repeter | NOVEMBER TDM

Entry tags:

! tdm

NOVEMBER TDM

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[maybe he really gets a kick out of shoveling snow, she's not gonna judge. everyone needs a hobby.

but the explanation does make more sense and it makes her expression light up a little bit more?? she's been inside the house most of the day catching up on schoolwork so maybe she's a little eager for a distraction - ]

Playing? [HOW PURE] Will you play again soon?

[let her join him and ignore her english homework for a little bit longer]

[ he looks at her... looks at what he still has to do... and sips his hot chocolate, mostly to hide the fact his face is also lighting up more. if he can pretend it's the drink warming him up, he can still retain some dignity in front of such a pretty, nice, objectively-the-most-wonderful-person-he's-met-outside-of-the-stables girl..! ]

I was going to take a break after I finished up here, actually... [ okay, he can do this. it's just like asking one of the chocobos to take a walk with him, right? it's okay. she did seem to brighten a little at the idea, so. ] Would you like to join me? If it isn't too cold.

[comparing her to a chocobo is a great start - but at least she loves chocobos. regardless anya continues to have no concept of Stranger Danger as she makes a happy little noise and nods her head. she wears her heart on her sleeve and this moment is no exception.]

Could I? Да! Yes, I would love to! I love the snow...

[BUT ALSO SHE RECOGNIZES THAT SHE SORT OF FORGOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE - ]

Oh - ah, my name is Anastasia... but call me Anya please? It is nice to meet you... Как вас зовут? What is your name?

[ comparing her to a chocobo or a horse is the highest form of flattery okay, they're absolutely perfect animals!! (in his very biased yet esteemed opinion) and ahh, anastasia is a such a pretty name... anya is so cute...

he should also introduce himself, uh— ]

It's Tsukasa. Just... Tsukasa. [ ...there's always just 'kasa' but that sounds a little childish. gotta hold onto those scraps of dignity somehow. ] It's nice to meet you too.

[ it's #blessed to meet her. um, but more importantly. he glances at his hot chocolate, trying to decide if he wants to chug it or if he wants to just keep sipping at it ... well, it won't take that long, so! ]

Anya, would you mind holding this again for a little bit? I don't have much left.

[Just Tsukasa, got it. She nods before tucking the tray she had under her arm so that she can hold onto her hot chocolate while also taking his! Her hands are warm all over again....]

Mm, yes.

You can do it! Давай, Tsukasa....!

[DAVAI DAVAI

he has a new no. 1 cheerleader in his snow shoveling endeavors]

[ an actual snow angel...

he'll hurry on then—despite his quickness, he's not sloppy about finishing the sidewalk in front of her house, or the remnants in the driveway. he's been doing this most of the day after all! and he... usually does this in the winter anyway. he's practiced. he's proficient in snow shoveling. this isn't the most glorious skill but it works for this so.

when he's done, tsukasa'll... look really awkward with his shovel, um. ]

Anya, is there anywhere I could lean this...? I don't want to simply drop it somewhere and risk someone getting hurt.

[ either them or someone walking along. that would be terrible. ]

[she's patient while he goes ahead and finishes up the rest of the driveway. she'll alternate between humming softly, finishing off the rest of her hot cocoa, and trying to catch the falling snowflakes on the tip of her tongue. when he speaks to her again, she pauses from all of.... that.]

Да! Here - we can trade.

[She'll offer to give him back his hot cocoa mug and take the shovel from him even as she tilts her head.]

You are warm enough? Do not need an extra scarf?

[she'll be going to lean the shovel against the house so she thinks she might as well as just in case]

[ he'll happily trade! ahh, sweet warm mug...

speaking of warm: he... he is warm enough, so no, he doesn't. on the other hand, a pretty girl's scarf... it'd be impolite to turn it down, but it'd be perverse to say yes when he's perfectly fine, wouldn't it? and that's even worse. he was raised right, so the answer is obvious— ]

Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine. [ he fluffs his scarf for like, emphasis. ] Between this and the hot chocolate, I don't think I could ever get cold again.

