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Jikan Mod Account ([personal profile] jikan_mod) wrote in [community profile] jikan_ooc2022-04-01 10:35 am
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April | Test Drive Meme

Jikan Test Drive Meme
MinimizeYou'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.


"In order to bring you here, we used the very same magic responsible for freeing our world... Kizuna."


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
Inbox
Text
Audio
nrl_support: Hello time refugees!
nrl_support: Welcome to your channel!
nrl_support: This is your exclusive contact channel hub for everyone who's been brought to Nippon.
nrl_support: Neat, huh?
nrl_support: Why don't you try out the new video feature?
scienz_rulz_1899: hey didja hear?
scienz_rulz_1899: there's some new tech coming out later this month
scienz_rulz_1899: something real special
scienz_rulz_1899: hope you aren't afraid of heights www :)
scienz_rulz_1899: anyway
scienz_rulz_1899: for all the new folks trickling in this month, the name's tomoko
scienz_rulz_1899: lets be friends! :)


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!





tightbod_bigrod: (Action)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-04-29 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Earning some beer money for tonight.

[Both true and untrue. Really, he was just as happy using Rude's money. He was here because he loved trouble and he needed to have fun.

So which Cloud was he dealing with? Seemed like he was from earlier than Reno's time. Would he attack Reno? he'd find out soon enough.

When the salamander went after Cloud, he gave it a zap.]


Hey, over here!

[He stubbornly kicked it's front leg as if it'd be more than an annoying tapping to something that size, and he yelled out to Cloud.]

So you can go home. I'll take care of this.
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (we need a plan)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-04-29 05:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Why...did that answer both bewilder yet make so much goddamn sense. Either way, Reno seems keen on taking all the attention. Perhaps he might have left it be or kept pressing on without a word, if it wasn't for the redhead getting his licks in by telling him to go home. Now, if Reno were goading an older Cloud? He might not have left, but he'd have been far more coolheaded and sassy before teaming up with him. Similar interests, same side with tension.

Instead... ]


Hmph—!!

[ That Great Nippon Salamander was put on the receiving end of a more juiced Thundara spell, thick trails of lightning coursing around its slimy body as it finds itself seemingly paralyzed- if only for a moment. The culprit? One stubborn Ex-SOLDIER boy who shouts right back at Reno, ]

Like hell! I got a job to do.

[ This is not a competition, he thinks. It is. This is just a job. It's bullying amphibians. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Fwoosh)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-04-29 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He rounded the salamander in order to go confront Cloud face to face again, more focused on Cloud than the giant beast right now.]

Ch. How long you even been here?

[Reno was still sizing him up. Definitely from an earlier time, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly when.

For his own part, Reno looked mostly the same despite the years. Maybe he'd done a bit of soul searching, and followed Shinra on their new path, but he hadn't gone out of his way to act much different. He was sticking to his teenage delinquent act.]


D'you even know where to lead it?

[The now very angry Great Nippon Salamander shook off the attacks from earlier, and Reno did a two-step jump to the side of the street to get out of the way of a great snap of its jaws.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (i just...don't know)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-02 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[ With Reno face to face, he can feel the tension building. Yet Cloud's still not ready to turn his sword on the man yet. Not when they've got a rather pissed off amphibian to contend with as it recuperates. On the surface, it's difficult to tell what's changed about the Turk, if anything. For all intents and purposes? They've arrived at the same time. Similar times. Just as nonchalant yet deceivingly dangerous as before. He can taunt the Turks all he wants about being "all bark, no bite" all he wants but...

You never forget your first ride. ]


Long enough.

[ For what? Cloud's being a brat standoffish yet aware of his surroundings. Whereas Reno swiftly gets out of the way? The Ex-SOLDIER's instincts kick into high gear as he holds his ground. His stance changes as his body and sword burn an orange light. Right in time too because when the Great Nippon Salamander snaps down? It practically bounces right back at the speed Cloud's counterstance goes off, reeling from the aftershock of burning damage as he's prepared to punish this thing. ]

To water? Be my guest if you wanna start running.

[ If they can take it to the outskirts and back to wet lands, chances were the docile creature would cool off immediately. While this thing wasn't much of a challenge, it's still rather bulky. Not to mention Cloud didn't realize that it could take a lot of punishment. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Action)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-07 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
[On that Reno and Cloud would agree; he never forgot his first ride with Rude.

He let out a soft huff.]


Feels like the old days, shooing SOLDIERS out of our sector...

[They were always trying to steal all the fun. With the choice of smashing things and paperwork, Reno knew which one he'd always pick, but he wasn't about to be rid of Cloud so might as well work with him. If nothing else, at least he now knew he was here.

