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October | Test Drive Meme
Jikan Test Drive MemeMinimize
You've seen this before. The thought strikes suddenly, during whatever it is you were doing. Having an important conversation? Running away from home? Dying in the midst of a fierce battle? Where ever you are, one things is true: you're certain this isn't the first time you've lived through this. But upon realizing this, that's when it happens. Like someone hitting rewind on the VCR, you're back where you were ten minutes ago. And it happens again. And again. And again--Until finally, something is different. A door stands in front of you. Will you go through it? Nothing else seems to be working, so this might be your only chance.
Upon opening the door and heading inside, a strange feeling overwhelms you. It's comforting and warm, like being enveloped in a soft, heavy blanket. You hear a voice murmuring in your ear, but it's unintelligible.
And in the next moment, you've appeared in front of a mysterious stone shrine in the middle of a forest, surrounded by the unfamiliar yet worried faces of fox-like humans in red and white robes, speaking in a foreign language that doesn't sound so foreign to you anymore.
Maryouku University
There isn't much time to process what's happening before characters are transported to the nearby Maryouku University. All injuries are completely healed, and those under mental duress will have a powerful soothing spell cast on them to calm them down. Their every need is met: food is offered, and questions are answered. "You've arrived in the Western Kingdom of Nippon, on a planet called Gaia," they explain. "When you became aware of the timeloop, we... well, let us explain."
Orientation Maryouku University, Kyoto
Everyone is brought to a large auditorium, where dozens of other people looking similarly out of place are seated around them. The Kitsune Yokai from before filter on stage, as well as a number of humans and other Yokai in labcoats. And after a brief introduction, they begin to explain. What they experienced back home was a timeloop. While the loops in their home worlds are smaller and likely to resolve on their own, the fact that such a small amount of time is being repeated is what makes them so dangerous for those who become aware of it. And they've been working around the clock, checking adjacent universes for others who've become aware. While the technical explanations may go over the heads of most, that's not the reason they were all brought together like this.
And they continue to explain: their own world was trapped in a year long loop for decades, if not longer. Through the use of an ancient form of bonding magic, they bound their world to the present flow of time, allowing it to progress past the timeloop. Or at least, that's how they thought it worked. In truth, Kizuna is very powerful reality-warping magic. And thanks to the powerful bond all refugees now share with the country of Nippon, the magic surrounding them will only continue to evolve.
Until a means of resuming the flow of time back in their home world is found, they'll just have to make due with this one. But not to worry, because Nippon is fully committed to taking care of the refugees!
A Brand New Home Kyoto, Kansai
Once orientation is over, characters will be allowed to choose housing in both Kyoto and Tokyo, enabling them the means of easily living between both cities if they please. These housing options will be fully paid for by the government of Nippon, with the NRL and MRU providing a stipend for food expenses in Tokyo and Kyoto respectively.
In lieu of providing transportation, all refugees will be granted an unlimited rail pass that they can use to travel all across Nippon! As of the beginning of May, express routes connecting Tokyo and Kyoto will be running at all times of day, allowing refugees to freely travel between the Eastern and Western Kingdoms.
At the Kiyomizu Temple in Higashiyama, preparations are underway for a festival coming at the end of the month. Refugees will hear talk of the locals trying to decide on what style mask they want to create, and at the Temple itself, they'll find craft booths offering free supplies for custom mask making. The masks must reflect what a person believes to be their inner self, and there's limitless supplies provided to bring their creation to light. It seems these are going to be really important later, so don't just half-ass it, okay?
Over at the dorms in Gion, a rather provocative game has broken out amongst the residents. Following a generous gift of prized sake from one of their patrons, the Geiko have decided to throw a party with the refugees, and somehow, this devolved into a competition of strip rock-paper-scissors. With just how many accessories the Geiko wear, they clearly have the advantage! But no one is talking it very seriously, and the night is filled with laughter and silliness. Join the fun? It's one hell of a way to make new friends!
In Uji, signs of autumn have taken over, as the famously rural neighborhood becomes filled with beautiful hues of red and yellow. At the Byodoin Temple, the monks have requested that all visitors bring offerings of colorful leaves for their resident Phoenix deity, who is known to drain the color from people who provide lackluster or incorrect offerings. However, it seems the phoenix is only interested in red leaves this season, and offering any other color will render the one making the offering temporarily colorblind. At least the effect only lasts about an hour? Such a picky bird.
