repeter | OCTOBER TDM

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! tdm

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 5 of 148

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[Foggy can hear her mumbling something to herself and he politely tunes it out by distracting himself with the ticket in his hand. He turns, giving her a confused glance when she taps him on her shoulder.]

Huh? [He spots the ticket in her hand and her words hit him. He smiles and nods at her.]

Yeah! First time! Just moved to the city at the end of summer so this is my first Halloween here and first time going into one of these haunted houses. What about you?

((workshop comment here! tl;dr Xiaolang is a 13 year old AP/Honor student from a rich, influential family in Hong Kong, who is much too serious, very into science, and socially awkward (also on the verge of developing a huge crush on Sakura WHOOPS) so please help this child chill a little))

i

[The costume contest over at Flix doesn't start for a few hours, so Xiaolang's killing time at the pumpkin carving booth, eyebrow furrowed and attention entirely fixed to hollowing a decently sized gourd in front of him. After all, if he wants to be a better at engineering, he's got to hone his creative skills a bit, right? And it's not like he's entirely bad at handling knives or crafting things in general.

But... well...

Maybe he should have picked a costume with more hand dexterity before giving this a go. (The children occasionally running over to him to pull on his tail doesn't help either) Someone maybe give him a hand? Literally?]

ii-a

[The costume contest was a complete bust (seriously, how could they not pick his werewolf costume? It was GREAT), but the night is still young, and Xiaolang is wandering the streets of Tisse, debating on what to do. Going home was probably the best option-- he had at least two essays that needed to be finished, as well as doing more test runs on his science club project-- but there was something magical in the air tonight, something that insisted to stay, and that indecision is clear in his eyes as they fall upon the Haunted House nearby. Do you want to be the person to push him in? (Also, literally, if possible?)]

ii-b

[So either you managed to get him in there, or some impatient person outside has shoved him in, but Xiaolang is looking wholly unimpressed by layout, taking everything in with a critical eye and muttering half to himself.]

This is supposed to be spooky? What's so scary about a bunch of mirrors and some fog anyway?

ii-c

[Maybe he spoke too soon. As soon as the walls begin to grind and close in, he holds out a hand (or a paw... depends on if he's actually gotten those darn mitts off yet), eyes determined but his voice with a touch of panic.]

C'mon, we've got to get out of here!

[Whether you take his hand or not, he bolts, trying to get to the exit, except... he's just a hair too late, and he tumbles down the trap door, possibly dragging you down with him. OOPS. The dust clears and Xiaolang struggles to sit back up, prying a squishy spider off of his face.]

Ugh. I knew I should have just went home.

iii

[Xiaolang is in his usual haunt, the Recolle public library, and he's deep at work, writing pages of notes and checking the piles of books he has hoarded around him. He's so absorbed in his studies, he barely notices the spirit who sneaks up behind him, until they reach over and shove the huge pile of books to the floor, landing with a cacophonous thud, much to his surprise and anger.]

HEY! JUST WHAT IN THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!

[It's not until a moment later that realization dawns upon Xiaolang's face, and his face turns a shade very close to crimson. Someone please just bury him in these books now, please.]

WILDCARD

[I'm up for anything if you got an idea for it!! Ping me over at

Urameshi if you want to plot some stuff out!]

[ooc: Workshop comment! So if you still would like to have come established CR with a fashionable young man who gets to learn he's a werewolf then by all means let me know! A short summary here though...he's a young man in his early twenties who is a university student studying music. Originally from Spain, he came here to be with his boyfriend but has since broken up with him and is pursuing his dreams instead. Feel free to message this journal or hit me up on plurk at

eiredragon1 or discord at eiredragon1#6217 if you have questions!]

III. Ghostly Fun

[This really is not how he wished to spend his walk home. Normally such a time is pleasant. Quiet even. He simply leaves the bakery that he works at or the university he is attending and it's a lovely walk back to his apartment. Certainly not filled with hideous looking ghosts that find it amusing to steal his coat he was putting on and playing keep away.

