OCTOBER TDM

[recollecters]

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!

Comments

i.

[lecturehall]

It's not as bad as drinking from a public fountain, is it? Just make it quick and you'll be fine.

[or is he concerned about something else... hm.]

If you're worried about kissing one of them, don't be. Your secret will be safe with me.

[compendiem]

[ With Nazuna in front of him, Minato only hears the cry and not the cause, stepping to the side to avoid getting his nose smashed in and only belatedly seeing the doll's body fall. It clatters to their feet, something rips at the seams, and its head tears off, rolling past them into the darkness. ]

I should grab that. Here...

[ First, let's sit the doll back up so that it's not in the way. Minato pulls it up by the arm and— black trickles out of the gaping hole of the neck, faking blood being what he almost mistakes it for, but instead of thick and sticky, it feels... ticklish?

The body drops to the floor with a dull thud, hundreds upon thousands of very real, very many spiders pouring out from inside the doll. ]

[compendiem]

[ Minato shakes his head, but it's a "I don't know" shake and not a "No" shake, somewhat evidenced by the lift and drop of his shoulders. ]

I just moved here a couple weeks ago. Apples in Japan had faces. Everywhere I've lived, actually.

Re: four (au: clover geteilt ) | drakengard 3

[lecturehall]

[likewise, keito is stationed with her and casts an uncertain glance from where he is, tying someone's hair up for them.]

You're going to start an epidemic in the dorms if you go around spreading that. We'll have to confiscate apples.

[compendiem]

[ Minato stirs slowly, but awakes suddenly with a deeply drawn breath, eyes blinking back into focus as he makes out Juri's face in the darkness. The dream slips from his mind like smoke, and he shakes his head to clear his thoughts, cold beads of sweat flicking off the tips of his bangs for how long he must've been sitting here. ]

Hey. Thanks for waking me... Didn't expect to see you here.

[ Which is probably the same thing she would turn back on him, he realizes, because this is only a good place for a nap if he can get away with it without anybody noticing, and he failed that. ]

1B

[lecturehall]

Is that really how you think artists look, senpai?

[he's embarrassed....

keito just. looks at nazuna over the box of face paints he's delivering. whoever decided keito would be in charge of stocking the stands chose the wrong person but, well. here he is, arms trembling, if just a bit. he sets the box of supplies down behind the stand, shaking his arms loose as he moves upright once again.]

I can't even tell what you're supposed to be. What animal has hearts on its cheeks?

Re: 1B

[pronounces]

Don't be so serious, Keichin. [ nazuna chides him playfully as he sets down the facepaint, putting down his brush and opening up the box. there are new colors--there are glitter paints--which is downright delightful. he's totally unfettered by keito's usual attitude, cheerful as he starts unpacking. ]

I'm a rabbit. And there's nothing wrong with making something already cute just a little cuter, don't you think? [ brightly: ] Unless you think I need more practice...~ I'd need a guinea pig.

[lecturehall]

I don't like how you're saying that.

[why does he feel like he's about to be attacked by the shark in jaws.]

If you're a rabbit, you need rabbit ears. Hold on.

[let him just. wander to the next stand over and rummage through a bin. he'll come back a few minutes later with a bunny-ear headband and fit it onto nazuna.] There. Now it's much easier to tell what you are. Specificity matters, senpai~

[pronounces]

[ oh...!!

well, he's not going to fuss over it too much. nazuna glances up at himself as if he can see the bunny ears, and then puts his hands up near his face, as if they were small paws, and twitching his nose just a tiny bit. ]

Pyon, pyon! [ ♥ ] How do I look?

[ but fear not, he can be cute, but can also be terrifying. thus this beatific, bright smile on his face. ] In exchange for your kindness... [ he pats the spot in front of him. innocently, so innocently. ] Let me give you one for free!

[handpuppet]

Same to you!

[And she has no problem to retort back it, though there's no annoyance in her tone at all. She pauses to pull out her puppet out of her pocket before holding it up high, the cat puppet points its hand on Minato frantically. She changes the sound of her voice to a much more nasal quality;]

Mrrow! This isn't the place for a catnap. If I were you I'd be worry someone stepping on my tail.

[She isn't just staying around to pretend-nag with her cat character however, she comes well prepared! She fishes out a clean handkerchief from her other pocket.]

Here, it looked like it was a pretty awful dream.

