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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[God's left her standing so far-- surely she must be doing something right!]

I'm fine, [Mattie said, brushing straw off of the sleeves of her jacket and her pants before looking warily at Mary. Somehow, it was starting to feel like they slipped into a horror movie...]

How're you holding up?

Me?

[Finally straightening up, Mary slid towards the back of the wagon and undid the clasp, letting the bed swing open.]

I'm just fine. It looks like our driver's run off though. Just you, me, and the Chocobo.

[Hopping down, she walks over towards the wheel.]

Aaaand it looks broken.

Hmph. Lazy coward.

[Huffing irritably, Mattie hopped off the wagon to join Mary in getting an assessment of the damage. She was no wagon engineer, but....]

Yeeaaahh. That looks real broken.

[She heaved a sigh, and leaned back against the wagon.]

Guess we've no choice but to wait, unless you wanna walk back home from here.

[It was kind of a long walk, and it was dark.]

[Frowning slightly, Mary stoops to check out the wheel. One of the struts is broken, and she's pretty sure she can make a copy to fix it at least. But risking freaking out Mattie? Is that worth it?]

We're a few miles out. And the fog is...pretty dense.

[She stands up, dusting off her hands.]

I can maybe fix it. You just have to promise not to freak out on me, okay?

[And before either one of them can say more, a low, echoing moan fills the air. A chest rattling, groaning noise...]

[Mattie cast Mary a quizzical look at those words, wondering what the other girl had in mind.]

I won't freak. Scout's honor.

[Not that she was a Scout, but--

That echoing, guttural noise that drifted up from the streets made her hair stand on end from the first vibration, and Mattie whirled around in alarm-- and to defend Mary if need be-- at the sound.]

--The fuck was that???

[Mary is just about to start working on stuff, to get everything back in order and make a new strut when...yes, that sound definitely drives her upright.

Her hand tucks behind her back, and where Mattie can't see it, she makes a small knife almost by reflex.]

I don't know!

[Consternation hits her, and she grimaces at the fog around them.]

Really wish there wasn't all this fog laying about. Can you see anything?

Not a damn thing.

[Mattie said, lifting a hand as if to try to clear away some of the fog and aid in her vision as she spoke. Failing in her attempt, she Mary a disconcerted look-- it was plain from the jumpiness in her stance and the glimmmer in her eyes that she was as on edge as the other girl, but trying to put on a brave front.]

I don't like the idea of staying here. What say you we hitch a ride on the chocobo and look for the driver?

Yeah. You know how to ride one?

[Mary hasn't, but she has ridden a horse so she thinks it cant be too different. And it's not like fixing the wagon is going to do much good, in the long run.]

If you can, then let's get out of here. I don't want to be out in the fog at all.

They're just birds. It'll be fine.

[She said as she moved toward the frightened Chocobo, carefully unhitching it from the wagon so she could lead it closer to where Mary was. Truth was she was just antsy enough in this fog that she was going to attempt it one way or the other-- and she didn't know how to ride at all.]

We'll get outta here, Mary. [She said, trying to sound reassuring.] I'll get you back to your place before anything gets us.

[Mary pauses, visibly mulling this all over for a moment. Mattie was trying so hard, and it was actually kind of cute. It's also clear that focusing on her is the only thing keeping her steady. So, she nods.]

I trust you. It'll be fine.

[She steps closer to the bird and pulls her knife hand out, flipping the long bowie knife around and offering it to Mattie.]

I found this on the ground. Take it. You'll be better at using it than me.

Whoa.

[That was some blade-- brows lifted in surprise when she laid eyes on the knife Mary offered, found God only knew where in this fog and the mess along the streets. Mattie looked up from studying the handle, the curve of it's blade, to cast Mary an inquiring look at this development.]

...You're sure 'bout this? Knives are no good if things get really bad out here.

['Really bad', in her definition in that moment, was 'horror movie bad.' Any number of things could happen, and the weight of Mary's trust on her shoulders suddenly felt heavier than she had realized.]

Better you than me.

[It wasn't bad to have a weapon, and Mary knew deep down that her other self didn't use knives. Though, that was something she could probably have done quite well. A thought for another time though.]

I don't know if anything will happen at all, but your hands are steadier than mine, that's for sure.

[Reaching out to pat Mattie's shoulder, she bobs her head with some certainty.]

Take it.

[There was no doubting the certainty she saw in Mary's dark eyes when she nodded her assent and confirmed what Mattie had already suspected-- that she was seeing something in the bigger picture that Mattie herself was too mired in the details of the moment to notice.]

--I won't let you down.

[She swore and, accepting the knife and everything it came with, carefully stuck it on the side of her waistband where it would be in easy reach if there were an emergency.

