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March | 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 a country called 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, 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, it appears to be magic capable of distorting reality itself. But by the time they realized this was the case, they had already begun the process of rescuing others from similar worlds using that very same magic.
Until they find the means of resuming the flow of time back in your home world, you'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 Place to Call Home Tokyo, Kanto
Once orientation is over, characters will be given one of three options for housing. Housing will be paid by the government of Nippon until they decide to move elsewhere, with NRL providing a stipend for food expenses.
In lieu of providing transportation, all refugees will be granted an unlimited rail pass that they can use to travel all across Nippon!
But it seems there's something weird about Tokyo this month...
For those living in Nihonbashi, they'll find the bridge practically covered in... cats? Or at least, they look like cats. In reality, the entire district has become overrun with nekomata, a type of ayakashi that possesses cats, causing their tail to split into two. While harmless during the day, those hoping to go outside at night will find the creatures have seeming quadrupled in size, perched atop lightposts and fences and watching. While they seem to remain peaceful, it's definitely eerie, and the Samurai Guards have their hands full escorting people safely across the bridge.
Over in Little Edo, things are far less peaceful. Curses, it seems, are on the rise this month. Most recently: the rivers have become practically flooded with kaoseki, their human-like faces staring up at passerbys as they try to cross. Signs have been placed warning people not to touch them, as those who fail to heed that warning may end up with a week of facial paralysis.
And finally, over in Yoshiwara, things are... pretty normal, actually? But there is one things residents are sure to notice: it seems all the brothels in the district have switched to using a new variety of incense provided by the neighboring region of Chubu. The smell is far stronger than their usual aphrodisial blends, and seems to be having an odd effect on people. Rather than invoke feelings of arousal, it seems to be invoking deep, deep feelings in general. While none of the supernatural things occurring around town will be happening in Yoshiwara, you might just find yourself feeling moodier than usual, manifesting Kizuna effects at the drop of a hat.
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
Just as the linked "website" states, once a character clicks the provided link, they'll find a message on the network seemingly posted under their name, stating exactly what was on their mind twenty-three minutes earlier. Clicking the link again will repeat this process infinitely, but it will not work if shared by anyone else. Did you know magical computer viruses exist?? Because apparently magical computer viruses exist.
(As a note, this prompt has been edited so it displays without a need to scroll within the dialogue box itself, since the scrollbar didn't appear on all browsers!)
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.
What Lurks Down Below
Those who visit Nihonbashi often enough may be curious about the streets that run below the massive bridge that makes up the entire district. There's no clear way to get down there, despite the fact that people can clearly be seen moving about their lives on the lower streets. But that's all about to change.
During the first week of March, large signs will be placed around Nihonbashi indicating the subtle entrances located here and there that lead to the lower district in question: Shitaya, the lowlands of Tokyo. Once considered the heart of the city, the ever growing Nihonbashi soon overtook the entire district, forcing developers to move underground instead. The result is a complex network of underground tunnels, some more refined than others.
While the citizens of Shitaya generally keep to themselves, right now, they have a reason for wanting visitors to stop by. Because maybe if it comes from someone in the upper districts, their recent concerns will be taken more seriously.
A Thorny Situation Shitaya, Tokyo
On the upper levels of Shitaya, sitting just below the bridge that makes up Nihonbashi, is a vast network of waterways and city streets. To cross these water ways, both manned and unmanned boats sit docked at the end of each street, ready to ferry people across who need it. But it seems the streets are even more chaotic than usual right now.
Looking out across one of the major waterways, strange vine-like plants can be seen coiling over the water. But unlike other vines, these are more than just a mere plant: they're tsutsumi-bara, a type of plant-like ayakashi that takes the form of a creeping vine covered in painfully sharp barbs. They're known for growing unnaturally fast, particularly in wet areas lacking in sunlight. But even for tsutsumi-bara, these ones are particularly aggressive. Large walls of thorny vines appear to be intentionally blocking streets, and even trapping boats in the water, creeping over the edge to coil around the passengers. While the citizens of Shitaya have pleaded with the samurai guards for reinforcements, for some reason, it seems they aren't being taken very seriously. Of course, those whose grew up in similar slums might understand why.