[bitemefightme]

[Yea, attractive is still not a word he's used to hearing being directed at him. And the puzzlement shows on his face.

Have you even looked at him, Biffy? He doesn't understand this.]

That's not something people usually say to me. And I didn't think anyone higher class would give me a second look.

[Something something pedigrees and mutts. He's stereotyping. Sorry.]

It's just... unexpected, I guess, in all sorts of ways.

[lecturehall]

[FACE IMMEDIATELY FALLS]

No.

[notbunaga]

...

[There's a conflict of interest here.

Because she wants to know more about who she was, just like everyone else; the more selfish part of her wants to find out what this is and why he has it. Was he someone important to her then?...or an enemy? Either is a possibility. Recklessly advancing without considering how he might feel about all this would get answers a lot quicker.

But the more selfless part of her is his older sister. She was...definitely not as good an older sister when she was younger. She didn't necessarily take out any latent feelings she had towards him out on him directly, but when she was that age there was definitely some resentment over the fact their mother seemed to treat him better than her. She wasn't cold towards him, but there wasn't as much warmth as there is now, either.

And maybe she's overcompensating a little to make up for that. So it isn't an easy decision to make, but eventually she settles on what she thinks is right in the moment.

She shakes her head.]

Sending weapons to kids is messed up.

[Aki puts the tantou back where it was, shrugging, then walks over to help him with the stuff he's carrying.]

We can sue if you hurt yourself with that thing, you know. Someone around here's gotta be in on this and a lawyer.

[notbunaga]

Watch who you're accusing there, buddy. I'm not some psycho who slaps shock collars on people.

[Except she is...but she's never gone that far before so clearly she knows she wouldn't.

...still. She stands in front of a table to sit against it.]

I'd say you're mistaking me for someone else, but it's not like Yuuko has any friends. [Well. Many.] ...is this a retrospec thing too?

[notbunaga]

[There are ghost tears in its ghost eyes.

Unlike Aki who, after a moment of totally stonefacing him, grabs him by the ear and gives it a tug.]

That's enough out of you, Wagner. Not unless you want me to knock you dead.

[compendiem]

[ Minato takes the handkerchief with a small smile and a quiet thanks, but simply holds it crumpled in his lap instead of wiping off his face, turned to address the puppet. ]

That's true, that sounds painful... Would've woken me up, though, so it's better than the dream.

[ Which was pretty awful...? He can't remember. There's only a vague nagging feeling that he's had the same dream before, but he can't recall any of the details, so he just shrugs the rest of it off and pushes himself back onto his feet. ]

Probably just the atmosphere of the place, though. Good dreams are hard with all this screaming.

[pronounces]

Keichin.

[ if you think he's not employing the cute puppy face you are deadass wrong ]

[notbunaga]

[Except she isn't letting go. And after that spiel, she tugs a little harder.]

Less is more, Mags.

Save the theatrics for someone else.

1/2

[notbunaga]

That's a sheet, you idiot.

The ghost looked more like--

[When she says that, the actual ghost suddenly barrels towards them, looking terrified, and latches onto Karkat for dear life, even dropping they key.

Guess it finds sheets and poorly maintained mechanics scarier than they do, somehow.]

...that.

[notbunaga]

...well, you kids have fun. I'm outta here.

[She pockets the key and starts trying to leave him behind??]

[storytelleroftime]

"...Then what do you want me to say?"

[Maggie can't communicate without theatrics. It's her safeguard between her thoughts and her words, between her true self and the mask she wears. Who she is on the inside and who she is on the outside are two starkly different people, in her opinion, and she doesn't really want people seeing that. But if Aki is going to insist on it. She struggles to find any actual words to say.]

"Seriously, what do I have to say?"

[notbunaga]

Well, it's fine. It's perfectly safe so long as someone's with you.

And they say his ghost isn't around unless you start seeing weird things...faces on apples. That kinda thing.

[She shrugs.]

[alienates]

Fuck off, you are not leaving me here with your child.

[ the ghost is her child now.

karkat immediately just grabs onto her arm??? no. ]

[notbunaga]

Aki-cha-

[Before she finishes questioning it, she realises she recognises that voice.]

...oh. It's you, Uncle.

I guess that explains it. Only you'd try and take a nap under these circumstances, you lazy bum.

[notbunaga]

Don't be stupid. Look, it's imprinted on you and all.

[Actually it's just wailing...

She's also just dragging him with her tbh, towards the house of mirrors sections.]