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April | 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 a laboratory, surrounded by the unfamiliar yet worried faces of people in lab coats, speaking in a foreign language that doesn't sound so foreign to you anymore.
Nanjikan Research Laboratory
There isn't much time to process what's happening before characters are ushered out of the arrival room. They're passed between a medical and a psychiatric team, checking them for injuries and psychological trauma. Their every need is met: food is offered, injuries are tended to, and questions are answered. "You're in the Eastern Kingdom of Nippon on a planet called Gaia," they explain. "You were brought here because you became aware of the timeloop... we'll explain everything."
Orientation Nanjikan Research Lab, Tokyo
Everyone is brought to a large auditorium, where dozens of other people looking similarly out of place are seated around them. The scientists and doctors from before file on stage, thoroughly explaining the situation. 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 in collaboration with the neighboring Western Kingdom, 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 they find the means of resuming the flow of time back in your home world, the refugees will just have to make due with this one. But not to worry, because Nippon is fully committed to taking care of everyone!
A Place to Call Home Tokyo, Kanto
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 Kingdoms 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! Thankfully, 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 as they please. While this TDM and its prompts are focused on the Eastern Kingdom, you are welcome to have your character arrive in the Western Kingdom instead.
For those bound for Nihonbashi, be careful not to board the train too late at night. Because on Friday nights, the Loop Line's final train of the night is a party train! Every train car is set up with its own theme and decor, with this week featuring the return of the ever popular sexy maid cafe in the rear of the car! Dress up in a surprisingly demure maid outfit (this is 1921) and take customer orders, or have a seat and peruse the menu. Aside from a small bar, there's no actual food service or exchange of currency going on here, so it's all in good fun! The train will loop endlessly past the same station until sunrise, so hopefully they weren't planning on an early night's sleep.
In Little Edo, a Great Nippon Salamander has been spotted wandering the streets in search of clean water. While this may not seem like a big deal, these creatures range in size from that of a large dog to that of a large house. To subdue the creature, the local hunting clan, the Hanzaki, are searching for volunteers to help coax the salamander back out into the swamplands of the Tokyo Outskirts. While the safest method is to lead it using a hose or another source of water, those looking to get the job done quickly may instead choose to fight the creature, causing it to flee in whichever direction they point it in. Careful, they move faster than you think!
Over in Yoshiwara, the Tokyo branch of the refugee-owned nightclub, Club Hexxx, has finally opened its doors! Enjoy a dark and spooky atmosphere while listening to the latest jazz hits. And best of all, refugees will be offered a free glass of Club Hexxx's signature drink: Kinklist, a coffee-flavored drink that turns white after one sip, and causing the drinker's deepest sexual desire to appear written on their cheek in black ink. The text will remain until they finish the rest of the drink.
NRL Time Refugee Support Network
Once they've received their housing assignment, all refugees will be given small handheld devices called magi-tech communicators, 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. Now available with limited sepia-tone color, and video cameras! 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.
Springtime Flowers
With the changing of the seasons, the cherry blossoms have finally bloomed, painting the landscape with dashes of pink and white on nearly every corner. Not even the busy citizens of Tokyo can resist stopping to smell the flowers, or even enjoying picnics underneath them!
And those looking for the best place to view the flowers need look no further than Little Edo, a suburb in south Tokyo that borders the vast wetlands that separate Tokyo from Yokohama. And between the lush parks, interesting shrines, and mysterious ruins, there's no shortage of things for those settling in to explore!
A Very Special Festival Kanayama Shrine, Tokyo Outskirts
While most residents are celebrating the spring season under the cherry blossoms, a different sort of celebration is taking place at the Kanayama Shrine, located just south of Tokyo on a tall, narrow hilltop that juts out of the flooded landscape. Once more, it's time for the annual Kanamara Matsuri, and all refugees will find themselves invited to the little island to see the festivities. And what sort of festival is it, you may ask?
Why, it's the Festival of the Steel Phallus! According to legend, there was once a plague of a type of ayakashi that was known to live in the genitals of humans, whose vicious bite caused the birthrate of a certain city to drop down to zero. To combat this, an afflicted young woman asked a blacksmith to forge a steel phallus in order to break the ayakashi's teeth, freeing her of the curse. It's said the original phallus remains enshrined in the innermost chambers-- and in honor of this most venerated dildo, a festival is held every spring to celebrate sexuality and fertility, all leading up to a procession in which a giant steel phallus is paraded around the island.
(And no, I didn't make this one up.)
Refugees visiting the shrine will find no shortage of phallic-shaped foods and merchandise. Outside of the wide array of oddly shaped dildos to choose from, in terms of food, there are stalls selling lollipops, popsicles, sausages, grilled squid, octopus balls, cream-filled dick waffles-- but there's more at work here than a simple theme. Those who choose the popsicles will find themselves with a temporary oral fixation, causing an urge to have something between their lips at all times. Now, is this a naughty trick, or merely a marketing ploy to sell more popsicles? It's hard to say.