Biffy is in quite the huff as he crosses his arms to look upon the creatures with such disapproval. He certainly doesn't recall the city ever having these things before. No, wait. There have been strange things before? Honestly it's all terribly confusing and does not solve his problem.]

I am sure you aren't aware of how much that jacket cost me but if you do anything to harm it there will be consequences.

[Shhhh. Let him threaten the ghosts okay. Or just help him get his jacket back.]

IV. Haunted Rides

[Biffy can't say he sees a reason to not enjoy one of these carriage rides which is why he's here. A pity he doesn't have anyone here with him. Still, he's not about to let that slow him down as he puts on his prettiest smile and slides on over to the nearest person who looks available and not with someone.]

So you're here for one of these rides as well? Would you care to have someone to sit next to? I'm sure it will be far more fun that way.

[And he winks. Hard to tell if he's flirting or not though. But it's Biffy so more than likely that's exactly what he's doing whether you are man or woman.]

Edited 2017-10-18 11:38 (UTC)

[A]

[Much like everywhere else in the city, Tisse's local arcade is taking advantage of the season to make some cold hard cash. There're decorations up around the inside of the building, ranging from the occasional fake skeleton chained to the wall, a large realistic spider prop that takes up a corner of the ceiling complete with an intricately designed web out of that spray web in a can and the best part (in the owner's opinion, definitely not hers), a life size witch statue that springs to life when you walk past it, with flashing red eyes and one of three spooky catchphrases that definitely hasn't gone off so much today she wants to snap it in half.

The main pull of the season is a new game, which is not only exclusively available until November 1st (the large, eye catching halloween sign in the window making it clear and emphasizing that you should "play it while you can!") but there're also only three or four cabinets available for it. The line for each one is evident the moment you walk in, with some people even wearing full halloween costumes despite it being far too soon for that. The only explanation you might get is from a nearby group of people leaving as you enter, mumbling about how they should go buy fake horns or a cheap mask and come back later.

Everyone's favourite arcade clerk is even in full costume herself, complete with pale, grey skin, fake horns and red contact lenses...of course, she isn't looking nearly as enthusiastic. Once you approach the counter, without even looking away from her phone, she just says--]

If this is about the game, you need a full costume. You can't just wear an eyepatch or fake horns.

[B]

[So, ghosts. That's a thing.

As it stands, Aki's in hot pursuit of one that's playfully fleeing from her, holding what appears to be a key in its hand. She doesn't share its enthusiasm though, looking (and sounding) pissed off as she runs after it.]

You're gonna wish you were in hell once I'm through with you, you ghost bastard!

[C]

[She abandoned the chocobos the moment things got weird. She wasn't actually there for the hayride or anything; Aki doesn't need any excuse to go hang around chocobos. But as the fog gets heavier and starts playing tricks on her by manifesting the one thing she doesn't wanna see right now, she bolts.

So-]

[i]

[As she's running through the streets if you happen to be in her way, she just...pushes you aside. She will unapologetically push you onto the ground and keep going, offering nothing but a-]

Move it or lose it!

[And of course, with the fog setting in, maybe what was chasing her is now your worst nightmare, and it's catching up. You might not wanna hang around.]

[ii]

[She ducks into the nearest building; it could be your workplace, or if you're someone she knows, she might even slip into your house or apartment.

Point is she's here and she ain't leaving.]

Retrospec's behind this fog, isn't it?

