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January | Test Drive Meme
Jikan Test Drive MemeYou'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 in a world called Gaia," they explain. "You were brought here because you became aware of the timeloop... we'll explain everything."
And they keep their word.
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.
"Ultimately, the reason all of this happened was because of our world. By decree of the emperor, we at NRL have been chosen to speak on the behalf of all the people of Nippon when we say... we are sorry."
Down the line, each one bows deeply at the waist, some going so far as to kneel to the floor. And they continue to explain: their own world was trapped in a year long loop for decades, if not longer. When they finally found a means of progressing past the loop, they realized that time was corrupted at a far greater scale than they could have ever imagined. Until they can find a way to truly undo the effects, all they can do is save those who've become aware of it on other worlds, so that they won't suffer.
And you, dear refugees, are the first wave to be rescued.
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. Click here for some ideas and examples of what their housing might look like.
Most of the refugees will be placed in one or two bedroom apartments on the edge of Nihonbashi. These rooms come fully furnished, and are scattered around the district in clusters to encourage intermingling with the native populace. They're a little small, but fairly luxurious considering the location. If you're lucky, you might even snag one with a western-style bed instead of a futon!
Those who've decided they wish to live in groups of three or more will be provided old homes in Little Edo. It doesn't take more than a glance to realize these homes must have been abandoned at some point before being used for refugees, with some odd furnishings sometimes left behind. While the buildings could use some heavy TLC and have no built-in heating or cooling systems, there's plenty of space, and even a private little garden!
And those who think they might struggle with settling in (or who simply aren't so lucky to get an apartment) will be assigned to a dormitory in Yoshiwara. One or two people share a small room with communal kitchens and living areas, and a private toilet with no bath. There is, however, a public bathhouse nearby that residents can use for free. These dorms are strictly for refugees, and are by far the most run down. But surely getting to live in the exclusive Yoshiwara Entertainment district makes it all worth it, right?
Characters will be provided transportation to their new accommodation. Those in the apartments will be encouraged to introduce themselves to their neighbors. The shared houses are going to need a bit of cleaning and sorting of old furniture to make it more livable. And the dorms, well... they let you pick your own room? Though given how small some of these are, it seems a bit unfair that you won't even have it to yourself.
NRL Time Refugee Support Network
Once they've received their housing assignment, all refugees will be given small handheld devices called magi-tech comms. 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.
Happy Actual New Year
With the refugees showing up on New Year's Day, it's no surprise that they're immediately met with new years activities. But even those familiar with a Japan-like culture might find some of the excitement to be a little extreme. The streets are so packed, many have been closed to anything other than pedestrians. Fireworks light up the skies for hours on end every single night, well past New Years Day. And some people can even be found openly sobbing as they make their way to the various shrines around the city, seemingly overwhelmed with relief. As the scientists at NRL are happy to explain -- this is the first real new year since their world was freed.
"I know that many of you might not feel like celebrating right now, but please understand...
It's been 1920 for a very, very long time."
It's been 1920 for a very, very long time."
Bridge Buffet Nihonbashi, Tokyo
By far, the most lively celebrations will be in Nihonbashi. Located at the heart of Tokyo, Nihonbashi is home to a large bridge comprised of many intersecting paths, standing as a crossroad to every neighborhood in the city. Rather than simply connecting two sides of a waterway, the designers sought to make Nihonbashi a hub for all of Tokyo, with pathways going across the water, down underground, and even high into the sky, allowing pedestrians to walk alongside tall buildings to get to where they need to go. And with all the foot traffic, it's no surprise that many shops, restaurants, and food stalls chose to build on or around the bridge.
With all the celebrations, food stalls selling traditional Japanese new year's food currently make up the majority of business on the bridge. And thankfully, the stipend provided to refugees includes money for food as well! But while the food may look delicious, it seems something strange is going on right now.
Characters may bite into some freshly made mochi only for the mochi to turn into raw grains of rice in their mouth. Hot cups of ozoni soup will be steaming hot one minute, and ice cold with raw vegetables the next. And the most egregious: their food disappears entirely, leaving them with a full stomach and no memory of just how delicious the food was. When asked, the food sellers can only apologize, explaining that a time surge, lingering aftereffects of their world being suspended in time for so long, had settled on the area a few days ago, causing the odd occurrences.
But even with the odd occurrences, there's no denying that Nihonbashi is the best place you can watch the evening fireworks. It's still rather cold this time of year, so why not find someone to curl up with and watch the show?
It's Symbolic ðĩ Yoshiwara, Tokyo
For those looking for some entertainment, they'll be swiftly pointed in the direction of Yoshiwara, the entertainment capital of Tokyo. Surrounded by tall stone walls, with entrances at each compass point, Yoshiwara almost feels like it's own city. Buildings vary wildly between very old and very modern, with some bearing more exotic architecture as well. Naturally, the people here are eager to ring in the new year, too.