In any case, the few guards who do show up could certainly use some help. The vines are easily cut, stopping their growth. But with the roots settled underwater, they'll just keep coming back. And anyone whose been snared will need medical attention to get the tiny barbs of the thorns out of their skin. If not immediately removed the barbs will break off and travel up the bloodstream, causing chest pain and a sharp pain when breathing out. A Yokai is capable of performing a spell to draw the barbs out, but given how few live in Tokyo, it may be a bit of a wait before the few volunteers living in Shitaya can treat them.
Ordinarily, invasive tsutsumi-bara are extremely rare in cities... did something happen to cause this?
Flowers of Evil Shitaya, Tokyo
Even after the vines have been dealt with, something still seems very odd about the district of Shitaya. Monks garbed in robes with their faces hidden by a wide-brim hat can be seen walking around the district, giving prayers to each individual shop, and setting strange talismans around particular streets and corners. If asked-- they'll say a strange presence has entered Tokyo through the waterways, and they're working to keep it from spreading.
The monk then points out towards the water, where patches of strange red flowers have begun to bloom along the side of the canal. Or at least-- some people will see the flowers. Only those who have witnessed someone die will be able to see them, and should they inform the monk that they can, he'll give them a warning: something bad is going to happen in Tokyo soon.
Much like the tsutsumi-bara, these are no ordinary flowers. They're blooms produced by the higanbana ayakashi, whose true body rests far underground. And while they're typically harmless, seeing them is considered a bad omen. Specifically: they warn those who see them that they'll be witnessing another death very soon.
The monk will provide anyone who talks to him a special talisman that wards off ayakashi curses -- but he warns that they're only effective against passive curses, such as those caused by the higanbana. If they piss off an ayakashi and get cursed for it, they're unfortunately on their own.
Culture Wars Shitaya, Tokyo
It doesn't take long to realize that Tokyo is clearly not the beautiful and peaceful city it presented itself as. Walking just a bit further down will reveal Shitaya to be Tokyo's slums, with makeshift housing crowded around the entrances of various tunnels. But it's not all just housing -- there's businesses down here as well, and those running them seem rather tickled that people from the upper levels have come down to explore. But even so, there's a sense of apprehension as well, uneasy about their motivations for coming down here.
But as many are sure to quickly pick up on, almost all of the residents of Shitaya look like Yokai. But they aren't: they're Hanyo, half-human, half-yokai hybrids who look similar to Yokai, but without a natural aptitude for magic. If asked, they'll explain that many of them are refugees as well, who fled the Western Kingdom after experiencing heavy discrimination. While some manage to learn enough magic to hide their Hanyo heritage, others aren't so lucky, and seek out a new life in the Eastern Kingdom instead. One shopkeeper muses out loud, "Perhaps if more people like you come into this country, things might change for the better someday?"
Of course, as easy as it is to think of this district as gloomy, the people here are far from it. With so many immigrants from the West, many have brought their culture with them as well, including a rather popular game called Kabe-Skate. Taking place in a tunnel that's been carefully carved to resemble the inside of a pipe, two competitors don roller skates to see who can reach the goal first -- the goal in question being a short flag attached to the ceiling, requiring a high enough speed to circle up the walls without falling. Given the tunnel isn't very long, they'll have to make tight turns to avoid crashing whenever they reach one end, all without losing speed or running into their opponent.
Of course, crashing might actually be the main draw for the game itself, as that seems to be what the crowd of on-lookers most excited. At least they provide a helmet?
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's March 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.
• More information on the ayakashi mentioned in this log can be found on the Flora and Fauna page!
• A friendly Inu Yokai is available to appear in any thread involving the removal of Tsutsumi-bara barbs. The process involves a chant and specific hand motions to guide the barbs out through an open wound. Characters may be sore for a few days afterward.
