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

[dumber]

[ i’d like you to meet the personification of ]

So—You’re saying this is made of sugar? [ he gestures, with the bread. ] Isn’t it flour?

[compendiem]

[ He can almost see the cogs turning... ]

Yes. To both.

[dumber]

[ ooooohhh . . . he doesn’t get it! ]

That’s . . . What you wanted to tell me? The whole time? [ he gives a bit of a relieved sigh. ] Man, you made me think I was done for . . . I’m okay with sugar for today.

[compendiem]

[ Today... ]

Do you go to the store every day? Instead of stocking up two weeks at a time?

[dumber]

Well, er . . . [ he thought it was onbvious, with the stealing, but. guess not. it’s going to have to come from his mouth. maybe he deserves it, and before heaving so harshly that his shoulders slump, he musters up with a pretty quiet voice. ] I don’t really make enough to stock up. Pay as I go, y’know?

[ he rolls his shoulders, and looks apologetic, before his hands stick into his pockets. ] When I have the pay, anyways.

[compendiem]

[ No, it wasn't immediately obvious, and Minato looks unsympathetic, if the lack of emotion on his face can be taken for that. This guy's problem is two fold: money, and food. But Minato used to be in something of a similar situation himself, with less worry of money since his parents had left him enough to get by after they died, once he turned old enough to transfer the money to his name. ]

A restaurant job... you get leftovers sometimes. That's what I do at the cafe.

[dumber]

[ wait what, ethan has heard magic pops and he needs to grab his head. and make wild gestures and speeding words. calm!! he is calm (he is not) ]

You know any places with, ah, crap, what’s it— temporary hiring? Or any hiring? I mean, all the spots I’ve been to say they don’t need anymore guys, but I can do dishes? Or clean when the other guy isn’t. I’m good at lifting too, like, boxes . . . Or heavy stuff, or any kind of stuff, they don’t even have to pay in change if there’s food in the works all the time, or—

[ stop him he’s probably breathing smoke breath all over you ]

[compendiem]

[ There he goes... Finding the right moment to cut in is always the hardest thing in the world, so he doesn't even try, instead waiting it out until Ethan has to draw breath— it takes a surprisingly long time, considering smoker's lungs— and then sort of gestures at himself to break Ethan's flow. ]

Dunno for sure, but with winter break coming, college students go home. They'll be more job openings next month, if not now

[ It's not exactly a lifting job, but if there's anything on the high shelves that need to be taken down... Yeah, Minato isn't the one they call. So maybe there'll be a place for Ethan where he works. ]

I work at Expressive. Can talk to the manager if they're taking interviews. Since training takes time, and they'll need temps for December.

[dumber]

[ his excitement wins out in the end, even though he speeds up even more the more he actually needs to breath— when he’s cut off, his lungs give thanks, and ethan puts a hand to his chest just to cough. he just . . . wanted to talk! it’s not all the time that someone listens to him! every word counts!!

and ethan’s eyes sparkle like a blast of fireworks. ]

You’d really do that?!

[compendiem]

[ The sparkle is almost enough that Minato squints and almost looks away, trying to figure Ethan out. He promised already, didn't he? Being asked to confirm it again just gives Minato the opportunity to back out.

Well, he's not that bad.

Only sort of. ]

Yeah. For a price.

[ He holds his hands out. Give him the bread. ]

[dumber]

[ it’s such a wild dream, he had to make sure. man, he could just hug you after that confirmation, but . . . being asked for a price, his smile droops. ]

Seriously?

[ an upset sigh. dude, he thought you were cool, but he’s just too damn desperate to object to it, and after making a come on face: ]

I’ve got— [ he rummages through his pocket, holding the bread roll in his free hand and pulls out . . . a coin and some lint. ] A nickel? That’s all I have, seriously.

[ not that kind of pricing ethan ]

[compendiem]

[ A nickle, huh... This is where any other person might give Ethan a disappointed, or even pitying look. Minato, though, reaches forward and takes—

the piece of lint.

He cups it in his hands, closes his eyes, and presses his hands to his lips, mumbling something into his knuckles before opening his hands, blowing the lint into air to be carried off into the breeze. ]

Your payment has been received. I'll go talk to the boss.

[dumber]

[ omfg dude— ethan dramatically flops his upper body forward, heaving a sigh. it might sound mad, but, by the end, he’s chuckling. ]

Dude! You almost gave me a heart attack! [ and then, he gives minato’s shoulder a squeeze. ] You actually made me think you were a greedy asshole!

[ hahahaha, aha.

you know what, you get a hug, from a stranger. a bear hug. ]

[compendiem]

[ Minato freezes up under the hug, but it's not like there's anything else he could do with his arms pinned at his sides, waiting for Ethan to let go.

Let...

let go.............. ]

...I should've taken your nickle.