But the real treat is inside the shrine itself, where a single dildo stands tall among gilded offerings and flowers. The inner chamber is only ever put on display once a year, and for good reason. Anyone whose eyes fall upon the majestic phallus will become overwhelmed with a desire to fill or be filled - which might just be why viewings are done in groups of two or more, with the outer doors of the shrine closed behind them for privacy. There's a nice pile of pillows and no shortage of lubricating oils available, so why not get into the spirit of the season with a friend or two?
Flowers of Evil Little Edo, Tokyo
Festivals aside, many people are coming out to Little Edo to enjoy the array of cherry blossom trees for Hanami, or flower watching parties. Of these, the refugees will find themselves invited to a special gathering, taking place under the shade of a massive cherry blossom tree that was planted in their honor the year before. And yet despite it's young age, it's the largest tree around, continually growing since the initial growth spurt when it was planted. Although most understand that it was likely Kizuna that caused its sudden growth, locals have begun treating it as something sacred, leaving offerings and making prayers beneath its branches.
And should the refugees decide to take part as well, they may be surprised to find that whatever they wish for comes true. These wishes are rather limited, and some may only exist for a few minutes. But for those wishing to meet someone from home, the may be surprised to find that the person in question will appear beside them in Nippon... (See notes below for details!)
But while everyone else is enjoying the cherry blossoms, a certain park in Little Edo is drawing crowds for a different reason. After last year's outbreak of jubokko ayakashi, the cherry blossom trees in this area were permanently stained by the jubokko's red pollen, causing the pink petals to develop distinct red veins.
However, unlike the jubokko's pollen, these petals carry a very different effect. Anyone who stands under the shade of these trees will feel an irresistible urge to confess something. This can be something minor, like a strange food combination they are particularly fond of, or something major, such as the name of the last person they had sex with. This urge will linger even after leaving the flowers, until they've either confessed enough to appease the tree, or until the trees go bare when the blossoms fall.
Underwater Mysteries Tokyo Outskirts, Kanto
Those who are familiar with some version of Nippon may find the changed landscape to be rather confusing. Due to a massive time surge many decades ago, the entire region of Kanto was flooded, leaving many cities underwater or transformed into swamplands. As nature took over, the flooded region surrounding Tokyo came to be known the Tokyo Outskirts.
Ordinarily, exploring this area can be rather dangerous, given both the presence of dangerous Ayakashi and the unstable landscape that's peppered with the ruins of drowned cities. But this week, those looking for a little adventure can take part in special boat tours exploring the ruins and viewing the cherry trees from a unique vantage point.
Up to four people can fit in a single steamboat, which is preprogrammed to follow a path that will take passengers past the top of a large hill that's almost completely covered in cherry blossom trees, with the ruins of a few old buildings just barely visible beneath the overgrowth. But beauty aside, the real marvel is within the water itself, which is clear enough that one can look down and see roads, trees, and even entire buildings still mostly intact beneath the surface. You'd think the water just appeared one day, given that nothing seems to have been destroyed when the flood occurred.
But not every trip will go as smoothly as planned. Hidden beneath the pink petals that pepper the surface of the water, unlucky refugees may spot the long, long body of an Ikuchi, the sea serpent ayakashi. Thought to be the longest Ayakashi to exist in Nippon, these thick, snake-like creatures may take entire minutes just to pass under a boat. Spotting the body is simply distressing, and thankfully not of much concern. But should someone make eye contact with the third eye on top of its head, the Ikuchi will climb over the side of the boat and coil around it, attempting to drag it beneath the surface. And for the one who initially made eye contact, they'll find themselves affixed with a curse that temporarily makes it impossible to float in the water.
Thankfully, this ayakashi isn't interested in attacking those who fall overboard, and there's plenty of spots where the water is far more shallow. But those who fall in will have to wait until another tour comes by to ferry them back to shore.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's April 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!
• For this month only, please include in your top-level if you are a new player without an invite! Those seeking an invite can do so here!!
• 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. 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.
• Despite everything, Kanamaru Matsuri is considered an all-ages event!
• Wishes can be anything, from food items to items from home. All characters in the game will be allowed to redeem one item, magical or otherwise, from home using this prompt! However, for new character apping into the game, you have the option to have your character join the game by being wished into the setting. The wish can be anything from a direct plea to see a certain castmate again, or even just a wish for more friends that goes awry. These characters will still remember a time loop, but will not remember seeing a door, instead appearing in Tokyo after hearing the wishing-character's voice call to them. These characters will then be encouraged to visit the NRL for orientation, and will be offered an explanation that Kizuna saved them from the timeloop directly.
