NOVEMBER TDM

[recollecters]

TEST DRIVE

NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE The city of Recollé... What do you mean the city's behaving for once? I. The Mayor's growing desperate with Thanksgiving right around the corner as those gosh darn turkeys continue to elude him. The birds that escaped at the beginning of the month continue to wreak havoc over the city as they mingle with the crowds and lay their golden eggs in less than convenient places. However, with the clock counting down to Turkey Day, the birds appear to be a little more aggressive. You may find yourself actively chased out of a shop or your classroom by one of these wild birds gobbling angrily all the way. Perhaps a bird is nesting in the middle of the sidewalk forcing you to take a new path. Or perhaps you've come across one of their golden eggs, but be careful! It doesn't take more than a gentle touch now for these eggs to explode, showering anyone nearby with surprises such as candy, shaving cream, mud, bugs, plastic cars, crayons or other small tokens. Will you attempt to catch the birds to turn them into city hall for the $50 reward? Or are you too busy running around to avoid them? II. Even with the turkeys on rampage, that doesn't damper the holiday season. Citizens from all over the city are preparing for the festivities of the month. Over at Tribunal Terrace several members from various volunteer groups and the Community Center are organizing their small annual Thanksgiving day parade that kicks off the city's potluck dinner. Grocery stores are swamped with shoppers picking up last-minute supplies for their big meals and you may find yourself fighting for that last jar of gravy. Over at the community theater, children prepare for their Thanksgiving pageant and it's a flurry of activity from costumes to rehearsals to last-minute stage preparation before the big day. There's plenty of work to be done whether you're acting in the pageant or working on-set. The theater will need as many volunteers as possible to pull this show off. Granted, there are plenty of things to go wrong in the chaos. One of the parade floats begins to drift away from Tribunal Terrace and rolls down the street on its own leaving volunteers to chase after it and fight off an onslaught of turkeys. Lights blow out in the theater and some wiring and set pieces need to be repaired. And did that person's grocery cart of food just hit your car? Good luck. Are you prepared for your celebrations and willing to help your fellow neighbor? Or are you a last-minute straggler left high and dry? III. Earlier in the month several stores had discounted prices on all things blue and it looks like the prices just keep dropping. With green fully restored to all items in the city, items such as clothing, art supplies and food change prices every hour, on the hour. The city of Recollé knows a good bargain when it sees it and hundreds of people hit the streets to snatch up what stock they can. It's like Black Friday came early and after a while some stores can't even keep up with demand. Maybe you're among the crowd hunting for just the right shade of green for your holiday packages, or perhaps you're some poor sap who got called into work at 6am on your day off to deal with a swarm of customers. No matter who you are though, you will find yourself having to answer the age-old question: which color is better, green or blue? IV. The blue skies have only been back for a few weeks before the gray of winter rolls in again. The wind picks up a little and the ocean crashes against the shore down at Peach Beach. The city grows dark each day beginning at about 4:30pm and the temperature drops little by little. It's on November 18th that residents will find that there's a bit of frost on their windows when they wake up that Saturday. Toward the early afternoon, the first snowfall of the season begins. It's nothing much, mostly flurries that swirl and dance through the air and cause a burst of excitement among people. Some residents may even remember it's very similar to the Founder's Day holiday. Though this won't be the last time it snows in the city, there's something magical about the first sign of winter as fall exits. Get out there and build a tiny snowman or catch snowflakes on your tongue. At least the turkeys seem to retreat from the snow itself. BONUS. Over the course of the month residents will find that the spotty reception they've always had has grown even worse. Static rings out over the line and long-distance calls stop going through. Emails bounce back despite numerous attempts, and don't even think about getting clear audio or video through Skype. No matter how hard one tries, by November 30th it will become incredibly clear that all phone calls, texts, emails and video chats to people outside of the city have been shut down. The internet will continue to function as normal (browse and share those cat videos to your heart's content) and inner-city communication functions just fine. You can try calling your service provider...but who knows if you'll get through? And last but not least in the world of inconveniences, in some instances your calls and emails may be rerouted to fellow Retrospec users. Sorry about that! 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, 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 November TDM directory is here, and your AU workshop is here! Our mod questions thread for this TDM is over here!

