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April | 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!
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 quickly set up with its own theme and decor, with this week featuring a high school romance car! Upon passing through, passengers will find their clothing magically replaced with (potentially ill-fitting) school uniforms! If they want their original clothing back, they'll have to gamble for them, and hope they don't lose whatever clothing they've got left. 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, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and refugees will be encouraged to visit one of the many shrines populating the district to receive a Spring Blessing. Of course, it's just an ordinary fortune that happens to come on sakura-pink paper. But for the refugees, the power of Kizuna will cause whatever fortune they receive to come true. And these fortunes are distressingly specific, ranging from "Don't flirt with the cute girl at the tea shop, she'll break your heart and your wallet" to "That new restaurant you tried last night gave you food poisoning, hurry home!" Are the fortunes coming true, or are they somehow reading the future? How mysterious.
In Yoshiwara, it's spring cleaning season for the dorms! And not just any cleaning. It seems some residents have been complaining about strange laughter in the walls. As a professional comes in to flush out the cause, residents will be warned to keep an eye out for the tickle mehehe that will be trying to hide in closets and under futons. Sure, they're harmless. But unless they want to wake up with a furry new bedmate, they should consider grabbing a broom to help clean up.
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. 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
Oops! Looks like the new camera feature was already recording! Thankfully, this is the only time an accidental video will occur. Videos and photos are still lacking full color, appearing to be slightly sepia-toned, but otherwise lacking in color variety with a very poor resolution. But hey, better than nothing!
Current characters will be allowed to upgrade their current magi-comms at no charge!
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.
Stamen And Pistil
Life in Tokyo is finally getting back to normal after the bizarre influx of ayakashi late last month, and just in time for cherry blossom season! All around the city, streets are lined with trees filled with pink blossoms, as shops begin selling special, limited edition items to ring in the new season, and the people break out the picnic baskets to drink beneath the blossoms.
But pretty flowers aren't there only thing that spring brings to mind. Spring is the season of love in Nippon, and as the new arrivals are sure to find out, that theme is something the people of Nippon take very seriously.
Hanami Happenings Little Edo, Tokyo
Those looking for a good way to spend their day and enjoy the nice spring weather should look no further than Little Edo, where most of the city's cherry blossom trees reside. Nearly every corner is painted bright pink from the colorful petals carpeting the landscape. And beneath the shade of these beautiful messengers of spring, it's customary in Nippon to hold gatherings with friends and enjoy drinks and merriment in a practice known as Hanami.
One of the largest parks in Little Edo, sitting at the foot of a rather beautiful shrine, is where most of the refugees will be invited to join a special Hanami being thrown by the people of Tokyo, to honor the refugees for saving the city last month. Large blankets are spread out beneath the trees, with free bentos, sakura-themed snacks and treats, and no shortage of tea and beer for anyone to come and drink. It seems even the officials are looking the other way should someone below the legal drinking age of 20 decide to take part.
In fact, one vendor seems particularly interested in having the refugees try their new sakuramochi-flavored beer. With a mild hint of cherry blossoms in every sip, it's the ideal way to enjoy the Hanami season. And unlike normal beer, with it comes a special property, as those who drink it will become more relaxed and friendly, creating a warmer atmosphere beneath the cherry blossom trees.
Towards the end of the day as the sun begins to set, a special ceremony takes place, where a new cherry blossom tree is planted in honor of the refugees. There, an official speaks on behalf of the emperor, who was unable to attend, but wished to extend his gratitude to the refugees. However, the moment the plant is in the ground, to the shock of the crowd around it, it spontaneously begins to grow before their very eyes, until it's become a fully grown and towering tree, bursting with pink blossoms. It'll be the talk of the town for the rest of the month, as the citizens come to see it as a sort of blessing of behalf of the refugees.
Flowers of Evil Little Edo, Tokyo
While the city has mostly returned to normal following last month's madness-inducing pollen incident, as it turns out, jubokko pollen has left a lingering effect on a number of the cherry blossom trees in Little Edo. These trees are easily identified by the red blossoms growing among the pink ones, their petals refusing to fall no matter how strong the wind blows.