• Thanks to the monk's talisman, characters who see the higanbana ayakashi will not be effected by the ayakashi's curse. However, should they look at the flowers without receiving a talisman, they'll witness a death anytime within the next week, be it a car accident, a speeding ambulance that suddenly slows down, or someone drowning in the canal.
Please leave any questions about the TDM prompts in the thread below! General game questions can be directed to the FAQ!
Reserves and Apps are always open!
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*✲ﾟ*｡⋆
Eh, you look pretty lively from where I'm standing. But I'd say these flowers aren't the most ominous thing here.
[He gestures down towards the water -- where, should Dazai look carefully enough, he'll see what appear to be thorn-like vines coiled up just beneath the surface. Unlike earlier, they're all dead now.]
Most of these flowers are growing where those things attacked people. I've only been here for two months -- but I don't need to be me to tell something like this happening was weird for this place.
[But also-- at some point Dazai might notice that Ranpo is carrying himself a bit oddly, as if trying not to move too much. Likewise, the large bulky coat he's wearing over his kimono looks too big to be one he owned himself, as if someone let him borrow it.]
no subject
Not because I want to be. [he peers where Ranpo motions, only to see the vines. Oh. Yikes. He grimaces.] I wouldn't know - I jsut got here and got the opening spiel. But it seems weird for any place. Good to know it's not just something that happens here...but why did it happen now, is the qustion?
[...]
Also, you seem different. That's a new coat. Did I miss something in two months time? [may as well just say it]
no subject
[He sounds serious... but then--]
You missed an all-expenses-paid trip to a five-star hotel and hot springs resort with mixed baths last month.
[What do you do when you don't want to talk about something?? Diversion!!]
no subject
WHAT. NO FAIR.]
WHAT?! ALL EXPENSES PAID?! AND THERE WAS AN ONSEN?! THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!!
[okay he's legitimately unhappy about that life isn't fair]
I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN HERE SOONER! I...couldn't really choose.
[but Dazai isn't as stupid as he seems]
...Still, you seemed more serious than that.
no subject
[This is his future revenge for whenever Dazai decides to bring up the sparkling.]
Ah, well-- there's been other things going on here and there. This place is pretty exciting! They even have a bootleg version of the mafia over in Yokohama.
[(No really, Nippon's Port Market is absolutely a Port Mafia reference.)]
But the most exciting thing so far was probably about two hours ago, when those vines down there tried to kill me.
[Just says this casually, nbd.]
no subject
...
They did what? That's...are you alright??
no subject
Hmmm... mostly? It would have been worse if it managed to get me in the water, but someone was there to cut them up first.
[And here's where he shrugs off the coat -- revealing the odd puncture marks that line the back and edges of the kimono he's wearing, the holes stained with blood.]
Magic is a thing that exists here, and a Yokai -- they're just like, animal people? -- was going around healing people. But apparently the vines have these little barbs that are pretty hard to get out. So I'll have to stop by a hospital on the way home. I've been putting it off because it's such a far walk, and it kinda aches when I breathe still.
[This is concerning??? But then, a Ranpo without anyone to hold him back is much more reckless than usual.]
no subject
though he already looks horrified when the coat slides off, and his eyes widen]
I'm glad someone was there to help you, since I wasn't, but...yeah, alright. I'm going to join you, if you don't mind. I'd prefer to make sure you got there safe, and...honestly, there's a lot to catch up on. You're not the first person I've seen here from home, but you are the first person in that regard to not have decked me, so there's that.
[dazai is actually the one to possibly hold him back.
they're doomed.]
no subject
Saaay, I know! How about you carry me there on your back, and I'll tell you everything about what happened back home!
[He already figured it out to some degree, based on Dazai's reaction (or rather, lack thereof) to seeing Ranpo. Dazai must be from a point well in the past -- perhaps a time when things were actually peaceful. And considering everyone else here is from the mafia, ]
[...but mostly he would just rather not make it obvious to Dazai that he is, in fact, pretty seriously injured thanks to those barbs. And if he can get out of having to walk all the way to the nearest hospital, all the better!]
aaaaand BSD manga spoilers below
I've seen Akutagawa, and I've seen Chuuya. Both were fairly angry at me since I let Akutagawa die when they came from, so...I don't know why I did that. I probably had a reason, but I had to really make it clear to both that I've got no intention on trying to angle for that.