[But hey, if you're someone who knew her before, there's your confirmation she's Aware again.]

i. family festival!

a. face painting.
[ as the resident kindergarten teacher in training, nazuna is an expert with arts and crafts, so he's the first one to dive in and volunteer to help. he's immediately shuffled to work with the little kids, so you can find him sitting cross legged on a colorful blanket, surrounded by paints and paintbrushes, and most of all, surrounded by children. there's a whole horde of adoring little kids around him, and it seems like he can't get a break, but nazuna is clearly loving it.

niichan!, the kids are chorusing, jumping all over him and climbing in his lap, and nazuna is wielding his paintbrush like a pro, moving from person to person decorating faces with jack o lanterns, bats, princess sparkles and just about anything the kids will ask for. he's running low on red paint from all the spidermans, and nazuna looks up at you when you pass by. ] Hey--could you help me out?

b. face paint, round two.
[ once the horde of kids have gone off with their parents, nazuna sits back on his blanket, admiring his creations as they go wandering from place to place, occasionally waving at them when they walk by. nazuna's face is painted, too--he has a tiny little rabbit nose and whiskers, pink cheeks and a heart near his eye, and if you come to approach him, he holds up his paintbrush, tongue sticking out of his mouth, one eye winked shut as if he's admiring a masterpiece. ] What, do you want a turn~? Don't worry, nii-chan's a master artist. ★

iii.

[ nazuna doesn't scare easily. he swears! he's never scared easily in his life. it's important that he's the strong one!! with so many little siblings, he's usually busy trying to hoard them together and keep them out of trouble. but, he's going through the haunted house by himself to vet it for his younger brother (make sure it's not too scary, nii-chan!) and, though things seem fine, when the walls start closing in, nazuna panics--he's going to get crushed--!!

--right up until the slide opens up. there's a loud, girly scream as he drops into the basement, and nazuna falls off the end of the slide, rubbing his butt with his eyes closed. ] Ow, ow...

[ he opens his eyes--and there's a rubber spider right there. he shrieks and tumbles backwards. ] Ahhh--!! No, nonono, t'shcary, t'shcary, no!!

[ it seems like in his fright, he's forgotten how to speak straight. ]

WILDCARD.

[ if you have any plans you'd like to make with nazuna, feel free to! or, shoot me a pm for plotting!! ]

Edited 2017-10-18 12:29 (UTC)

INTRUDER --

[ Out of the dark comes Sakura, dressed in a traditional kimono and wielding a sword. She moves to strike whoever came in but she stops her momentum when she sees who it is and falls into the floor as she trips over herself, her sword clattering to the ground and a dog barking from the other room.

She's such a good warrior. ]

II

This? Is beyond lame.

[She had seen carnival funhouses a billion times. Heck, she had even 'added' to the affairs on her own a few times by adding her own jumpscares on unsuspecting friends when she was bored. But this set up in Tisse took the cake that year for corniness.

....On first glance, anyway.

Mattie started having second thoughts about her quick judgement when she realized where she was not long after she stepped inside-- and, when those walls started closing in--]

Oh shit. They better not be fucking around with us here!

IV

[Mattie was quick to ignore the proper tour once she jumped on the back of the hayride, hidden among the bales of hay so her flaxen hair and dark coat blended in with the shadows and the scenery-- for the suspected Chocobo Thief wasn't exactly allowed near the stables.

At least, not without supervision.

Once the recorded voice started droning on, Mattie started making up her own tour in hushed tones, only for those in the back within hearing range.]

That cute bed and breakfast we're passing there? 'Bout fifty years ago it was put together by a cute out of town couple looking to put down roots. They were good people with big hearts, and sometimes they wouldn't charge for the night if they saw someone in trouble. One morning, the neighbors found it on fire....

Wildcard

[Don't see a prompt you like? Make up your own! Plotting comment is here and you can find me on plurk at

starkxravingxmad with further questions and plotting.]

Edited 2017-10-18 12:57 (UTC)

...

[Aki can’t fight anymore. This is the girl she has to rely on to protect her from weird retrospec stuff.

She’s doomed.

But for now, she’ll slip her bag off of her shoulder and drop it to the floor, then walk over to Sakura and crouch in front of her.

To poke her in the head. Repeatedly. She won’t stop till she’s stopped.]

You’re still new at this, huh?