NRL Time Refugee Support Network
Once they've received their housing assignment, all refugees will be given small handheld devices called magi-tech comms, or magi-comms for short. They're heavier than a conventional smartphone would be, but far sturdier, and powered by the ambient magic that flows through the city. They don't need to be charged, but they won't work outside of cities at all. Upon booting it up, they'll find a message linking them to a special channel for refugees.
#nrl_time_refugee_support - online
Use the following code for your top-level if you'd like! This is how network communication will look for characters in the game until more advanced magi-tech comms become available for characters.
A Tale of Two Festivals
As the leaves of autumn begin to change, so too are the refugees encouraged to change up their routine and pay a visit to the city of Nara. Located south of Kyoto, Nara is a city where Yokai and Ayakashi live in perfect equilibrium, with many aspects of life in the city adjusted to account for the Ayakashi's eccentric behavior. Likewise, the Ayakashi here are almost never known to curse anyone, and are generous in the blessings they offer both the people and the land in which they live.
Perhaps some are put off by the idea of a city where Ayakashi are allowed to flourish after past experiences with these strange creatures. But this month is special!
Starting on October 1st, the Tsukimi Festival is held every night after sundown for the next two weeks. Long ago, the gods gifted Gaia an enchanting string of pearls that entwined the planet, lighting up the night sky. However, the greed of mortals seeking power led them to fight over the pearls. As wars waged, the pearls would be shattered in the conflict, until only one remained. Seeing the way their gift was tarnished, the gods decided that those on Gaia would only be allowed to see the pearl in all its glory for part of the month, taking it away for the other half. This became the cycles of the moon, and the shattered remains of the other pearls formed the solid ring that is always visible in the night sky.
So what makes October so special? For this month only, the full moon will be completely visible for the first full two weeks of the month, never visibly waxing nor waning. But what happens after two weeks...? Well, you'll just have to be patient for that!
One With Nature Narashi, Nara
Nara is an interesting city. Buildings are seemingly hidden away by larger-than-life trees that tower overhead, with some even built into the trees themselves, and all of them brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow for the fall season. Lower streets and areas are lit up by special bioluminescent flowers that bloom on the lower sections of the tree's trunk. And while magic-powered lifts exist, the sheer number of elevated walkways and stairs make it a bit of a workout to explore. And of course, no matter where one looks, wildlife is around every corner -- though by and far, most of them are ayakashi. But there are no higanbana death flowers or dangerous tsutsumi-bara vines here. Instead, the refugees will has a chance to see more tranquil varieties ordinarily only found in the depths of Nippon's forests.
One of the more common creatures found in the main district of Nara, Narashi, is the Arukibake, the ghost-walker ayakashi. Utterly harmless, these little leggy ghosts can be found strutting around the city at every corner, ranging from the size of an apple to waist-height. However, they're known to be naturally attracted to people who have recently experienced bouts of depression or loneliness. The exact reason for this is unknown, but anyone seen with a small procession of these fellas marching silently behind them is certain to get more than a few concerned passer-bys offering them a warm meal, a hug, or even a shoulder to cry on if they need it. Even for the Western Kingdom, it seems the people of Nara are especially compassionate.
And then, there's the likes of the fuwakafun, the puffball ayakashi. No larger than your average cotton ball, these little guys are known to spread not pollen, but color as they move from flower to flower. And Nara, with its unique species of bioluminescent flower that blooms all year round, has no shortage of flowers even during the fall season. Should the fuwakafun land on someone's hair or clothing, it'll fade to take on the color of whatever flower the fuwakafun was resting in before. Ordinarily this effect is meant to create rare flowers as a gift for those who allow the fuwakafun to live in their garden, but with more fuwakafun than flowers, they've got to make do with what they have.
But for all that the Ayakashi in Nara are peaceful, there are still more than a few troublemakers. One in particular to look out for is the gurakurage, the glass-jelly ayakashi. Appearing in an array of beautiful colors, these ayakashi are attracted by greed and feelings of lust. It's not uncommon to see them tethered by a string in shops, where their increased activity serves as a warning to look out for shoplifters. But when encountered in the wild, these strange jellyfish will latch onto the bodies of people experiencing sexual frustration. A minor annoyance to be sure, as they can simply be peeled off, but just don't break the glass dome atop their head. Doing so will greatly anger the ayakashi, causing them to grow in size before... well. I think we all know where the prompt with the tentacle creature is going.