• While characters may attempt to fight the Ikuchi, it will not fight back, and cutting its body will cause it to grow another head and become another separate Ikuchi. This new head is also capable of cursing people, so it's probably best to leave it alone.
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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Aerith Gainsborough | Final Fantasy 7: Remake | OTA
[Of course it was a mistake. Aerith hadn't meant to be on the train so late, time had gotten away from her and now, here she was, standing off to the side with a bright smile behind the little bar.
There was something very odd about this train. It had been going around and around and she'd missed her stop several times now, so much that she had been given a whole new outfit and told to settle it. It would be this way until sunrise. And with nothing better to do, she thought why not?
Besides... she looked cute~
Aerith giggled and reached down to give the frills of her skirt a little flick. Yep. Definitely cute!]
2) Little Edo: Salamander Army
[Water magic swirled around her, bubbling and splashing ahead of her, floating in glowing orbs of liquid all around. And she was smiling.
Around her, Aerith had Salamanders of various sizes following like she was a Pied Piper! She was the Salamander Whisperer. She danced backwards, they were quick after all, directing the water away when they got a little too close.
But the one time she did this, she failed to see the large Salamander sneaking up behind her, large mouth agape...]
3) Yoshiwara: Hidden Desire
[Aerith was a 'go with the flow' kinda girl, and the flow lead her straight to Club Hexxx.
Her mom warned her of places like this...
Which was why she walked directly through the doors! Head held high, eyes bright and curious. A splash of colour to the dark of the clubs interior. She tried her best not to stand out too much, but on finding out that she could get a free drink she took herself over to the bar and hopped onto a stool.
A drink in a tumbler was placed in front of her, dark and mysterious looking with cubes of ice floating within. Aerith brought it to her lips and sniffed before taking a sip. Coffee! Bitter but there was a strange sweetness...]
Oh this is nice!
[And before her eyes the drink swirled with white, the darkness receding. She was so fascinated, how could she possibly see the words that appeared upon her cheek; to be possessed.
4) Kanayama Shrine: Size Matters!
Oh my god! Look at the size of that thing!
[Aerith's bright laughter could be contagious in the right company. Right now she was stood in front of a stall with, what she had been told, was a collection of sex toys.
The fact was, Aerith had never seen a sex toy in her life! And the one she held in her hand was thick, red and a good 12 inches.]
It's too much! What would you need all of this for?
[When she wasn't laughing at the dildos she was off giggling at the phallic shaped foods.
Heaven forbid she try any...]
5) Little Edo: Jubokko
a) A Wish
[Eyes closed, hands together in prayer, Aerith stood under the blossoming cherry blossom tree and wished with all of her heart.
She wished for her friends... For Cloud and Tifa and Barret. The other, Yuffie, Vincent and Red... She even sent out a prayer for Zack. For her mother. For those who had passed that maybe they could live again in this strange world.]
b) A Confession
There is something wrong with these trees...
[Aerith had no idea of the story behind it, but she could see there was something distinctly wrong. She caught a petal in the palm of her hand and delicately touched it with the index finger of her other hand, it was so strange.]
[WILDCARD] Have another idea? Want to plot something out? Catch me on
Yoshiwara
Sephiroth took them up on that free drink so he would have something to hold while making this hopefully brief appearance. He'd just taken a sip himself when he saw Aerith and the words written on her cheek. He didn't know that his own now read to possess. ]
Is that your idea of makeup?
[ Sephiroth's feet took him to her before he really had time to think anything through. He was talking about the writing, of course. ]
Re: Yoshiwara
[Aerith looked up in surprise when she heard that voice. A voice that had been haunting her recently. She blinked at him, not understanding what he was talking about.]
I'm no wearing make up.
[Which was true enough, she rarely did. And she hadn't intended to go to the club, otherwise she might have made more of an effort.
Aerith watched him come toward her, hearing him easily over the din of the club, and seeing him just as easily. How could you miss those eyes? But it was as he got closer that she caught sight of something on his cheek. It was hard to tell so she squinted a little.]
Are you injured? Or is that dirt on your cheek?
You sure about this guy, Aerith?
Is that so? Then what [ He brushed a thumb under the words, written in black and now surrounded by a pale green. ] is this?
[ Sephiroth ignored her other comment in his single-minded pursuit. ]
YEP!
Aerith blinked and brought her own hand up to her cheek. She felt nothing, not even a reason for the odd tingle left by the touch. She rubbed at her cheek then with her index finger.]
Is it gone?
[There shouldn't have been anything on her cheek, and if it wasn't gone she'd have to find the nearest bathroom and deal with it herself!]
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[ And neither was Sephiroth. He was still somewhat stooped over with his hand hovering near her and he didn't even realize it. ]
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Words that caused her flush to darken. Her breath caught and her gaze moved from his cheek to those bright, cat-like eyes that were watching her so intently.]