[ The hint goes somewhere over Minato's left shoulder, because his gaze slides off Hinata's face at the very first "nope!" and he looks around the room instead, trying to get a sense of how large the place is and whether there are any bright red exit signs hanging on the ceilings anywhere. No such luck, so he goes to feel around the wall next to him for potential light switches— brings his hand back immediately when his fingertips touch cobwebs (these had better not be real...)— and goes to dismantle one of the plastic skeletons instead. ]

...Arisato has equipped the femur.

[ Supposedly the longest and strongest bone in the human body, befitting of a weapon he can use to poke around the in the dark, but it's still just plastic. ]

New mission objective: seek a way out.

[ He didn't, partly because Euphemia is very much in the way, and partly because his hair is, cutting off much of his periphery as he leans forward to tap their driver on the shoulder and asks if he and Euphemia can be left off here.

Whether it's a ghost or a person, the proper thing for them to do seems to be a proper conversation on solid ground, the cold and the quiet. Hopefully they won't need a quick getaway. ]

[ This is the first time Minato's ever carved a pumpkin in his life too, so they're in the same boat. He'd spent some time just sitting there with his pumpkin in front of him, watching what others do in order to get a good idea of how to start, so by the time Tsuyu receives her and takes a seat near him, he has a vague idea, meeting her eyes for a moment to get her attention, and then turning his to his pumpkin.

The first step would be to cut off the top of the pumpkin and hollow it out, so he does just that. Only he holds his carving knife like a scalpel, and instead of dumping out the mush inside, he extracts the seeds and wipes them clean on a napkin to set aside. These are what he's really here for, tbh. ]

[ Hmm... numbers... Minato wasn't there to see what happened, to connect this new numeric language to fiddling around on one's phone; he sits a bit away, a sketchpad balanced on his knees and scribbling in those numbers on the corner of his paper as if that would shine any light on what Angela means, whether there's a pattern in any of it, or if it's some mathematical constant he might know.

There's nothing like that, so he flips the paper over, and speaks up. ]

Zero, seven, seven, three, four...?

[ He writes the numbers out on the pages and holds it up for her: "07734". Turns it upside down: "hELLO" ]

I'm a good swordswoman.

[ she says as Aki continues to poke her on her head. She waves away the poking before she sits up and on to her knees, grabbing Kiyomitsu and holding onto him. ]

I promise.

[ Sakura smiles. ]

Just need a little practise!

[ and to get REDUCED EARTH back but that's another story ]

[GIVING HIM A DISGRUNTLED LOOK BECAUSE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ASK BEFORE INVADING ONE'S PERSONAL SPACE!!]

I-I made no such claim! I was merely wondering how a facility like this came to be so popular...

[Workshop comment! Kara Lee is 15 or 16 and is an awkward, depressed girl who's been shuffled around the foster system after being abandoned as a child. She tries to stay positive, but she's just moved to Recollé and is always afraid of crossing somebody's lines.]

i.

[Maybe you're getting your face painted, checking out market stalls, or bobbing for bouncy face apples. Whatever you're doing, a ring-toss ring just sailed past your face. Wait, isn't the ring toss all the way over there?

A girl runs up from that direction, panting and terrified.]

Sorry...

ii-a.

[Kara shivers and shrinks behind you.]

Whoa... These rubber effects are kinda creepy, huh? Hey -- did that move? Please tell me that wall didn't move.

ii-b.

[Well, it's time to head over to the coffee shop after that little adventure. Kara's still shivering a little as she hangs back and looks nervously over the bakery case.]

Should I get something? It looks good, but I don't know... Oh! Sorry, am I in your way?

[ To be fair, most people would be screaming unintelligibly when deposited down an entire floor into the darkness, so the fact that Minato can pick out some words in all of that has to walking towards the source of the noise instead of away. He's been down here for some time now, having given up on looking for a way out of the haunted house, and instead has been directing people out of the one exit to this first room to get lost in the rest of the building. ]

...Hey.