The Shinbashi Theater has been preparing for this day for a long time. Ordinarily, tickets can be rather pricey. But for the first week of the new year, all shows will be free, playing all day with the cooperation of every acting and performing troupe in Yoshiwara. The performances very greatly from one to the next, ranging from Bunraku puppet theater, to action-filled Kabuki plays. But the refugees might find one play in particular to be of interest: an artistic re-telling of how the world was saved.
It starts with an ordinary scene. Two people greet each other on stage, have a simple conversation about a show they watched the other night, and then exit. The scene then replays three more times, before one of them suddenly appears to snap, screaming in anguish as he falls to his knees. But almost immediately after -- they exit, and the scene repeats once more. From there, the same man who snapped is shown again, after years of reliving the same day over and over, utterly convinced he'd simply lost his mind. Finally, it's not until a young woman sees him on the street and reaches out to him with compassion that something changes -- and then, the next day finally comes. The play ends with a monologue, preaching the importance of fostering bonds between one another, so that no one is left behind in an unending past ever again.
Strange. Is that really how they saved their world? Or was there more to it than that?
In Memorium Little Edo, Tokyo
And for those looking for a more quiet or somber affair, look no further than Little Edo. Seemingly preserved as a slice of ancient Japan, the quaint, wooden houses and dirt roads stand in stark contrast to the metropolis that is Tokyo. But it wasn't always this way. Despite the celebrations going on, their world isn't exactly fixed yet, and Little Edo stands as a testament to that. A rather large time surge is to blame for the buildings of Little Edo look as though they were build hundreds of years ago. Because they are, in fact, buildings that only existed hundreds of years ago, having replaced the modern neighborhood that once stood in its place.
Those who visit will be encouraged to leave incense and prayers at one of the many shrines or temples located there, in honour of those whose bodies and minds couldn't handle the anguish caused by the time loops. "You're the lucky ones," they say. But there's no resentment in their words. If anything, refugees will be treated with more kindness here than anywhere else in Tokyo. Individual families may welcome them into their homes for a free, homecooked meal, or offer to give them a tour around Tokyo. And all shrines will be offering free cups of amazake, a sweet and creamy fermented rice drink, served hot.
But for those patient enough to wait for a chance to visit one of the many crowded temples, they'll have the opportunity to make an offering. Whether it's a stick of incense gifted by one of the families in Little Edo, or a five-yen coin they found on the sidewalk, in return, they'll be given a fortune. Ordinarily, one wouldn't need to put much stock into these sort of things unless they strongly believed it. But for the refugees, unbeknownst to them, the Kizuna magic surrounding them will cause those fortunes to come true. Characters who drew "small blessing" might just find a ÂĨ500 coin on the ground. "Curse" might cause one to trip on their way out of the temple. You'd better hope it has something nice to say about your love life!
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's first TDM! Jikan is an invite-only game, and you must be invited by
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!
âĒ Please note that characters do not know what Kizuna is at this point in time. This will be revealed in the first event!
âĒ 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!
âĒ 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.
âĒ Time surges on the bridge can affect more than just food, but cannot effect anything living! For example, fabric can be returned to raw cotton or piles of loose thread, but people can't suddenly become younger. More powerful time surges in the future may have these effects!
âĒ The effects of the fortunes can be immediate or long-term, but will be nullified if a new fortune is drawn.
Please leave any questions about the TDM prompts in the thread below! General game questions can be directed to the FAQ!
Reserves are open, and Apps will open January 1st at 12:01am EST!
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Edgar Allan Poe | Bungo Stray Dogs
[It's a very interesting premise- one that he almost wishes he wrote- but there is one important detail that shouldn't go overlooked. That would be that this is real life. So his visible confusion becomes visible distress fast enough. It's not that he's particularly familiar with the layout of this Japan of the past. Poe is just certain that he took the correct turn to avoid ending up in what's looking to be the most populated streets at the moment. Which he hates not because of the festivities but because he would never willingly tolerate a crowd without very a compelling reason to.
Instead of investigating the locale like he'd planned to his new priority is trying to melt all 182 centimeters of his existence (plus his cup of ozoni soup he painstakingly procured) into a wall to avoid bumping shoulders with anyone.
It's fine. He's just high-strung about his life right now. It's really fine. Until a firework explodes overhead. Perfectly timed with someone brushing past Poe. It's only natural that he flinches hard enough to crush his cup of soup out of surprise. It's just unfortunate that it splashes ice cold broth on a stranger alongside himself. It means that Poe has to very reluctantly address them now. Because he has essentially thrown strangely freezing soup with raw vegetables at them? So Poe meekly asks:]
...Did that get on you?
[It very obviously did.]
