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November | 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, 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 Eastern Kingdom, you are welcome to have your character arrive in the Western Kingdom instead.
For those traveling through 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 a sexy maid cafe in the rear of the car! Dress up in a surprisingly demure maid outfit (this is 1922) and take customer orders, or have a seat and peruse the menu. There's no actual 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 certain park is experiencing a strange phenomenon. The trees here are already red year round, after being contaminated by the pollen of an ayakashi called a Jubokko tree, which can induce madness. As a result, these trees seem to be manifesting a similar affect. Upon walking under the falling leaves, Refugees may experience hallucinations, seeing things and people who aren't really there. And those with a weak constitution may even find themselves growing anxious and impulsive, acting on certain urges without thinking. Thankfully, the effects will disappear upon leaving the area.
At the Refugee dorms in Yoshiwara, a kagebi has been reported to be living in the stove for the past few days. Known as the false-fire Ayakashi, it's believed that many refugees may have been cursed unwittingly. As such, residents are asked to be alert for strange symptoms involving an inability to become warm. Those affected will be offered a potion to remove the curse, but will also require body heat from another to avoid developing a fever as their body temperature abruptly rises. Volunteer to be someone's cuddle buddy for a night? They could certainly use it!
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.
Into The Woods
Autumn is in full swing, and with the dangers of the Sakumi festival behind them, many Refugees are hoping to coast through the rest of year without conflict.
For some, this takes them back to the East, where the Adachi Ward in Tokyo is celebrating the fall season with an Autumn Harvest Festival. Located north of the bustling downtown districts, Adachi is known for its numerous parks and orchards, and ties with Little Edo as one of the more peaceful areas of Tokyo. Those hoping for a little rest and relation are certain to find it here.
Still, this is Nippon, and as the Refugees have learned by now, this world is as fantastic as it is unpredictable.
Applepalooza Adachi, Tokyo
As part of the Harvest Festival, Adachi is celebrating everything apple, as they celebrate this year's successful crop. At the Furusato Orchard, guests are welcome to pluck fruit from the trees and eat them to their hearts content while exploring the grounds, and even offer fruit baskets and bottles of cider for purchase to take home as gifts.
As Refugees from another world, many of the cultivars here will be unfamiliar to them. At the end of the day, an apple is still an apple, but the flavors they contain may be surprising. In addition to basic red, green, and yellow apples, there's a curious variety of orange apple that tastes like a strawberry, an apple with smooth fuzz like a peach, and one with so many seeds it's virtually inedible -- but deliciously juicy nonetheless.
But chief among them are the Gacha Apples, bearing a vibrantly colored skin that gives off a holographic sheen when held to the light, giving them a rainbow-like appearance. These apples can only by found in Adachi, and though their flavor is second to none, the secondary effects of eating them have earned them a curious reputation.
Each apple is ranked according to a special system of quality, with higher quality apples bearing a more delicious flavor, but stronger secondary effects.
The 3 star apples will cause the eyes of those eating them to shift into a rainbow hue, growing more holographic the more excited they become. However, eating more than one or two comes with the risk of temporary blindness that may linger for up to an hour.
The 4 star apples will cause the one eating them to produce glitter and sparkles based on their mood, appearing as illusions around their head, or physical manifestations over their body and clothing. Occasionally, these spots of glitter may appear as handprints or kiss marks, leaving evidence of places they've been touched over the past few days.
The 5 star apples are among the most prized, causing all of the above, along with feelings of euphoria and drunken delight, said to be more potent than any liquor without any risk of a hangover.
Unfortunately, local children seem to enjoy mixing the varieties together to play pranks on tourists, so take care when choosing an apple.
Forest Out of Time Adachi, Tokyo
Those looking to explore the natural world need look no further than Kohoku Park, a small forest known to contain peaceful wildlife and unique plantlife, sitting at the junction between two rivers. With various trails and paths winding through the forest, it's among the most popular spots to visit in Adachi.
However, Kohoku Park has been strange these past few days. Unrecognizable plants and animals have been reported by locals, ranging from butterflies the size of a dinner plate, to willow-like trees with aggressive prehensile branches that seem keen on getting a bit fresh with anyone who walks under them. But so far, nothing truly dangerous has been discovered.