[endearing..... she's completely unaware of his brief struggle but looks pleased to hear that he's warm and that the hot chocolate helps]

Xорошо! Good. It is important to stay warm, it would be bad if you got sick trying to do nice things for other people.

[she might be a little fussy...... but with that, she'll go and put the tray and her mug and the shovel away so that they don't get trampled over. she claps her hands in excitement when she goes back, holding her hands out to the sky to catch falling snowflakes before turning over to him]

What should we do? Walk in the snow? Build a snowman?

[she's excited for literally anything, she loves the snow]

[ she's so excited and cute and happy and he is so out of his depth. he's pretty sure this is the nicest conversation he's had with someone around his own age that wasn't at the stables. hinata and him meeting outside of there sometimes notwithstanding... maybe even the longest. definitely the longest with a girl his age??

that sounds so pathetic. he doesn't often regret getting homeschooled, but now's definitely a time. if they went for a walk, they'd talk, which wouldn't be bad except he's pretty sure his luck'll run out on the conversation front at some point? building a snowman or doing some other activity would give them something to focus on and talk about at the very least... but it'd be nice to learn more about her... but he might say something stupid... but maybe she wouldn't mind that... but— ]

A walk sounds nice. [ before he can give himself anymore grief over it. ] We can still build one if we end up stopping sometime too...?

[don't worry tsukasa, whatever you might say, anya has definitely heard stupider.

so she's perfectly okay with that answer, nodding happily. the yard's clear of snow and everything is still so pretty with the snowflakes gently falling. it makes perfect sense to take a break. she locked up the house behind her just in case so that means they are absolutely free to go. she claps her gloved hands together once and nods eagerly]

Mm! A walk in the snow... Kрасивый! That sounds very lovely.

[and don't mind her if she goes ahead and starts them in a direction?]

There is a park this way.... but ah - do you live close, Tsukasa? [she tilts her head, openly curious. she hasn't met him before.... and it's a big city, but they're the same age she thinks?]

[ thanks, anya... really reassuring... he doesn't mind, he'll keep pace with her! more or less; he has a tendency to not... be exactly side-by-side with people when he walks with them, it's more like he's a few inches off from it.

he hums at her question, thinking through the street names. ]

...A few neighborhoods over, I think. [ he's walked a lot today. he's been asked to shovel a lot. the break was welcome. ] Baba's one request for my parents was that they lived somewhere without a lot of dogs... She told me that when I was a kid.

Baba....

[She repeats it out of curiosity, tilting her head. She glances to him and realizes that they're not side by side.... and she doesn't like that so she's going to just gently adjust her pace so that they're more in pace with each other.

It occurs to her for half a second to wonder if it'd be easier if she held his hand? Hmm....]

Who is your Baba?

Oh, um... My grandmother. She moved here with my parents from Japan before I was born, and she lives with us. [ that's obvious, tsukasa. no, no, just keep the conversation going— ] That's just what I call her.

[ it's just... a nickname he had for her when he was really young and now he can't stop calling her it. let him die and etc. ]

[don't die, anya loves this?? she perks up at the mention and understanding that it's tsukasa's grandmother because - ]

Ah, she lives with you? Mилая.... That is very sweet. [She places a hand over her heart, touched by the sentiment.] A sweet Baba and Tsukasa.

Anya's grandma and grandpa are outside of the city now, but they took care of me when Mama was working before. It is nice that you are still so close to your grandma, I think. I hope she gets a lot of peace.

[ how cute.....! tsukasa smiles a little, scratching his cheek. ]

She does... at the expense of my peace, at least. [ he loves her a lot, honestly; he's very fond when he talks about her, though his tone turns curious. ] Do you miss your grandparents?

[ . . . oh. Anya immediately looks sheepish at the question, wondering if that was so obvious from her face. Maybe it was.]

... да... Yes, I do. Very much.