[he won't mention akutagawa's little emotional breakdown that's between them]
The last thing that happened back home was that I was supposed to have a showdown with Akutagawa in 6 months time. We'd resolved a fair bit. That was false security, however, I suppose.
me, reading my previous tag and wondering where the end of that sentence went...??
Eesh... to be honest, I'm shocked you're not sporting a pair of black eyes after a meeting like that. I haven't talked to any of them too much, but I've figured a little out on my own here and there. From the sounds of it, you're from the furthest back. But don't worry, I'll catch you up nice and fast.
[Very fast -- because he's sure this little tidbit of information is all it'll take to convey just how dire things became--]
[(Hopefully he doesn't drop him.)]
Dostoevsky isn't working alone. He's one of five members of a terrorist organization called the Decay of Angels.
A terrorist organization who used a Page from the Book to rewrite reality.
no subject
[hup, then he gets going, following the directions....until Ranpo says those last two sentences.
and then he freezes.]
...'That's not good' is a bit of an understatement. That's...and we're handling it, right? It's--I already heard that it's dire to the point of lives on what could more or less be called 'our side' being lost, but...
no subject
A little while after we captured Dostoevsky, we received a tip from one of his cleaners, just before he was silenced. A warning not to take the next big job that came to the ADA.
I couldn't figure it out what they were planning... but apparently you did. Because they took you out first.
[And in true Dazai fashion he didn't tell any of them about it smh.]
You've been in prison since everything started. But-- you're you, so I'm sure you knew that was coming by then, too.
[The why and how are a little more complicated here, but the information is there to piece it together. For Dazai to be taken out first, they must have somehow accessed his criminal records from when he was in the mafia -- the only way of guaranteeing he would immediately be thrown into a high-security prison. And given the extent of those records, it would probably be a prison specifically for dangerous ability users -- meaning chances are high it would be the same one as Dostoevsky.]
no subject
...They put me where I could simultaneously cause the most damage and appear to be causing none at all.
[he was piecing this all together, and it was incredibly grim]
So I've been trying to orchestrate things from a distance...got sloppy, and...it makes sense. I don't like any of it, but it makes sense. Resolving things from that kind of position is the safest and most dangerous thing I could possibly do at the same time, but of course I'm doing it anyway.
[he's working this all in with his logic, and it's callous and pragmatic, but now he understands a bit more. He's not pleased with himself, but he gets his mentality.]
...So that's a lot to resolve, if that future is inevitable for me...
no subject
[Oh, is it time for Ranpo to beat up Dazai now?? Sorta. He's getting a head-noogie.]
I suppose I can take solace in the fact that the only person you've had to talk to is Dostoevsky, and indirectly, Ango-san. But we're the ones taking the brunt of everything going on.
Because the start of their plan involved turning us into terrorists, by having us switch places just as they pulled the trigger to murder a group of politicians.
[Okay, no more noogies. Dazai's hair is wild rn tho.]
Their plan was perfect, Dazai. They predicted every one of our actions -- even mine, when I decided to go off on my own to figure out what was happening. Dostoevsky was child's play compared to this.
no subject
Yeah, that's punishment enough for me, I'd say. I'm trapped and only able to talk with two people I'm not on the best of terms with, it's not like I'm enjoying myself there.
[...and then he grimaces further. everything really had gone to shit, huh]
That figures. We make the slightest slip up there, they'll abuse it. And I did, so they did. Great. I'm not even sure what to say - there's nothing that can help this. Even saying 'I'm sorry,' doesn't mean much, I'm not exactly helping matters.
...Chuuya seemed to be intent on changing the future however he could. I don't know if he can, but...
[he doesn't know what anyone can do. taking a left here...alright, good, halfway to the hospital prolly]
no subject
[And not just because they don't know how much of an effect they'll be able to have on their timelines. Ranpo just hopes they'll be returned to the moment their loop began, and not a second later, all things considered.]