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. Once enough confessions are made, the red petals will gradually wither and fall, removing all enchantments from the tree.
But even among these enchanted trees, there's one that's even more different from the others. While most people will only see an ordinary cherry blossom tree, those who are prone to feelings of bloodlust will see it for what it really is: a tree covered entirely in blood-red petals. Those who see its true form will be struck by feelings of inexplicable terror, and will be unable to explain why. Not even leaving the trees sight will calm then down -- but some comforting words or physical affection from someone they've bonded with will quickly calm them down.
Dick 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 outside of Tokyo on a tall, narrow hilltop that juts out of the flooded landscape. 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 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 every few years, 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, 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?
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!
• 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.
• Feel free to get creative with what sort of gambling takes place in the Loop Line prompt. Gambling is otherwise illegal in Nippon, but is pretty common on Friday night Loop Line parties.
• Despite everything, Kanamaru Matsuri is considered an all-ages event!
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
I'm afraid a 'freezer' is not a thing that exists in the land I come from. The bitter cold belongs to the great goddess Demeter, and to the Northern Wind Boreas along with his kin.
None of them thought to make a treat like this, however. I am impressed with your ingenuity.
[The dick is strawberry flavored, and he's enjoying the rest of it at a slower pace.]
no subject
Oh hey, you're getting like all ancient Greek on me here... I remember some of this from school. So is that your time period then? I'm sure you must've been to some pretty kick ass ragers if that's the case!
With more modern technology we get to have iceboxes in our home to chill or freeze things accordingly. That way you don't have the be at the mercy of a god if you want a popsicle or a hungry man dinner.
no subject
Lord Zeus himself would be quite furious to learn of mortalkind's new achievements. Mastery of fire had irritated him well enough - but this?
[ The half-bitten dick-sicle is risen for emphasis.]
Why, I feel fortunate to partake in these inventions before he thinks to wipe it from the Earth.
no subject
We can cook and bake with a turn of a knob. It’s pretty cool shit—-besides, Zeus is kind of a dick, just not a tasty one like these popsicles.
I don’t know how advanced technology is in this place, because I have this janky like communicator that isn’t quite a Nokia or a sidekick but it does it’s job I guess.
no subject
even if it was true]He is the king of the gods. You should pray those words of yours never reach his ears, for your own sake.
[Should Ares smite for this? He does enjoy her company and tales of strange mortal inventions.]
no subject
But if you don’t hold them accountable or criticize them for some super shitty behavior then you’re saying it’s okay for anyone to get away with those things.
Besides, he’s far from my fav. I feel like Hades got super screwed, as did Hephaestus.
no subject
[Rules for thee and not for me, Jolyne! But he does enjoy her taste in faves. ]
Though, I agree it is a shame the Lord of the Dead has not been given his due. It is my understanding that the cthonic gods are quite diligent with the endless swaths of souls sent their way.
no subject
It's the whole thing about being passionate and strong enough to fight for your convictions, gotta accept that it comes with the price to question and challenge.
As you can tell, I'm always working against the grain.
[ There was that content hum and a nod, enjoying some more of her frozen treat. ]
They gotta be man, people dying never goes out of business y'know? It's just a shame they got a bad rap, we all need to be willing to give someone a chance before you talk or start some shit.
no subject
[ Going against the grain indeed. He may be a chaotic god, but he was always loyal to Olympus itself. What to do with this one? ]
And this Christianity... I assume this is another invention of your world?
no subject
[ This was something Jolyne was thoughtful about as she sucked off the popsicle, thinking of how best to word this.
Once she found a starting point she pulled it out to start speaking again. ]
Alright! So Christianity is a religion that the Romans began to adopted, it’s the belief of the one true god... And his son, who was birthed by a virgin.
There are a lot of rules, like some basic shit like no stealing or killing where it’s like, yeah okay. But then you have this bullshit where you can’t indulge in shit you enjoy or like fuck around with someone you’re not married to?? Like you have to marry someone to do that shit, and you can only do the do in order to make babies?? Fuck off.
And you’re not supposed to believe in any other gods, you can’t use the lord’s name in vein.
I mean, seriously, they just wanted to take away all the fun shit.