He started dashing down the street, calling back to him.]

See if you can keep up, then!

[He was pretty sure they got its attention.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (straightforward)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-07 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
Lucky you. [ He won't use the "Ex-SOLDIER" line on Reno this time. He'll spare him. For now, as he starts to give chase after Reno. For the time being, he decides to sheath his Buster Sword, if only so he can properly leg it since they both seem to have the same idea. ...he's not following you or anything. B-Baka. ] Mercs don't have jurisdictions.

[ So, despite everything, and the fact that in Cloud's eyes, none of this makes them friendly? They've got the same goal. If only he knew what his future would bring...if that future was even still there the way it was destined. Time would tell. The Great Nippon Salamander, meanwhile, is deceivingly nimble for its size, lumbering after the two at an impressive pace. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Chicks love the rod)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-08 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
[He didn't have to look to tell the lumbering giant was following. Every footfall made the earth tremble. Stomp after stomp, in surprisingly quick succession.

Wandering around, Reno had learned the streets decently well. It was one of the many things Turks tended to do because of their job. He ran it through the wider streets to make sure they didn't end up with the problem of it getting stuck, and though he hadn't entirely left the city before without teleportation, he had a good idea that if he kept going in one direction they would reach it soon enough. He just wasn't sure if the streets would get thinner there.

And that was where he ran into the problem. The street made for bustling city life narrowed down to a tranquil little footpath with happy little homes on either side.]


...Well, it squeezed itself into the city. It should be able to squeeze itself out!
sultanofsquat: (eyes of focus)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-08 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cloud, on the other hand, needed plenty more time to adjust and get a lay of the land. Thankfully as far as getting chased was concerned, he wasn't worried about getting captured by this thing. Especially when the pursuit tapers down towards the aforementioned "happy little homes" on the footpath. Like a bad comedically-timed joke; "Ahh, what a beautiful day in my home by this serene footpath. I sure do hope nothing bad happens—"

Cue the two spiky-haired delinquents playing chicken with a very stompy, slimy amphibian, racing by as the street narrows. ]


We gotta make sure it keeps going!

[ Because thankfully, "squeezing" itself after them? It's so soft and squishy despite its size that if there was any damage after the fact? It'll be minimal. Sure enough, shortly after Cloud says that? He suddenly braces himself as he crouches, springing sky high. Typical show-off SOLDIER things as he vaults himself backwards, up and over the Great Nippon Salamander. While he's in the air, the blond's already prepping a spell with his Materia, landing behind it. Without hesitation, he casts a Thunder spell straight on its tail. ]

You herd, I'll prod!

[ More like use Reno as bait, what the hell bro. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Action)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-10 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
I'm gonna leave a lizard in your house for that one!

[Don't think he didn't notice who Cloud was using as bait! Luckily he was a fast asshole, as Cloud was well-aware.

If Cloud didn't care about property damage, then neither would he. He led it straight down the middle of the streets, until he saw a tiny girl up ahead staring at the absolute nonsense that was coming her way.

Then he had to race extra fast. He pumped his legs faster than a racing chocobo, slowly putting a gap between him and the beast behind, and snatched the wide-eyed girl straight off her feet. Running off the road to the side of one of the houses, he set her down like he was placing a statue, and quickly stumbled back onto the road as it was catching up to keep leading it away.

Damn, the pay had better be good for this. With how close to his heels that had put it he couldn't slow down. He barreled on ahead until they went past the streets out into the wilderness and... he disappeared.

Or, more accurately, he found the water and plunged straight into it. It was so still and mossy that it practically matched the surrounding grass.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (won't back down)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-10 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ Reno can't see it from where he's getting chased, but Cloud cracks a smug smile hearing him shout across the big lizard. As the two move along, any time the Salamander seems to slow down as it breaks and cracks the walls it slips and squeezes through? Cloud's right there on its ass, casting another light spell of Thunder to encourage it to keep on going. In front of it? The redheaded little human whose been running and taunting it, and behind? The scary big-bladed human zapping it. It wants to escape. It wants to get out of here. So continue it does! Even with Reno taking that extra speedy detour, the blond not quite catching what happened from his view, only that the swift blur of a Turk had come and gone.

They may be on opposite sides, but he can't imagine it was for a stupid reason... Regardless, Cloud's still focused on the job at hand, even as they finally make their way out of the streets and towards the outskirts. Into the outskirts. ]


?!

[ And into the large body of water that the beast lumbers straight into, seemingly diving straight after the Turk. Skidding to a stop at the water's edge before he can fall in, the name leaves his mouth before he can even think. ]

Reno!