Just before I came here, I figured out who the mastermind behind everything was. Someone who was intent on not just destroying the ADA -- but destroying the entire world as we know it.
Someone who's probably been planning this for nearly a decade.
[Though he's not quite clinging to Dazai, his grip on his shoulders tighten.]
...someone I made the mistake of trusting.
no subject
[he comes to a dead stop. he can't help it. he needs to know.]
Who?
no subject
Gen'ichiro Fukuchi. Or as you might know him-- Ochi Fukuchi. The current leader of the military's elite team of ability users, the Hunting Dogs... and Fukuzawa-san's childhood friend.
[It's a name that's famous in their world. An elite general from the war, and one of Japan's most famous war heroes. Countless movies have been made regarding his exploits. It almost seems like a random choice, if not for the very personal connection he has with Fukuzawa and Ranpo. Fukuzawa's known him almost his whole life, and Ranpo-- almost as long as he's known Fukuzawa.]
[His grip on Daza's shoulder tightens again, but this time, it's to try and hide the way he's suddenly trembling. It's rather unlike Ranpo, actually.]
By the time I realized it... we were already in the midst of trying to convince him to work with us. I thought he was someone we could trust, and I led us right into his trap.
Given the circumstances I'd left Atsushi in, I'm sure he's the one who killed Akutagawa. If anything-- I'm the one they should be blaming for his death, not you.
no subject
Why is he, of all people, the one in the best spot mentally right now? He is slowly absolutely not becoming that but it is a grand race between him and literally everyone else he knows as to who has it worse.
But right now, Ranpo needs him. So he'll bare through it.]
Don't say that. I gave the order. It's on me. No one had any idea, and there was no way for us to have any idea until it was too late. Fate is...it's cruel that way sometimes. That's why it's so difficult to keep going through it even when you least want to, but...
If anyone has to shoulder the blame, it'll be me. Akutagawa had nothing to do with this, I got him involved, that's that. I don't know how to fix anything, or if it can be fixed, or when...we're trapped here for now, and that's just constantly going to be in the background, and we can't help it, but...
At the very least, if I remember that, I might be able to do something if I go back home. I don't know if I can, but I'm the farthest back. But we can't even hope for that right now. We can't even go home. So we have to do what we've always done.
Stay strong. Know what we're dealing with. And try to help those that need it, including each other. Especially each other.
That's all we have.
no subject
But that was when time started looping for me. He was standing right behind me when I figured it out, but I think I handled it pretty well the first time.
[...]
Not so much... the second time. Or the third. Or the fourth...
[His breath hitches in the back of his throat, and he shakes his head. That... even without saying as much, it's pretty obvious what happened. Fukuchi was famous for his use of a sword, after all. And that was what Ranpo had to experience again and again--]
[And while others in the agency might be used to things like that and walking away unscathed thanks to Yosano-- Ranpo? Definitely not. She's probably never had to use her ability on him. Even something like this, Ranpo curled up on Dazai's back and in need of medical treatment, was unusual for him.]
no subject
[that's the slightest bit of a joke that is actually true, more or less]
....
[but whatever humor he had quickly depletes, and he's just left with a cold, hollow, empty feeling as if he himself had been the one taking the pain.]
I see. I...
[he's so sorry. wow. these are...emotions. he's gotten emotions. he's so used to not having any ties to this world, just having this emptiness inside him that he never thought seeing these people he knows and cares about in such grim mentalities after their terrible fates...
he doesn't want to die. he wants to help them. but he doesn't know how.]
...We'll figure something out. We've got the time.
[if they can. but what else is there to do - normally, giving up would be a natural instinct, but...no...no. not this time.]
We're safe here, at least. Relatively speaking. From that....so we'll just do as normal here. We'll try to be happy while we can. Even if it may just be the two of us as coworkers.
[that's okay this is fine.
this is fine, dazai says, sitting in a burning building]
no subject
Co-workers, huh... you could at least call us friends instead, you know.
[Gonna keep poking his cheek. Poke poke poke poke...]