B. Bro it's (not) that deep
[From the Bunraku puppets to the Kabuki dances not a single peep escapes from the aloof man who claimed the seat at the end of the row. The hope was that most people wouldn't sit next to him. But the theater is pretty unfortunately packed this evening. At least the theatrics are distracting enough. Ever since arriving he's spent a lot of time watching things. Right now it's the last performance regarding bonds that the locals have put on.]
It's really just to catch us up to speed...? But something important has been left out. That's all too obvious.
[The thing is that it's suspiciously oversimplified. Which is why Poe is overthinking it so hard smoke is practically steaming from his ears while he cups his chin and stares hard at the stage.]
C. [Wildcard me (āļ'Ė-'Ė)āļ]
A
[Here's a familiar? face who is also very, very pissed. This was a nice shirt (all his shirts are nice) and now it has vegetable soup all over it. He's much more concerned with that than the fact that it's icy cold.]
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S...Sorry? But you bumped into me ...I can replace it.
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[Of course Dazai made replenishing his wardrobe one of his first goals here.]
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Is this a get a sentient wallet speed run?]It-...it didn't burn you, did it? It felt cold but... It was hot a second ago?
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[He flicks a few drops back at Poe to prove it.]
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[Uh oh. Now he's not moving for another reason.]
Was that necessary?
[Spite.]
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[Dazai can spite with the best of them.]
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[Squint. Fear becoming loathing real fast. If this man can't keep up with Poe's fast walking pace then that's Too Bad.]
Just a petty waste of your time and mine then.
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1/again I'm sorry
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B!!
[Sorry, did Poe notice that the woman two seats down from him is the Port Mafia's Higuchi Ichiyo? The lady literally always stuck to Akutagawa's side? That one? Yep. But thankfully, she's not entirely sure who he is, and doesn't make he immediate connection to home. Lbr his clothes are weird enough that he could easily just be a foreigner from this world instead of a fellow refugee.]
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...That isn't wrong. As artistic interpretation it would be straight forward... But it's a narrative that reflects a much larger societal issue.
It's just a hunch for now. But isn't possible that those who were caught up in this corruption of time are missing knowledge? Something that the people from this time and place are privy to since they have remained static.
[He opens his mouth then closes it. He shouldn't share notes with this person technically from a antagonistic faction unless he's going to get valuable information in return.]
I'm sure there might be one or two organizations handling things behind the scenes... How do you think they'd go about that?
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[Does he... recognize her? Or is this a fear of women thing? He's kinda got that look.]
I... guess? [Sorry bruh she didn't think about it that hard.] I mean, I can tell there's probably a little more to the story. The whole world getting stuck in a loop just because some guy on the street wanted a girl to say hello to him is a little extreme no matter how you look at it.
If anything, the most important thing it's missing is how it all started.
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[Poe leans forward and smiles as a direct result to the final thing she said.]
But that's exactly it, isn't it? ...How would something like this start? Someone knows and given the premise they've presented us- both the initial cause and the full solution must be left out intentionally.
Because there is one leap in logic that disproves the moral of this particular play.
[So he might be having a little bit of fun at her expense by with holding an observation. Will she get frustrated and ask? Does she realize he's playing with her a little?]
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A leap in logic? What do you mean?
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If forming a bond really was the only solution then why would they have been stuck for longer than the first loop? It's improbable that every single person failed to create a new bond during a year's time.
Unless there's more to it and that is what's being omitted.
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Well... there has to be more to it! But it also doesn't explain why the man in the play was the only one who noticed it was happening? I don't think they have an explanation for why only we noticed it back home, either.
B. I'm so sorry
No words. She's simply waiting for him to notice her or continue. ]
Never be sorry for this 1/2
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[He leans away.]
[...]
[With more consideration: Poe leans even further away.]
[...]
...Can I help you?
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You were going to elaborate, weren't you?
[ And she stays right where she is in what most people would assume is a terribly uncomfortable position as surely as though it were, well, natural, and continues to peer at him curiously. ]
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I- yes? Would you like me to...?
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[ She glances toward the stage, then back at him. ]
The play is suggestive of what the general populace might think, but I'm interested in the thoughts of my fellows on the matter.
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Let's see, it's a pleasant enough play, isn't it? The sentiment behind it certainly is likable. But are we supposed leave with the impression that meaningful bonds alone were responsible for saving their world? If so... How could it be possible that no meaningful bonds were created before this? They've claimed to have looped several times.
[But then he can't help glancing over to see if she is listening. Which makes him stumble over his words.]
...I'll say that maybe it does have something to do with it- but if that really were the only solution then I believe the problem wouldn't have persisted for as long as they say it did. [He starts mumbling.] Surely someone would have been methodical. So what's missing here?
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Someone was.
[ She offers after a moment. ]
Do you really think the scientists at the NRL told us all there was to tell when we first arrived? There wasn't any mention of that organization in this play or even the suggestion of government involvement, but we know that we were intentionally brought here by that organization.
What they didn't tell us is how.
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