In the holidays even more, I think. It is normal to have them here for Thanksgiving, for Christmas... Those days would always feel very warm. Like the house and the table is always full of smiles. It is a feeling that I think I am still looking for again.

[She reaches up to play with her hair a little self-consciously - ] But Tsukasa did not ask that... Sorry.

Ah—it's fine, Anya. Please don't apologize. I don't mind.

[ ...is that weird to say? Maybe? He fidgets with his jacket a little, then exhales softly. Weird or not, he really didn't mind... and feels like he should say more, catching the look on her face. He's slow to start, because he doesn't really know how to say any of this, but eventually: ]

...We just met, so I don't know you very well, but... I feel as though you're the type of person that the chocobos at the stables would flock to immediately. They like kind people. [ and she's definitely that, she's been the only person to offer him hot chocolate while he's shoveling snow— ] People aren't so different from chocobos, either, so if you just keep being yourself, I'm sure you'll find yourself surrounded by that warmth again.

[Chocobos at the stables. Anya can't help but smile at that immediately - he likes chocobos? Yes, she supposes that makes sense somehow. And when he calls her a kind person -

Well, it throws her off-guard a little bit. They did just meet... and she's always been rather easily pleased by sincere words like that. Warmth blossoms in her cheeks even as she brings her hands up a little belatedly to hide her flattered smile and giggle combo.]

Tsukasa.... is also a kind person.

[She glances over to him and is way too direct to mince words - ] Saying things like that... возбужденный. It is surprising, but in a good way. It makes my heart feel warm too.

I feel lucky that we met. Спасибо. Thank you.

[ She giggled, but he doesn't feel like it was at his expense... which is nice, ad he tugs his scarf over his mouth and wills away the warmth in his cheeks. Surprising is a nicer way to put it than he's thinking she should, honestly...

Since he'd call it weird or strange or off-putting or over-the-line or— well, a lot. That's the kind of thing you say to someone after knowing them for more than maybe graciously an hour or more likely less... ]

There's nothing really to thank me for. [ Anyone would've said what he did, probably. And they'd probably be in a better position to do that than he is. ] Though if it's about us meeting, then you should thank your mother for conscripting me to help out.

[Given Anya's own tendencies to be far too direct, she appreciates straightforward words more than anything else. Even now the feeling settles comfortably in her chest and she thinks that it's very, very fortunate indeed that she got to meet a new friend today.

At the mention of her mother, her expression lights up again and she hums happily.]

Mm, I will! Mama is the best - I am sure that she saw you and liked you very quickly.

[or anya's mother is an opportunist who didn't want to interrupt her daughter's studies. both??? probably both.]

Bыпечка... she wanted Anya to bake today if there was time, but now I will have to make extra for Tsukasa too.

[ who wouldn't like a boy who can't say no tbh ]

You don't have to! [ He shouldn't say no to free treats, but oh gosh, too... late... Wait, no, he can salvage this probably!? ] I mean— I appreciate it, Anya, and if you want to, then I won't turn it down, but please don't feel like you have to do anything for me.

[ ...Marginally better, Tsukasa. maybe a 5/10 on the social embarrassment scale there. ]

[well that's easy - ]

I want to!

[NO HESITATION. NONE. She hums happily, amused and pleased.]

Угощения.... Treats taste better when you share with friends, I think.

Friends!? [ —um, uh. Ahem. He forces the surprise off his face and smiles instead, fidgeting with his jacket again. ] I mean... I think so too? I've never had anyone make me anything before, at least outside of my family.

[ haha what was he ever worried about, making friends with people his own age is easy

No, he gets the feeling he might just be making friends with people who are naturally inclined to being friendly. Anya, Hinata... ]

[anya and hinata sat down in the same class once and then hi5ed and decided they were friends apparently so tsukasa sure does know how to pick 'em]

No...? Ah, then it is extra lucky that we are friends.

Любимый? Do you have a favorite flavor of treat?

NOVEMBER TDM

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