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August | 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, with express routes connecting the two kingdoms. Additionally, teleportation terminals exclusively for Refugees can be found at the NRL and MRU, allowing instant travel between Tokyo and Kyoto. While this TDM and its prompts are focused on the Western Kingdom, you are welcome to have your character arrive in the Eastern Kingdom instead.
In Higashiyama, a kimono shop is offering a special buy-one-get-one free event just in time for summer festival season! Although many of the kimono offered are rather plain, one variety sure to catch the eye is the enchanted kimono line, which contains a spell that will randomly produce a pattern that thematically suits whoever wears the kimono. While some of these patterns are simple, like a floral design for someone who runs a flower shop, others may find pivotal scenes of their past intricately woven into the fabric before their very eyes!
In Uji, a small festival is being held on MRU campus by the student council, who have specifically invited Refugees to attend. The reason? It's a culture festival, and their culture is the one on display! It seems the students have done their research, with individual booths containing information about a specific world's culture, a sample of food commonly eaten there (or the closest equivalent possible), and costumes inspired by the fashion worn by those from that world. While not always accurate, those feeling a little homesick may find some comfort in a familiar dish from home.
Those exploring Gion will notice signs posted around the area warning about a recent uptick of criminal activity. The perpetrators are unknown, but it is presumed they must be rather powerful, as many of the thefts have been carried out in broad daylight. Refugees in particular seem to be targets, and they'll find that their wallets, jewelry, weapons, or even completely worthless items will suddenly disappear right before their very eyes, as if blinking out of existence. Is someone really going to the effort to stop time just to pickpocket? In any case, the criminal remains at large, so refugees are cautioned against walking alone through Gion.
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.
Crime and Entertainment
West of Kyoto sits the bustling city of Osaka, known for its unique sights and even more unique culture. From the glitzy streets of Dotonbori to the futuristic theme park of Shinsekai, there's no shortage of things to do and sights to see. And as one of the few cities in the West with a sizable population of Humans, Refugees may find that they don't stick out quite as much as they would in Kyoto.
But much like the East's Yokohama, Osaka has a darker side, and one that's not too difficult to stumble into. Powerful Yakuza families, each named for the four districts of Osaka, have long held control over the day to day affairs of the city. And while their approval ratings always tend to be a mixed bag, one thing's for sure: it's certainly never boring here.
Dirty Business Yodogawa, Osaka
The northeast district of Osaka is known as Yodogawa, and has always been a point of contention for city officials. Although a popular shopping district during the day, at night, those looking for entertainment generally wind up in Hommachi, the red light district. Bars, brothels, gambling dens, host clubs, love hotels and more can all be found after dark, many operating openly regardless of how legal their business practices may or may not be.
One such business seems intent on tapping into the profitable industry of employing Refugees, as locals have been known to pay higher prices just for the chance to meet one, and even higher for more. Known as Soapland, it's a host club that has both a bar and a public bath, seemingly to allow for a more unique "dating" experience with the hosts.
Prospective employees, or simply curious tourists, will be given the opportunity to test their services as either guest or host on a special training day, in which only Refugees will be allowed to participate. Guests will enjoy free drinks served by their hosts, who in turn, must offer pleasant conversation and companionship throughout the night. And once both are sufficiently inebriated, they'll be welcome to relax in the luxury baths, during which it is customary for the hosts to wash their guest's body beforehand in the most sensual way possible.
This, of course, is the actual appeal of Soapland, and no doubt the reason most won't be willing to actually work here. Perhaps that's why they refrain from explaining this duty until they're already in the bath, hoping that they might give it a try and change their mind, or become a future customer instead. At least it pays really well?
Bad Lucky Charms Yodogawa, Osaka
Nippon is a country filled with hundreds upon thousands of shrines, and Osaka is no different. Even among all the city landscapes, small shrines and temples can still be found tucked into nearly every corner. One such shrine in Yodogawa is Samuhara Shrine, which is known by locals to be a place of great spiritual power, and is home to one of the most powerful Exorcist families in Osaka.
Unlike most shrines, which offer small rectangular charms known as omamori, Samuhara Shrine offers unique ring-shaped amulets that can be worn on the finger, warding off bad luck and curses of all types. They are in far more limited supply both due to their power and the work that goes into producing them. And while those who are fortunate enough to arrive on a day when they're in stock will be able to walk away with the real thing, others may not be so lucky.
Given the lack of supply to meet the high demand for these powerful little charms, various entrepreneurs dressed as monks can be found throughout the area surrounding the shrine, claiming to sell the genuine article at a slightly inflated price. And by all means, they look very genuine! And even if they don't work, they still look nice, right?
Alas, it seems the spell used to create the charms is actually rather complicated. As a result of their inability to replicate these, these knock-off rings will actually curse the wearer into experiencing terrible luck in whatever aspect of their life they were hoping for the opposite. Those who wear the ring and pray for good luck in love may find their partner suddenly rejecting them. Those who pray for good fortune will lose their wallet. And those praying for the happiness of those around them will instead find themselves becoming the catalyst in making everyone around them miserable in one way or another.
Thankfully, visiting the shrine itself will allow the monks who actually work there to easily dispel the curse free of charge. Perhaps it's best to think of this as a learning experience. Don't trust shady monks selling things out of their coat pocket.
Go Fish Yodogawa, Osaka
But not everything in Yodogawa is worthy of suspicion, as the region is also famous for its annual firework festival held along the Yodogawa River. Enjoy the glittering sights of beautiful fireworks overhead while stuffing your face with the local cuisine, as booths selling Osaka staples such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and yakisoba sandwiches are plentiful and cheap!
Aside from being the perfect place to wear one's prettiest kimono, it's also known as a great festival to bring a date, as there's no shortage of festival games to be played! Of these, the most classic is the goldfish scooping game, in which players must use a rice paper net to catch goldfish and scoop them into a bowl before the net breaks. Although most of the fish in the tank are normal goldfish, a few have special enchantments should they be caught.
The small pink fish will cause the one playing to become obsessed with the first person they see, be it with feelings of love, hatred, or something weird and in-between.
The little red fish will cause the one playing to become downright amorous, encouraging them to strip off their clothes and get close to whoever seems interested.
And the little blue fish will imbue someone with good fortune, allowing them to accomplish whatever goal they set their sights on with ease, be it another festival game or winning someone's heart.
But whatever you do, don't cheat. Within the tank is a fish make of actual gold, that can only be caught with cheating. Although a monetary reward is promised to whoever can catch it, it's just a scam to encourage players to pay for more rounds. But should someone use magic to cheat and catch it anyway, it will curse them and make them cough up live goldfish for about an hour. They'll still pay out the prize, but it is not worth it.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's August 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.
• Characters will have the opportunity to recover their stolen items later in the month.
• Characters are welcome to receive the genuine ring from Samuhara Shrine, which is powerful enough to negate the curses of any ayakashi in the game, as well as the curse of the golden fish in the final prompt. The ring will break after negating 3 moderate curses, or one fatal curse.
• The little blue fish's good fortune cannot be used to catch the golden fish.
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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