Dear Deer Narashi, Nara
While Nara is known for its high population of Ayakashi, the most well-known is the Saiwaika, the good-fortune deer. Growing no more than two feet high, these miniature deer can be found in parks throughout Nara, where they've become so docile and used to the presence of Yokai that they'll walk right up and cutely beg for food. Thankfully, vendors selling special crackers for the saiwaika can be found everywhere.
Being around the saiwaika has an interesting effect. Those who look upon their tiny, dainty forms will find themselves strongly compelled to be generous and kind to every living creature they meet. Originally a defense mechanism against predators, the saiwaika instead offer this power as a blessing to the people of Nara, which is said to have the lowest crime rate of any city in the Western Kingdom. Even cruel or downright evil folks will find their hearts filled with warm feelings, offering to buy their worst enemy lunch, help a little old lady cross the street, or maybe even offer some more of those tasty crackers to the deer...
All right, so there's a little bit of an ulterior motive to their blessing. But you can't deny they're very cute. However, they really do have a certain craving for these crackers. And while they've learned not to steal them off the stall tables, once the wrapping comes off, it's a free-for-all. The tiny deer have been known to swarm, nibbling at the clothes of those bearing the treats. Some even attempt to jump and steal them, with the saiwaika being well-known for its ability to leap nearly ten feet into the air. Yes, this looks as silly as you can imagine.
Perhaps its because of this that a common prank played by children in Nara is to slip a few crackers into an unsuspecting friend's pocket, causing the deer to hungrily swarm without the target knowing why. Shouldn't their blessing counteract these pranks...? Well, if the saiwaika is getting fed, is it really such a bad thing?
Behold The Pearl Narashi, Nara
Given the name of the festival, it should come as no surprise that the chief activity performed during the festival is simply observing the moon with good company and plenty of food every night. Its radiance will only grow brighter as the festival continues, the light reflecting off the ring that surrounds Gaia and causing it, too, to glow every night, occasionally releasing rainbow-colored bursts of magical energy only visible during Tsukimi.
For the best views, Sarusawa Pond in Narashi is widely considered to be the optimal location for moon-viewing parties. Food and drink stalls can be found lining the pathways that circle the pond, and with the backdrop of a five-story pagoda lit up by moonlight, it's also known as one of the most romantic spots in Nara.
But while there are plenty of places to sit and gaze up at the moon on the shore, the real celebrations occur on small boats that sit silently upon the water. Only allowed to sail at a certain hour before sundown, those hoping for a proper moon-viewing best board early. And once the boat has parked on the pond, a Mizu spell is used to still the water, causing a mirror-like image of the moon and the stars above to reflect upon its pristine surface.
But aside from being very beautiful, there are a number of superstitions associated with this practice. It's said that one should never stare at their own reflection in the water, or else they may see their reflection begin to twist and mutate into a monster. While limited to just their reflection, the effects of this spell may cause erratic or animal-like behavior when standing in the moonlight, with some becoming prone to acting on their every impulse, no matter how rash. It's not uncommon for at least one party-goer to make the mistake of staring too long, before throwing themselves in the shallow pond and thrashing about wildly. Unfortunately, the effects of this will linger until the festival ends on the 14th. Better bring an umbrella for tomorrow's Tsukimi.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's October TDM! The TDM is considered game canon, and also serves as the intro log! That said, whether you choose to carry threads over to the game or not is up to you!
• Current players are more than welcome to top-level, or take prompts from the TDM and use for their own logs! This may change in the future depending on how busy TDMs become.
• CRAU characters may start regaining their CRAU memories one month after the TDM. However, vague feelings of familiarity are allowed between previous game CR! For more on this, please read the FAQ!
• You do not need to sign-up for housing! Choose whichever style you prefer, in both Kyoto and Tokyo. Roommates can be chosen by the characters or can be random. If you want to switch housing later, your character has the option of moving at the beginning of each month.
• While you do not need to thread the mask-making prompt if you don't want to, these masks will become important for the event later in the month, so choose your designs carefully!
• The full moon will be visible in the night sky from everywhere in Nippon for the first two weeks of October. While Tsukimi celebrations can be found everywhere, the sister festival to this one is unique to the Kansai region, and will be explained in more detail in the event later in the month.
• Characters who have their reflection mutated by the pond's spell will retain a monster-like appearance when they look into a mirror or reflective surface until the festival ends on the 14th. This effect is for their reflection only.
• Similarly, whether their reflection becomes monstrous in a frightening way, or monstrous in a sexy way, is completely up to you. The change can be subtle or dramatic, and those around them will be able to see the changes!