Comments

Light Yagami AKA "Akira Turner" | Death Note

[dulynoted]

(( OOC; AU workshop comment is here! His winning AU name is "Akira Turner". ))

1st note.

[ Akira really has minimal interest in Thanksgiving. It's another holiday, another reason to celebrate with family and overeat. That should be a heartwarming experience, but that seems to be the basis for most holidays and frankly, the only difference he sees is the dressings. Pumpkins and fall decor don't change much. Turkey also happens to be the blandest of meats.

Maybe it's his lack of enthusiasm for their day of reckoning that drives them to him. He's seen a few of the birds running wild, but mostly ignored them. Never let it be said that the Mayor makes good decisions when it comes to festivities.

Well, now they're inconveniencing him.

And by inconveniencing we mean that he's currently standing inside a coffee shop, eyes narrowed on the three turkeys that happen to be parading outside the glass doors.

Are people trapped inside because of renegade turkeys? Really? ]

How long have they been like that?

[ One of them gobbles loudly and pecks at the glass. ]

3rd note.

[ So Thanksgiving isn't the worst holiday. It definitely has to be Christmas--or Black Friday. Or, you know, just the general mid-November through most of December. And it's not the holiday itself, it's... ]

Oof...

[ The rampant commercialism that takes over the masses. Akira sighs as yet another person pushes past him, rushing towards a store front offering a strange sort of sweater that seems to look either green or blue depending on the light. Supposedly it's a hot commodity.

Akira dusts of his shoulder, clearly a little annoyed. ]

This season...

[ If he wasn't having a good time already, it's about to get way more fun.

The doors to another store are propped wide open and an announcement over the loudspeaker sounds, ]

The doorbuster sale starts now! Buy-one, Get-one on all home goods and the first one-hundred customers get a free blue toaster!

[ ... ]

Oh sh--!

[ Ever seen a swarm of bees? It's like that, except with people and a few stray turkeys who are, once again in the history of the country, the victims of mass hysteria. People come out of nowhere and Akira is shoved right into whoever just happens to also be in the way.

And together swept up in the chaos.

Hopefully they wanted a toaster. ]

4th note.

[ Snow is aesthetically pleasing--and blessedly free of turkeys. It's been getting darker earlier as well, which means the street lights start to hit the accumulating snow and give the city a certain sort of ambiance that even Akira can appreciate.

Standing at the bus stop under street light, Akira has one gloved hand held upwards as if to catch some of the falling snow. It's almost picturesque. Like, painfully so. It's then he notices he has company. ]

Oh, [ He closes his palm and offers a small, but congenial smile. ] That must've looked a little childish.

bonus note.

[ Ding! There's an email in your inbox that you probably shouldn't be receiving. ]

Alright. I'll be sure to bring some extra this year.

I do have some concerns about her plans, though. Hasn't that cat been terrorized enough?

- Akira

wildcard.

[ If there's anything else you want to do, feel free to leave me a prompt or hit me up via PM, workshop comment, or plurk at doggystyle ]

Re: Light Yagami AKA "Akira Turner" | Death Note

[phoenixchild]

I.
"Those crazy birds," Jamie angrily mumbled as he tries to kick out the wild turkeys that tried to make him dead meat, "First came cats, pigeons next, then Derek's stinkin' feline friend, now freaking turkeys!!!"

It's worst that he had to babysit Blaise whenever Derek's gone to work, the cat seems to want to make Jamie's life as hellish as possible, but this Thanksgiving has definitely taken the cake, with the attack of killer turkeys! It seems that most animals have gotten a hatred for him as an instinct.

"Hey, I'm in need of some help to get these stinking birds out of my sight!!!" he yelled to whoever may concern.

Bonus.
Huh, what's with you, cats, a lady, and terrorizing people? Derek, don't let that crazy cat of yours go out and rip people's throats out!!! - Jamie

[dulynoted]

Does he want to ask about the pigeons? Akira is, admittedly, at least mildly curious what sort of killer pigeons were wrecking havoc around the town. He feels like he would have heard about it.