[ ... best that he keep that one a secret. What with the kneejerk reaction of worrying about the other's safety. They'll have plenty of time to throw down again. For now, Cloud scouts the mossy surface, now that it's been disturbed by the two splashing right in. Gritting his teeth, he lets out an aggravated huff. Who knows what that Salamander was going to do now that they were in its home turf?! He doesn't like it, but he's prepared to go diving in, finding hopefully Reno first and then that slimy bastard before he winds up getting eaten or something. ]

Damn it...

[ Deep breath. Aaand— SPLASH! The Great Nippon Salamander surfaces! But it doesn't look panicked. It doesn't even bother looking back at Cloud as it casually floats over the mossy surface, slowly but surely getting farther away. ...that still leaves Reno. Look for the prickly red patch if it sprouts up...

Don't make him come in there. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Unsure)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-12 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
[It hadn't been a pleasant end to his run. Taken by surprise, he hadn't gotten a breath before going down, and with the Salamander behind him he didn't have a chance to get out. It dove into the water and carried on, sending Reno spinning in its currents somewhere underneath. It wasn't the type of water one could look through. He could hardly even tell which way was up.

And without much air in him it didn't take long for him to want to get to the surface ASAP. When the pull of the water finally softened to the extent that he could control his own movements, he placed his hand over his mouth and breathed out what little air he had.

The bubbles went up. He heard them push through the water and pop out of the top.

With that small hint he swam that way, dragging his clothed arms through the water. It was like trying to push through mud. But he needed air. Now.

When he broke through the surface he took a quick gasp, but swimming fully clothed was a pain in the ass, and he was covered in dirt and moss from the water. He wiped as his face with the back of his arm, but all he could do was smear more dirt and moss on himself. He needed to get it away from his eyes.

He could only imagine what it'd done to his hair. Thankfully his baton had a strap that he could wrap around himself to keep from losing it.]
sultanofsquat: (climhazard)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-12 06:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cloud's focus was on the water's surface. And sure enough, when he saw bubbles emerge upon the mossy surface, and a grimy, dirty mess of a redhead barely afloat... He wastes very little time, effortlessly leaping out towards Reno. Yeup. This was happening. Right beside the Turk?

SPLOOSH~

Reaching for the back of Reno's suit, he grips tight, pulling and keeping him above water, while powerfully kicking towards the nearby water's edge, with the Buster Sword on his back. If he had a platform to jump off of, he would. These SOLDIERs were beyond absurd. At least Cloud doesn't just yeet the guy out of the water, pulling him to the grassy, wet shore before letting go. Dragging himself out, he shakes his head, spikes drooping with bits of moss and water.

He doesn't look impressed. adsfkjh

And as he sits there, not even bothering to look at Reno for the moment... ]


I ain't saying shit if you ain't.
tightbod_bigrod: (Uhhuh sure)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-13 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
[With his face covered in muck like that he hadn't been able to see what direction to go. Even worse with his hair practically pasted down. Absolutely not cool.

He heard a splash somewhere behind him and shortly after he was being dragged in a direction. It was rather hard to swim right next to another person without one kicking the other, so he focused on just staying afloat. When the damp shore was under him he rolled himself onto his hands and knees and got up.

Finally he wiped enough away from his eyes to peek out. Everything was sopping wet and it made for a rather pathetic-looking picture.

He was going to take a shower and a bath tonight.]


I want 75%. My socks are wet.

[Which was clearly the worst thing they experienced that day. As he started trudging forward, his shoes let out a wet, squishing sound.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (calm beneath the cold)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-13 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Whilst Cloud wasn't in the best looking condition either, he at least hadn't dove straight down under the water either when he went jumping in after the Turk. ... Best to keep it a secret that he would have dove under for him if he had to. Pushing himself up to his feet, he shakes his head and runs a gloved hand through his messy hair. ]

Your socks are wet?

[ Squish. Squish. Squish. Squish. Squish. ]

50, for bailing your ass out.
tightbod_bigrod: (so you say)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-15 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
Who used me as bait in the first place?

[Not that he hadn't participated. Reno lived for the thrill. He just hadn't expected it to come with that sort of ending. Would it be better to walk barefoot...? He was considering it.]

70, for guiding your ass on your... first day?

[They weren't doing so bad financially due to Rude, but more beer money was more beer money.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (too early even for me)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-15 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
Strategically.

[ Dot. Dot. Dot. ]

60.

[ AH, HE BUDGED, RENO. ]
tightbod_bigrod: (Wha?)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-16 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
I can take 60. Since I like you.