Please leave any questions about the TDM prompts in the thread below! General game questions can be directed to the FAQ!
Apps are always open!
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Ren Amamiya | Persona 5
[The night before, Ren had a dream of when he and his friends had temporarily disappeared from existence because of Yaldabaoth bringing about ruin. When he woke up, it left Ren in a sour mood.
He tried to get his mind off that memory but he couldn't help but think about his friends, and how much he missed them. Which made his mood more sad than angry. This of course results in an arukibake starting to follow him.
At first, Ren just ignores them, hoping they will lose interest. But then it keeps going and he even attracts a couple more of them. He can vaguely sense stares at him, but he's used to that so he pays no mind.
Though he is trying to push down the sadness. Though at this rate, he might try to run. He's getting frustrated as it is and will likely be rather snappy if spoken to.]
II. Behold the Pearl
[Sure Ren isn't with a date, but he wants to see the nice view anyway. If only to make up for earlier. He's trying not to look at his reflection, though he did spot it once. What appeared to be his shadow self. Or what he assumes anyway, what with the glowing yellow eyes and horns like Arsene.
Either way, he's trying to relax. Care to join or bother him?]
III. Wildcard
[Rather do something else? Just post here.]
I
Looks like you have quite the party train going on, but let's say we take a little detour to a little place I've wanted to try. What say you? My treat!
[Obviously, the kid didn't need to actually talk about what was going on. But Kaeya was in no mood to keep seeing the creepy crawlies, no matter how slow of a procession they were. Besides, it proved a distraction for himself.]
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Plus he'll try anything to get these guys away and hey, this might be a good chance for a new
confidantfriend.]Sure, lead the way.
[Thankfully they won't get followed so they can have some peace.]
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[True to his word, Kaeya led Ren to a little out of the way vendor selling meat skewers. He had an affinity for those treats given he made some of his own back home. One day, he'll find the right wine to recreate his famous Fruity Skewers. But for now, these would do. He also didn't keep his arm around Ren, they were virtual strangers and he likely was being too forward enough as it was. But it did the trick and the ghosts were not following them for now.]
There's an assortment, take your pick. [He addressed the vendor.] I'll take two of these ones and, oh! I see you have some wine! A man after my own heart. That isn't uki, is it? No? Good, I'll try that one.
[He addressed the teen next to him.]
I'm paying so nothing alcoholic for him, if you please.
[The vendor laughed and pointed to Ren the other beverage he had, mostly fruity drinks and the like.]
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He looks at the assortment and picks out a couple of them.]
I'll take those two.
[He makes a small chuckle as well.] Even if I was of legal age to drink, I wouldn't go for booze anyway.
[He looks at the fruity drinks and points to a strawberry flavored one.] This one.
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To simply call it "booze", you wound me, sir! Wine, especially well made ones and paired with the right foods, is a taste that just cannot be outdone by any old "booze"!
[But, as he was merely teasing (regardless of how true he felt his words were), he only laughed and gave the vendor his money.]
Of course, growing up on a winery, I may be biased.
[He motioned with his chin to the little tables set aside from people who wanted to eat first before walking around some more.]
I'm Kaeya, by the way. I don't normally kidnap young lads for food and drink, I assure you. But the ghostly procession had me a little concerned, I must admit. I've been seeing them quite a bit lately.
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In my defense, I once worked part time in a bar and being around drunk guys a lot made alcohol less appealing. I didn't serve alcohol though, just cleaned.
[He follows Kaeya to a table to sit down.]
I'm Ren Amamiya. It's fine though. Better to have gotten away from those yokai anyway.
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[It really hadn't been until he mentioned that he realized how true the statement was. Diona and Diluc both hated alcohol, although generally for different reasons, and yet they bartend and mix drinks quite well.]
From what I could see and what I've heard, they would not have done anything to you. It's the fact that they were following you to begin with that was the concerns.
[So, it was a casual sip of the wine that he finally asked.]
Homesick?
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[He takes a bite out of one of his skewer before continuing.] I didn't think so either, it was just annoying. Especially when I wasn't in the best of moods either.
[The last question though makes him pause. This guy is pretty sharp to pick up on it so quickly.]
...Yeah, pretty much. Aside from someone who's from almost 10 years in the past from me, I'm the only one here.
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[Not necessarily a bar, obviously. He took a bite of his own food for a moment, raising an eyebrow at the mention of the time difference.]
Ten years? Hm... I had heard of people being from different points in time, but not quite that far off. Did you already know this person from ten years in your past?