Either way...the turkeys seem to get keyed up easily, especially by the commotion.

"Calm down!" Ah, yes, he definitely recognizes this one--Jamie. "You're just making them angrier." There are some loud gobbles from the other side of the glass.

---

I'm sorry, I'm not sure how this got sent to you. This was supposed to go to my mother.

[phoenixchild]

Uh-oh, it's the oddball swimming teammate of his from college. Jamie turned around to see Akira running towards him, telling not to make the birds angrier.

"Akira!" he looked terrified, as he continued to shoo away the turkeys, he wasn't too sure who he's afraid of, him or the birds?

"Hey, man. I don't have a clue as to how the birds got here, but it seems that they've gotten crazy!"

---

Oops, sorry. It's you again, Akira. Wait, why did I get your mom's message?

[dulynoted]

Akira lets out a long sigh through his nose. Jamie has always been a little more reactive than he is, but Akira is used to it. Someone has to keep their cool in this situation, anyway.

"Yes, they're all over the city," he says matter-of-factly. Turning to regard the birds guarding the door, he frowns slightly. "But they are just birds. And not very bright ones, at that." He pauses, regarding the other young man again.

"You're not afraid of them, are you?" That may be a little baiting. For old time's sake.

---

That's what I want to know. I just checked my sent folder and it was definitely her address. It's not like she knows you so there wouldn't be any reason to forward it. Something else is happening.

3rd Note!

[falsepretentious]

[Akira will find himself pushed up against another young man the crowd pushes them onwards. But this person doesn't seem very reluctant, at least. Rather, he seems to be awe-struck by the announcement.]

A blue toaster...

Would they really offer something so lucrative?

[Byakuya mutters that as if to himself, but he's still quite audible about it.]

[dulynoted]

[ Well, at least this guy isn't trying to run him over. Being squished up against him, it's hard to miss his utterances. Akira has to extract himself from the other boy--as much as he can with the crowd swarming around him. ]

Lucrative?

[ After getting elbowed in the side by a particularly enthusiastic woman, Akira straightens himself out with a huff. ]

It's just a ploy to get everyone in the doors. Most likely the toaster is small and low quality. They wouldn't give away something that would actually put a dent in their sales.

[falsepretentious]

[Byakuya considers the word of the man squished against him, brushing off any other blows from the crowd that come towards him.]

Hmph... I can't deny the value in such a skeptical viewpoint. I admit that it's quite likely... and yet it's far from certain.

Believing that could be a trap within itself. Anyone who believes it will accept such a shoddy gift without questioning it. For those who pursue the higher truth, there's bound to be a grander reward. The brilliant blue toaster of our dreams must be within reach!

i

[compendiem]

[ Welcome to Expressive! Today's expression is the long-suffering look Minato gives to Akira, hours after his shift had ended and now he's also stuck here with his tall thermos of coffee he had to pay out of his own pocket because of how long he's been stuck here.

Exactly how long? ]

All month. Sometimes I live in the break room instead of going home.

[dulynoted]

[ Too long, clearly. Akira gives Minato a once over before turning his attention back to the turkeys. He had stepped into the shop only about ten minutes prior to get a latte to get him through his next case study. Somehow during that time the turkeys had situated themselves outside the door.

Again, apparently, if the sign tapped to the door indicated anything. (Something like this.) ]

I'm guessing calling Animal Control is out of the question, at this point.

[ Considering the general level of chaos around the city due to the renegade birds. ]

[compendiem]

[ It's true and the entire city has become godforsaken the moment the first turkey set foot on the street. ]

Animal Control can barely get their truck through the streets...

[ They're trying, though, and so is everybody else, so Minato has faith that everything will be sorted out this year or the next. He's tired and wants to go home, but not desperate enough to brave the streets on his one; he can wait this one out. ]

Anywhere you need to be? You can always live here with the rest of us refugees. Got food, drink, wi-fi. Everything you'd need.

Bonus

[deceiving_is_believing]

[Reed just... stares for a moment. He's pretty sure he doesn't know this person. Especially, if for no other reason, he doesn't know of a terrorized cat.

Oh, well. Rolling with it.]

