat voice and all. ]

Didn't sprain an ankle, did you?

[ Daisuke lets out a weak laugh at that. ]

I don't really like standing out in school, so let's just leave it at that?

[ He thinks he can trust Bruno. Anyway-- ]

Let's ambush the ghost. It should be right there when we turn this corner.

[He doesn't really understand—if you're good at something, wouldn't you want to show it off?—but he won't press the subject.]

Should I go around, or should we simply strike as quickly as we can?

Her smile blooms into true honest gratitude. Gentiana is a very forgiving person but she does recognize that she wasn't always like that. Maybe something in her far distant past changed her but she's willing to forgive Togusa for his faults. That much is certain considering how gently she holds his hand. "Let us hope that such misfortunes do not strike a second time." She urges with the gentlest smile she can muster.

The shy smile upon Hitori's face wins a quiet chuckle from her. "I've been told in times past that I'm quite...frigid usually." Gentiana admits with a louder chuckle. "I'm glad you found my company so welcoming."

... I will admit that I cannot see what is "cute" about them, but perhaps I'm merely being narrow-minded about this.

[STARING INTENTLY AT THE APPLE NOW...]

Or...you could tell me?

[She's not scared. Not at all!

She...totally is.]

But this is the best job I've had in a while... well, it pays well. I get to sit around and have cute outfits.

[ She's still talking about being wardrobe at Club Sunshine. ]

"Yeah, I know I acted like an idi- wait what? Sympathy?"

[Everyone else had called her out as making a horrible decision, questioned her sanity, insisted she should not be left alone in a room with sharp objects, or some combination of the three, so Charity's reaction was... abnormal, to say the least. Though not exactly unwelcome.]

"...But yeah. It was."

[He just crosses his arms and sighes, a slight scowl upon his face.]

Should the future head of a family really be talking like that? Your parents would be horrified.

[His words are blunt, but the tone of his voice implies this has been something he's said many times before, so it's more like a gentle chiding than a real criticism. Mio's been good to him, keeping an eye out for him ever since he arrived to Recolle, but man, did his mother ever get the wrong idea about her.

But as Mio launches into her tale about the haunted house, the serious look on his face begins to drop, slowly but surely, and the color blanches out of his skin at her dramatic pause. But the time she finishes up her tale, she has him hook, line, and sinker, and he looks both concerned and more than a touch curious.]

Yeah, it could be an animatronic or something, right? Maybe the friend was in on it, and it was all a joke? I mean... things don't really get cursed, right? That's all superstition. [BUT HE SURE LOOKS LIKE HE BELIEVES IT, THANKS MIO.]

Hey, where'd you get that? [He's impressed though, he doesn't even have one of those shoved away in a box somewhere with the rest of his old military things.

Zack nods and lets her be in charge of the light. It helps a lot with making the fog seem less menacing. For good measure he rolls his shoulder and stretches an arm. He might not have a bunch of weird abilities like some people but he can still throw a damn good punch...]

Alright, ready. Let's crack the secret on this magic show. [Because part of him still wants to believe it's all just tricks and games!

Peering into the fog again, Zack starts for the direction he heard his name. In the distance they'll see a lone figure ... A shadow of a woman.]

Hello out there...?

Togusa's eyebrows raise, and he snorts. "You're kidding, right? That's the last word I'd use to describe you. Maybe it's because I could see the passion in you for your favorite subject right off the bat." There has always been a deep passion in Gentiana, for whatever she is talking about, truly. Togusa can get it to come out the most through discussing literature or philosophy, two of his own favorite things to talk about.

"Welcoming is a word for it." Togusa's hand briefly tightens on Gentiana's. The other question in his mind has to come out. "Can we- start again?" He looks up at her more fully. "I've missed you. A lot. And not- just as a friend." There is another surge in his heart, he is taking a risk, but one he refuses to wait to take.

Not again.

"I didn't know what to do, if I thought you weren't in a right state to commit to something more. Not. Fully able to say if you wanted...me." An immediate blush high on his cheeks.

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OCTOBER TDM

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