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No I didn't. He lived elsewhere and attended a different school than me, so it was a first time meeting him here.
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[Kaeya was lucky in that there were familiar faces here for him, although as he was now a child of two nations, he wasn’t sure exactly what he missed about home. But the recent change between him and his brother certainly helped a lot more than he realized.
But it also made him realize that there were others who were without. That really sucked, didn’t it?]
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[It was certainly a way for Ren to have his first kiss.]
Maybe I'll get lucky and some of my friends will end up showing up at some point.
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II because I apparently need to hog you
You have been blessed by the Koromaru. Be at peace.
Or, you know, have Minato bite back a small laugh as he watched, a hand covering his mouth to smother the sound. He failed.]
Koro-chan, please behave.
Naw it's all good. More CR is good.
Oh hello there.
[He hears that laugh and looks up to see Minato.] It's fine. It was getting a bit lonely out here anyway.
[Oh right, he just remembered something.]
By the way, sorry about that pet name the other day at the maid cafe. I was just trying to mess with you because you looked so embarrassed and it was amusing. Not trying to be a creep.
<3
I figured. I met enough clientele that day to tell who is actual a creep and who wasn't.
[Koromaru arf'd again and Minato knelt down to give him some pets, eventually sitting next to Ren with the dog between them. Koromaru sniffed at Ren, tail wagging.]
Hm, I wonder if he can tell you have a persona too. He's a friendly dog but he seems to be getting attached to you fast.
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[Ren lowers a hand gently to let Koromaru sniff it. As tempting as it is to pet, he needed to see if the dog would be comfortable with that at all. Trust is earned after all.]
Oh? Does he have some kind of persona sensing ability?
We have a cat who can use a persona, but he would tell you he's not a cat if you said that to him.
[A shame Koromaru can't talk.]
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[Koromaru sniffed and panted happily, eagerly booping his nose against Ren's hand.]
Animals always seem to be able to sense things we humans can't, but no, he's also a persona user. But he can't talk unlike your cat.
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A shame really. At the start, Morgana had no memories and he was really convinced that he was a human who's body that got distorted into a cat form, but then when his memory came back, it turned out he was created by Igor.
When Yaldabaoth kidnapped him, he gathered people's hope and created him to help me. But Morgana lost his memory and couldn't really guide me that way.
He was actually with me when the time loops happened but when I arrived here, he was gone. I guess the gate didn't let him through.
[It would have been nice to have his cat with him but alas. He sighs and almost looks over at the lake but stops himself.
Man he really misses his cat and other friends.]
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[Well, the circumstances around that time were not something he wanted to really talk about. Especially with the Fall festivities and what it seemed to entail. Besides, Ren already looked down. He didn't want to add to that.]
I was kind of falling asleep, so.
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[Though the idea of Morgana having sex in either form makes Ren's skin crawl. Where's brain bleach when you need it?
Though the last bit distracts him.]
Having trouble sleeping or just staying up too late?
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Not really. I just like to nap. It was a really nice day and I was waiting for the graduation speech to be over. My friends and I promised to meet on the rooftop of the school once last time since two of them were graduating.
[Koromaru whined, he was a very intelligent dog and quickly turned to lick Minato's face and then rest his face on Minato's shoulder. The boy was surprised, stroking the dog's fur along his back.]
Koro-chan? Do you miss the others too? I should have known, I'm sorry.
[He knew that wasn't quite it, but as Koromaru couldn't correct him, he rolled with that story for now. He felt bad, lying to Ren like this.]
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Fair enough. I've been guilty of sleeping in class sometimes too though only after my teacher gave me permission to do so once in a while.
[ [Ren pets Koromaru again to give comfort. He has no idea of the lie.]
I know the feeling, Koro-chan. I'm sure you'll see them again in the future.
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You had permission? Just slept whenever I wanted. The teachers didn’t seem to care as long as I got good grades.
[Which he did.
He sighed softly, he didn’t like to lie about it but he really just wanted to spare Ren’s feelings. They were becoming friends and it wasn’t like things were different back home. There was ten years between them, after all so even if he had been alive, there was that age gap.
He rubbed Koromaru’s head, hiding his thoughts which his usual listlessness.]
Maybe your friends will too.
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She was one of my confidants and I eventually got that permission from her after a while. That's pretty lucky that you could get away with that though. I would get in trouble if I tried in any other class and likely a thrown chalk to the head.
[That and the whole criminal record thing but that's beside the point. That last part makes Ren sigh.]
I hope so.
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