But all of that is going to change. On a particular day, those in the forest will witness something bizarre, as the trees and plants around them begin quickly cycling through seasons. Leaves and flowers bloom in an instant, only to wither, fall, and grow anew once more just as quickly.
Thankfully, neither the people nor animals seem affected by it. As word spreads, the NRL is sent to investigate, and concludes that the forest is experiencing a time surge. A unique phenomenon in Nippon, time surges cause time to flow unnaturally in small spaces, and range from harmless to catastrophically dangerous. As such, the forest is quickly evacuated.
But alas, those who were present when the time surge began will begin experiencing side effects in the days that follow. Some may see their hair seemingly grow and shrink in length, while others may struggle to eat as the food in their hands decomposes or reverts back to base ingredients.
But the truly unfortunate will experience changes in age, suddenly growing older, or very young. And it seems to be random whether or not their memories are effected as well. Thankfully, these effects will only linger for a few days, during which the NRL will recommend bedrest and minimal travel.
Coffeeshop AU Adachi, Tokyo
Of course, Adachi is still Tokyo, and civilization is never very far. Refugees roaming the streets of Adachi's downtown district will find posters advertising Moonkicks, a Refugee-owned coffee shop chain that's been growing larger in the timer since they opened last year.
Coffee is actually rather hard to come by in Nippon. Due to a lack of international travel and trade, coffee imports have ground to a halt, with the remaining stock being heavily regulated by the Port Market in Yokohama. But thanks to the owner's unique ability to grow seemingly any plant from his body, this chain boasts genuine coffee at a reasonable price! But how exactly does co-founder Shailesh grow coffee beans from his body-- look, don't ask questions you won't like the answer to.
But Moonkicks offers more than just good coffee. With a refugee as one of its founders, every location aims to serve as a community outreach center for fellow refugees, offering services provided by and for refugees only. And after facing the horrors of the Sakumi Festival last month, this month has continued their special afterhours refugee support group. Free coffee and snacks are provided, as refugees new and old are given a space to mingle and an opportunity to talk about things that have been bothering them with their peers.
Although some may not be keen on the open nature of these discussion forums, there is one side effect of attending. Regardless of whether they actively participate or not, all refugees who attend will leave with a temporary feeling of euphoria, as well as a lingering sense of familiarity and comfort whenever they visit a Moonkicks Coffee House. It seems gathering that many Kizuna bonds in one place can have a positive effect on people. Who knew?
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's November 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. 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.
• As a reminder, there will be no TDM in December. New players are welcome to use this TDM for the month of December, but please keep in mind that these events ICly occurred in November. New players may handwave their characters arriving earlier to compensate.
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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no subject
"Dionysos said we arrived together. I still don't know if I believe them about being grown-up before," he replies sourly. Granted, he is still a child muddling through all the basics of magic; time travel is a distant, fantastical theory.
"...Am I really their friend?" he asks in a more subdued tone. "I don't really know anyone our age besides you, 'Daeus. And they said they're Azem's student."
no subject
"Of course you are," he replies, reassuring. "We meet them at the academy. The two of you are both excellent with magicks. They're a better study partner than I am, anyway." (That may or may not be the truth.) "And...yes, they've been Azem's student for a while now." (Now that is the truth! Technically.) "Don't worry," he adds. "Dionysos is good at coming up with solutions. That's one of the reasons Azem picked them."
no subject
"I see." He hopes that's true. While it is one thing to see and hear the dead on Eitherys, their voices are not so loud as they are here. Their laments weigh heavy and it's all he can do to press his hands over his ears to try and shut them out. But if he does that then it will make Hythlodaeus fuss over him. He can't have that.
"...Can we go somewhere less crowded for a while?"
let me know if this is ok aldsfkjf
"Certainly," he says, "there's a park a few streets down that's quiet this time of day. A non-magical, non-time-traveling park." (He hopes.)