Hey, hey, Christmas came early this year! Santa musta listened real hard, it looks like I got a new friend!

I'm all for you inviting yourself over, but what should I make?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Reed Hughes *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[He's actually saying all of that without the slightest bit of irony. He really wants to be friends, Akira.

[dulynoted]

[ That signature...he didn't sign up for this. ]

You can disregard that message.

[ Please disregard that message?? ]

It was meant for my mother. Sorry for the confusion.

[deceiving_is_believing]

[Too late, Akira. Reed signed you up anyway.]

Okay, I can disregard the message. It's cool that your family comes first. But seriously, we can hold a Friendsgiving kind of thing! I'll invite everybody! It'll be great. You want to get together the week before or the week after Thanksgiving? I know this really cool guy who can get us a warehouse, so you don't have to worry about space being a problem. Maybe we should make it kind of a potluck thing. I bet people would think it was great.

[Aggressive friending initiated.]

III

[strawberrypunch]

[He was lured by the possibility of green art supplies, with how expensive those can be.

Right now, though? He's beginning to regret going out, just a little.]

Ah--

[He could push against the crowd in theory, but he still doesn't have the best of control over his own power yet. Probably best to just follow the flow until he finds an opportunity to escape. On the other hand, it looks like he's not stuck suffering this alone.]

Akira?

[dulynoted]

[ He recognizes that voice immediately. Akira does have a certain expectation in regards to his personal space, so crowds like this aren't his favorite thing. At least if it's his cousin invading it, he's less offended than he would be otherwise. ]

You too, huh?

[ He's cut off as they've shoved forward again, foot by foot, towards the entrance to the store. ]

All this for a toaster...

[strawberrypunch]

I just wanted paint...

[He's made mistakes. There's another surge, almost as if they're in some kind of human wave pool.]

It's nice to have the colors back, though.

[It's been a sad few months of sticking to warm colors, that's for sure. Although, come to think of it--

Did Akira even notice anything was missing...?]

1st Note

[blondferret]

[Derek happened to be standing nearby to get some tea when he hears Akira. Glancing over he sees the three turkeys Akira was referring to.]

Do you mean how long has the city been infested with those blasted birds or how long has those three been standing there?

[dulynoted]

[ It's a fair question. Akira takes a sip of his latte because there's really no reason to let it go cold over some dumb birds. ]

I've seen the turkeys around, but this...

[ He raises his coffee in indication to a printed out "beware of turkeys" sign that an employee just tapped up in the window. A refused sign, if the wear is any indication. ]

...looks like it's a regular enough occurrence.

[blondferret]

[Derek shrugs. To be honest he has noticed the turkey's for a while now and tries his best to ignore them. On occasion a few have tried to attack him, which on retaliation Derek turns on them and gives them a good swift kick. If they attempted again, he would show no mercy and shoot it right in the head and then walk away. Derek has no time, nor the patience, for the stupid birds and he will happily assist in demolishing one on Thanksgiving Day.]

They come and go. Really, if one attacks you, just kick it. That usually does it.

bonus

[kulam]

not enough, apparently

[ you can practically hear the wicked cackling from the other end of the line. ]

[dulynoted]

[ Welp. That's definitely not an email he recognizes. ]

I'm sorry, who is this?

[kulam]

nothing too important
for all i know i could be some kind of virus that's about to override your PC at any second now

3rd note also tmw you have a perfect icon

[chessking]

[ whoever designed the store layout in the towers needs to die a painful and terrible death (ha) because lelouch honestly just wanted to get a present for his sister for Christmas and he's starting to regret everything.

anyway, because lelouch is a noodle with absolutely zero physical stamina whatsoever also because he's a useless lump of shounen protag, he's going to end up.

tripping over something and falling right on akira. ]

...! ...Did not see you there.

[ how eloquent, lelouch. ]

IT IS PERFECT

[dulynoted]

[ Well, it was certainly intended to funnel people towards certain department stores, but that also meant that if you ended up in said area, you were pretty much fucked. And they were fucked.

Royally, unfairly fucked.

Misery loves company. ]

--You too?

[ At least it's his brother from another mother? someone he actually enjoys the company of. ]