There was no arguing with Mary when she got like this.

With a nod, Mattie turned and faced the chocobo with determination in her eyes.]

Alright. I'm gonna get up there, you can ride behind me, and we'll get you back to your uncle's before it get's too late.

[That sounded strange, coming from Mattie. Almost...knightly. Though she suspected that the blonde would deny it vociferously if asked. Mary smiled at the renewed vigor in her friend all the same and moved towards the bird, taking it's reins in her hand.]

That's fine. I'll hold her still while you hop on.

[She isn't all that worried about getting home. Matt would understand. He always did.

It helped that Mary wasn't Mattie. There was no wild child here.]

But we just need to get back to the fair. My car's there. I can drive us both home after that.

Oh, right. You've got one of those.

[It was an easy to forget detail in Mattie's opinion, because she was so used to walking or taking public transport everywhere. Her family did have a car, but it was her mom's to use to go back and forth from work-- Mattie didn't dare touch it unless her mom asked her to do something important with it.]

Yeah. your uncle's house, the fair... either way, we'll get you there safely.

[Because there was no way in hell she planned on reenacting a horror movie that evening.]

[For Mary, it was almost a necessity. She needed it to get from place to place because of Matt's disability, and he certainly couldn't have one. Having a car was just important to them. And it'd been a parting gift from the 'rents anyway.]

Sounds good. Now...get on.

[Stop stalling!]

O-okay!

[She's only stalling because she doesn't know how to get on. Pride wouldn't let her declare defeat or admit to weakness on this front-- not in the face of such incertainty-- and thus Mattie took a, steeling breath and...

and...

Threw her arms around the Chocobo's neck and tried to scramble atop it like a clumsy cat. With cheeks reddened in frustration and legs flailing as she scrabbled for a hold, it was not a graceful sight.

The chocobo bwarked and reached around to grab at her ponytail, prompting a startled yelp from the girl.

....Sorry, Mary. This was a total mess.]

[Mary says nothing. To be totally honest, there's nothing to say that won't in some way demean her friend and that's the last thing that she wants to do. Smiling and playing oblivious, she waited for Mary to get mounted. And when she did manage, then the dark haired girl turned the reins over to Mattie and made to mount herself.

With a gentle stroke of the animal's wing, she put one foot in the stirrup and hauled herself up. It wasn't smooth, but it was definitely not like Mattie. Straddling the bird, she pressed up close to the blonde's back and wrapped arms around her waist.]

Now. Let's get moving, hmm? No sense in waiting.

[The discretion was appreciated, because Mattie's cheeks were absolutely burning by the time she righted herself on the mount and took hold of the reins. It was an effort to keep herself composed while Mary climbed up behind her-- and, once they were both settled...]

Yeah, we'll get going.

[She said, and gently nudged the bird with her feet.

Nothing. Just a bird staring balefully at her, as if she were a punk nuisance that didn't deserve the time of day.]

Come on... don't give me that look. You're not the one I took on an adventure, so no complaints from you.

Mattie.

[Mary gave the bird a gentle squeeze with her knees, shaking her head as it started moving forward.]

You use your knees to prod it, not your feet. Also, they're intelligent. You have to show it a little more respect. Just trust it to take you, that's all. It won't bite.

Whoa--

[Mattie said when they started moving, grabbing hold of the rein more tightly in an outward show of her nervousness.]

I- I knew that, [she said, unconsciously falling behind her usual bluster and bravado as the chocobo took them down the street at a slow but steady pace.]

I totally knew that-- but... thanks, Mary.

[For not treating her like a total idiot for not knowing how to ride, even if she really was a punk kid who didn't deserve the time of day.]

Of course, Mattie.

[Mary was much better than that. She wasn't the type of person to call someone out for bravado and bluster. The point wasn't to make her feel bad, after all. It was to get them home.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out something and slid it around for Mattie.

A tootsie pop.]

Here, have this. It's not hay you can stick between your teeth like a real cowgirl, but it'll do.

[And hopefully take your mind of this.]

Oh, it'll do all right.

[Mattie laughed as she accepted the candy and, unwrapping it, stuck it between her mouth like a proper cowgirl would-- and grinned, despite the fog and her own nervousness about riding the Chocobo and protecting her classmate and friend.]

This makes the job feel right, it does.

While we're riding like this... you wanna finish the tour on the way back to the fair?

[This way, the night was not a total loss for either of them-- and they would still get Mary home early enough not to worry Murdock.]

[It was the least she could do. And hey, the night wouldn't be a total loss even if they did just head straight back. But the chocobo seemed game, ambling along.]

Sure, I don't see why not.

[Wark wark! Into the fog!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OCTOBER TDM

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