He angles them in a slightly different direction, crossing the road with Hades in tow. The bit of greenery at the end of the lane grows larger as they walk towards it, until a fountain can be seen peeking out from one side. "It's not quite as nice as home is, but I've noticed some new plants here and there."
it's good o7
The voices do grow quieter as they enter a less crowded area but the dead still number more than he is used to. Hades takes a deep breath and firmly tells himself to get it together. Hythlodaeus can't help with this.
"This place isn't as clean as Amaurot... Or as neat. Is that normal outside of the city?"
<3
They reach the park, then travel down the walk to the fountain. The park is L-shaped, with the further leg being quieter; Hythlodaeus intends to find them a place to sit there.
"They do have good food here," he adds. "And lots of theatres. Have my parents started taking us to the afternoon shows yet? We used to look forward to those."
no subject
Just as he asks that question, he spots someone sitting forlornly on a bench. Not a living person but a spirit. Hythlodaeus should be able to see them too, but whether they can hear is another matter.
Hades comes to a sudden halt, small grip tightening in his older friend's hand. He doesn't want to deal with this. Not right now.
no subject
He actually keeps walking forward for a step before he realizes that they've stopped, stumbling a little. Fortunately he's graceful enough to right himself without toppling Hades; he turns inquisitively to them, concern on his face, but his little old friend looks alright...except for the deeper-than-usual frown...
“Hades? What's...” Hythlodaeus follows his gaze to the bench. For a moment he's not sure what's wrong, before he shifts his gaze and spots the shade. Yes, he remembers now – when they were younger, it was harder to control their soul-sight, and often they would spot things without meaning to. And now that he thinks about it – this must be what Hades meant when he said it was crowded. Right. The dead in mortal cities like this one do seem to crowd about.
(He wonders if it's the same on Etheirys nowadays. He wonders if Emet-Selch had to deal with it every time he took on physical form there, over and over and over...)
His lips press together into a frown. Perhaps it would be better to get Hades back inside, and just let Azem do the investigating for them. He'd thought that being busy would help his friend – he always did want to solve problems he came across, rather than ignoring them or leaving them up to someone else – but this place might be too much for him right now.
“Come here,” he says suddenly to Hades, and then holds out his arms, a mischievous smile blooming on his face. “Let me carry you!”
no subject
"I'm not a baby, Hythlodaeus! I'm just a lot younger than you. For now. I don't need carrying!"
If the intent is to distract Hades from his surroundings then Hythlodaeus has succeeded.
no subject
no subject
"W-why are you always like this?" he grumbles. "People are going to stare at me. You know I hate that."
A bit more wheedling and the young Hades might give in - if only to stop Hythlodaeus from creating an even bigger scene.
no subject
“Oh, no one will give us a second glance, silly. There's plenty of families around,” he counters, with that particularly obnoxious tone of cheerful sensibility that he's finely honed over the years. “If anyone asks, we'll just say you're my little brother! We're even dressed alike!”
no subject
"...I'll only let you carry me if you don't do or say anything weird," he warns sternly. "Okay?"
And if Hythlodaeus tries to be a little too cheerful about this, he's going to pinch his friend's cheek. Hmph.
no subject
He shifts his arms a little lower so he can actually pick his friend up comfortably, rather than just give the suggestion of it. He'll let Hades make the move to come close enough, though - it seems reasonable to give him at least that much agency.
no subject
"...And don't you dare drop me," he adds sternly.
no subject
"We're a bit faster this way, too," he muses, as he contemplates where in the city there might be the least amount of shades. Perhaps one of the temples, since they were holy sites? Or on top of one of the highest buildings? Or maybe he should continue to rely on his distraction technique, and find something interesting to show Hades.
It feels strange, but pleasant, to be carrying his best friend around like this. He likes children well enough, but he's never really thought about taking care of one until now. Were they both really this small when they were young? No wonder the adults in their lives had fussed over them. They'd been so cute.
no subject
As he takes in their surroundings, he can still see many, many souls lingering out of the corner of his eye. It's terribly distracting. Although, perhaps it is good practice in a way. He desperately wants to be able to choose when he perceives the aetherial realm someday. Hythlodaeus' chatter is welcome for the time being, getting his attention when he begins to grow overwhelmed.
"...You can see the same thing I do. Why doesn't it bother you?" he eventually asks.