No... I guess not.
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Sephiroth slid onto the stool right next to Aerith without really increasing the distance between them or taking his eyes off her. He was doing a lot of communicating without words. ]
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Would he answer her?
She licked a little at her lips and pulled her gaze away, turning her attention back to the drink which she took another sip of. Suddenly wishing it was something a little stronger than coffee.]
So what brings you here?
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he is so unoriginal I am sorry
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5A.
She might have been marveling at the tree; she might have been praying. Whatever Prim had been doing, she isn't doing it now. Rather, two bright orange eyes are focused on the brunette. A blue-black vulpine ear, the same color as her long, silky hair, twitches, but she won't say anything until the woman's prayer is complete. ]
Are you missing someone, too?
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[Aerith said softly after she'd opened her eyes and turned her gaze up to the pretty pink blossoms above. She smiled before she turned to face the one who had spoken to her.]
You as well? Are you far away from home also?
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[ She doesn't sound tired exactly. No, it's something else, certain images flashing behind her eyelids when she blinks. ]
Though I cannot say Nippon was an expected stop.
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[Her smile gentled.]
I'm Aerith. It's nice to meet you. Have you been here long?
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[ Something about Aerith's manner and smile makes her think so. The latter is certainly infectious and she smiles as she bows in greeting. ]
I only just arrived today; however, this is the second time I've been brought to Nippon.
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[Oh, we were bowing? Okay she could do this! Aerith had never done it before really but she gave it a try and couldn't help laughing once she straightened back up. The laughter faded a second later though, she looked at the pretty girl curiously.]
You've been here before...? Does that mean you were able to leave?
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'T was not done voluntarily. One moment I was in Nippon, the next at loop's beginning on Gē once again. The matter had not resolved itself.
[ The loop that is. It seemed poised to continue. ]
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[She looked unhappy with this news. It meant that even if she were to return...]
Well. I am glad you were able to return here safely, if that is the case.
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5a
There's a lot he could say - he'd spent a lot of time trying to figure out what he would have said once he got back to Midgar. Things that were pretty pointless now, considering that wasn't going to happen. Or he could act on impulse, but - that might not go over well, either. It's been years, after all.
So, he settles on something else]
Do you think if I wished for a pretty girl it would grant my wish?
[hi Aerith]
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But he was...
There was no way that wish could possibly have come true. Right?
Aerith swallowed and slowly made herself turn around.
And there he was. Looking so very alive. Zack...]
You... [Taking a deep breath, Aerith reached up with a hand to catch a petal floating down from the sky and offered it in her palm to Zack.] I'm sure if you wish hard enough, you'll get that wish.
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He glances down at her hand and carefully takes the petal, breathing out a quiet laugh. Pretends to look it over, as though it has the answer to his question, too]
You know, I think you might be right.
[he takes a deep breath and looks up from the petal] It's been a while, huh.
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How long has it been for you?
[She spoke softly, hands clasped in front of her, knuckles going white. Aerith was having to hold herself back.]
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I kind of lost track of time for a while. [his tone is apologetic, if a bit uncertain as he adds] Four years? It might be closer to five, I'm not really sure.
[. . .]
That's what your letter said, at least.
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[She thought back to those letters and which ones she had mentioned that time in, and knew it had to be one of the last... Aerith took another deep breath and made herself smile for him. He was Zack before he had died. And not long before that, if she had to guess.
Which meant she couldn't say a word to him about it happening. His future was not for her to discuss.]
Then its so good to see you again, Zack. It really has been a long time.
There are a few people you'll know here too, Reno and Rude. And... [Aerith hesitated a moment here.] Sephiroth is here. As well as a man by the name of Genesis. He seemed to know you when I mentioned your name.
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[it's a silly question, because he absolutely believes she did, but it's better to focus on that than the fact that he hadn't known how long had passed until he'd read her letter.
Or that it wasn't too long after that when he - well] It's - really good to see you, too. How long has it been for you?
[he asks, despite not being sure he wants to know. And then she lists off who else is here and . . . there's so many ways he can react and he isn't sure which to settle on. She doesn't sound concerned, but - he can't help but immediately feel on edge. Old habits die hard and all]
. . . [a forced, helpless little laugh] Of all the people to be here . . .
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[A lot. She'd write a lot over the years but it seemed be hadn't gotten those. Just the one. Aerith supposed that made sense in a sad way. Why would anything have been easy?]
Five years, give or take. A lot happened while you were...away.
Sephiroth isn't bad. [Aerith was quick to reassure] He is from a before time. Before he went... And Reno and Rude are from our future I think. Its all very strange but we've all been brought here from different points in time.
I was just leaving Midgar when I was brought here.
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