[ He kneels down in front of Nazuna, and keeps his voice low so that Nazuna will have to quiet down too to hear what he's saying. ]

[And then there's this kid, shuddering and looking suspiciously at the curtain.]

It's definitely a realistic haunted house, at least more than the stuff you put together in elementary school...

[Kara fidgets, trying to find a comfortable way to hold her phone while dressed as a giant jawbreaker.]

It is a little weird... I don't know how to get through doors in this thing. At least they gave me candy? What happened to you?

Hi!

[ The rather cheery voice that pipes out of almost scenic nowhere is none other than Mio who makes the attempt to tackle hug him. It's not a push into the house just yet, but latching onto him is close enough, right? ]

You look like you want to go into the haunted house. Maybe you can go with your big sis [ even if they're not related ] and cling onto her if you get really scared. ☆

I dunno. It's really itchy, though.

[Kara struggles in her side of the costume, flailing a little as she walks.]

I feel like I'm gonna fall over. How do we get through doors?

I have the utmost faith in you.

[It might not sound genuine...but it is. She remembers the Sakura on the train was really skilled.

Aki stands and picks up her bag, moving to put it out of the way.]

You're gonna have to tolerate me being here a little longer, too. There's a weird fog outside I'm hoping to avoid.

It's definitely not conductive to healthy living...

[ Mio pouts a little, puffing out her cheeks in what seems to be a little bit of frustration. ]

But, hmm. Maybe if we walk in sideways we might be able to get inside?

You can admit you're just bad at it, it's fine. No need to make excuses.

[She's just goading him tbh.]

[She overhears some Adams family reject muttering about fruit, so decides to step a little closer to be within apple grabbing distance.]

It's not that bad. Look.

[She reaches in.

Picks up an apple (rules are for suckers.)

And just.

Bites the face off of it.

And then, after some crunching and a swallow, she shows him the apple which - now faceless - seems perfectly normal.]

[ Fitzgerald is a self-made rich bitch. He has become so incredibly wealthy that he no longer remembers or can comprehend how the poor (or even middle class) live. This, his precious and vindictive wife, considers a crime.

Her feelings may also come from how she feels slighted that he didn't buy her "the thing that she saw that one time in a window" while they were walking together. He tried to say that he can't buy what he doesn't know she wants -- but the ensuing fight said that he should go to fall activities that the poor are engaging in. Which is a polite way of her saying she wanted him out of her sight until she cools down and doesn't want to run into him at their usual haunts as she isn't even know what she is going to do today.

So it is!

He squints at everything in confusion and mild interest. It is only when he hear such a comment that he pauses to see what is going on. Fitzgerald looks to the apples and gives a quick laugh! ]

What are these? Do the poor really create such oddities? [ Dipping his hand into the water, he pulls one out to get a good look at it. The vendor does not seem pleased at all with him until Fitzgerald throws a few hundred dollars at said vendor. ]

Here you are, old sport! [ Tossing the apple to him. ] As these apples are now bought up... how much is an apple anyway? Ah, well! [ A bright, dismissive smile. ]

Oh, wait. Don't I know you? Maybe? Either way, we can start carving the eyes out at any time you want to start. My, my, I didn't realize the poor had such carnival games.

Edited 2017-10-18 14:46 (UTC)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 5 of 148

OCTOBER TDM

II-B

Syaoran Li | Cardcaptor Sakura

Sandalio "Biffy" de Rabiffano (Sandalio Rabiffano) | Parasol Protectorate Verse

nobunaga oda (au: akinobu taira) | fate/grand order

nazuna nito | ensemble stars!

II

Mordred (AU: Mattie Camlann) | Fate/Apocrypha

no subject

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no subject

i.pumpkins

bonus

no subject

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Supergirl/Kara Zor-El | DC Super Hero Girls

iii

ii

bonus

ii-a

treat

no subject

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1

i

i