[Hey, he'd gotten something more. More money for beer and business.

He looked out ahead and grumbled.]


Fuck, we have a long way to go back.

[That's it. He sat down, pulled off his shoes and stripped his socks off, wringing them out. It'd be better just to walk barefoot even if he'd have to deal with dirt and little rocks.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (hmph)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-16 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
Lucky me.

[ At least Cloud is patient. Toughing it through the wet socks and boots as he waits for the Turk to wring them out. Tempted as he is to keep sassing him...he's actually starting to get curious now. Of course he's got the same attitude about him. But...something's different. And it's about the least assholish thing Cloud might say for a while. ]

So what's the last thing you remember?
tightbod_bigrod: (Hmm)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-18 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
Last thing? Well, let me ask you: the name Kadaj ring any bells? Or Geostigma?

[He suspected Cloud was from the past and it would be meaningless to him, but it'd be an indicator at least of how many years might be between them. Rufus had been sick for a while.

Knowing he was healthy now was a big relief, though, because where Reno was from they were still dealing with something incurable. It definitely let him be more at ease to speak.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (you talkin shit?)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-18 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Nope.

[ And neither name when mentioned seems to trigger anything in his mind either... Considering all the strange things that started happening to him (especially when the Whispers got involved), that's a bit of a surprise. He hasn't experienced it yet. ...the question was, would he still? ]

I just left Midgar.
tightbod_bigrod: (Hmm)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-18 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
...I think that's what Aerith said, too. Damn.

[So much stuff happened. So much. How was he supposed to even try to summarize it all?

The answer was: he wouldn't. Too much effort, and he honestly wasn't sure he could keep everything straight even if he tried.]


Let's say I've got a couple of years on you and things go really, really downhill. ...But we'll survive. At least, some people do.

[He couldn't really brush off how many people had died. A lot. The world was in a disastrous state, and part of the blame was on his shoulders. It was one of the few occasions where he put away the snark.]
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (1st Class)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-19 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ It was probably for the best that Reno didn't. Least Cloud's brain take a tumble from certain details getting spilt. When he mentions that some people survive, that's enough for Cloud to put away any of his snark in kind. If anything, the blond's eyes are more intent on the Turk. If he's surprised by this more sobering response, he doesn't show it. After all, since their journey began, it was steeped in sacrifice...

Biggs, Wedge, Jesse...people he couldn't protect from their fates. Then he thinks about everything they went through to obtain "freedom", and the road of uncertainty that lied ahead. And Cloud's answer is a surprisingly resolute one. ]


We'll just hafta try harder along the way.

[ He won't feed Reno some cheesy line about "determining his own destiny" or anything, but. The sentiment is there. ]

To think a couple days ago we were throwing down...
tightbod_bigrod: (Fwoosh)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-21 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe when you're from. We were going after Jenova remnants.

[Which, they hadn't exactly been on a team, but they had basically the same goal so they'd be sort of helping each other. Rufus and the Turks had known they couldn't do it alone. Not with them being short on manpower and Rufus being sick.]

We haven't fixed stuff up where I'm from yet, but based on what Rufus says, we'll do alright.

[That and the fact that Rufus was healthy.]

You're in for a hell of a ride, though.
sultanofsquat: coeurlwhiskers @ twitter (i'm listening)

[personal profile] sultanofsquat 2022-05-21 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
Jenova's...remnants?

[ Just what exactly happened so far in the future that two years later they were dealing with that alien? But it's when Reno brings up "fixing stuff up" that he can't help but slow his pace, watching the Turk he walks back up the street with from behind. Observing...or rather, taking it all in. Adjustment period didn't even begin to cover what Cloud was feeling right now. What he would be going through in the future. ]

Feels weird...knowing where I'm going but not at the same time.

[ "You're in for a hell of a ride, though." With a huff, his expression doesn't quite soften up, but the smirk that lifts the side of Cloud's mouth? Wasn't out of some sense of goading either. He catches up to Reno again. ]

I'll keep that in mind.
tightbod_bigrod: (so you say)

[personal profile] tightbod_bigrod 2022-05-23 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[Normally he'd need to be on alert, Cloud getting behind him like that. To some extent he was, but he didn't believe he was going to be attacked. Not when they were in their condition.]

I don't even know if we're breaking time 'cause I'm telling you stuff.

[Now there was a question. Were they going to somehow fuck up their future even more because they were meeting from different times?

Well. If that was going to happen anyway...]


Fuck that. You wanna secret cheat code to deal with me if you go back? One that past me would understand?

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