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May | 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
Things are a little different this month. Up until now, all refugees have been brought to Nippon via the Nanjikan Laboratory in Tokyo. But thanks to a special collaboration with Maryouku University in Kyoto, this month, all refugees will arrive in Kyoto, the Yokai's kingdom in the West.
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, 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 sheer 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! As of the beginning of May, express routes connecting Tokyo and Kyoto will be running at all times of day, allowing refugees to freely travel between the Eastern and Western Kingdoms.
Those looking to experience Kyoto city life may choose an apartment in the bustling Higashiyama. Unlike the rather fancy apartments back in Tokyo, these ones are more simplistic, ranging only from studios to one bedrooms. Unfortunately, it seems no one got the memo that most refugees can't use magic yet, as everything in the apartment appears to depend on it, from the refrigerator to the lights. Only the plumbing still works independently! You'll just have to make do until they provide some upgrades in the next week, it seems. Raw eggs on raw rice in the dark, anyone?
For a more unique living experience, refugees may choose the Hanamikoji Okiya in Gion. Unlike the refugee dorms in Tokyo, these are shared with the local Geiko and Hakon, female and male Geisha respectively. While the bedrooms themselves are all shared and not too glamorous, anyone hoping to immerse themselves in Kyoto's culture may enjoy sharing meals in the dining room with locals every night. Especially when those locals are training to become entertainers, meaning dinner is often accompanied by story telling, dancing, or even singing -- which the refugees may also be encouraged to participate in for fun.
And those looking for something convenient are welcome to stay at the MRU student dorms in Uji. Located on campus and only a stone's throw away from the train station, all dorm rooms are fitted with a bunk bed and AC for those hot summer months. However, it seems these rooms were designed with the far more petite Kitsune Yokai in mind, as the beds are notoriously short, both in length and height. Time to argue over who gets the top bunk, as at least they get a bit more headroom.
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.
Love is in the Air
While everyone is certainly free to return to Tokyo as of this month, with Golden Week in full swing, it's not as though anyone has any reason to hurry back to work, with even the scientists at the NRL insisting on staying behind for another week of vacation. But Golden Week isn't the only thing going on this month.
May is the month of love in the Western Kingdom, and for good reason! Traditionally, it's the month where marriage proposals are made, weddings take place, and couples decide to settle down and start a family.
For this reason, those who stay in Kyoto will be encouraged to visit the Jishu Shrine, located in Higashiyama right next to Kiyomizu. Known as the shrine of love and matchmaking, it's popular among locals and tourists alike. And for the first week of May, the Love Festival is in full swing.
Lover's Stone Higashiyama, Kyoto
Upon entering the shrine, the first thing everyone stumbles upon (sometimes literally) is the Koiuranai-no-ishi. A set of special stones placed exactly ten meters apart, legend says that anyone who can cross from one stone to the next with their eyes closed will have all their relationship dreams come true. As such, many attempt to do so! But it's easier said than done, for a multitude of reasons.
But by far, the most unfair reason is that a time surge has settled right at the front of the shrine, making it nigh impossible to guess just how long one must walk to reach the stone. Those who attempt to make the journey will find time speeding up and slowing down as they walk, meaning they may open their eyes to discover that they haven't actually moved at all. Or worse, they may zoom across he distance, only to trip over the stone at the very end.
But it seems there's a way around the time surge, using another legend born from the stone. If the one they're fated to be with either stands at the end of one of the stones, or crosses the path between the two, they'll be guaranteed to make it to the other side just fine. Naturally, this can make things pretty awkward when it happens by chance between strangers, as bystanders familiar with the legend are sure to raise a ruckus when they see it happen. Better take a moment to get to know your new soulmate!
Wish Upon A Shrine Higashiyama, Kyoto
Another popular stop at he Jishu Shrine is the Okage Myojin, which is said to grant anyone who prays there a single wish. Ordinarily, whether these wishes come true or not depends on whether on believes in such things. However, given the nature of the Kizuna surrounding the refugees, the one wish granted by the shrine has become something far more literal.
Anyone who offers a coin in exchange for a wish will find that wish coming true, no matter what it is. Wish you could be taller? Suddenly, you've doubled in height! Wish a million yen? Hundreds of bills come shooting out from the donation box! Wish to see your deceased loved ones again? Well... this is where it gets creepy. Because that comes true as well, though perhaps not in the way they hoped, as the corpse of their loved one is seemingly ejected from the ground.
Mercifully, these wishes are temporary. Whatever they wished for will cease to exist after only a few minutes, disappearing so suddenly that everyone around them thinks they only imagined it. But will those few minutes be ones spent in awe, or ones staring in horror? Better make sure to phrase your prayers carefully.
Dangerously Furry Higashiyama, Kyoto
Feeling a little hungry after leaving the shrine? No worries, as there's a small stall selling one of Kyoto's signature treats: a square of mochi folded into a triangle around a sweet filling. While most of these treats come in simple and familiar flavors, such as red bean and green tea, there are some rather interesting flavors as well. And all of these carry a rather interesting effect when consumed by the refugees.
Eating the yellow pineapple mochi will cause someone to gain the features of Kitsune Yokai, complete with brightly colored hair and multiple tails flowing behind them. The red kiwi mochi will turn them into an Inu Yokai, taking on a more anthropomorphic look, complete with full-body fur. And the blue mango mochi will turn them into a Bakeneko Yokai, ranging from simple cat ears to full-blown cat on two legs.
These effects may last for a few minutes, or even a few days! And those affected may even continue to adopt these changes whenever they're afflicted by Kizuna side effects from now on. If asked, the shop keepers will look just as baffled as the refugees, insisting they've never seen something like that happen before -- but will also quietly wonder whether it has anything to do with the shop being owned by a poly-trio made up of a Kitsune, an Inu, and a Bakeneko. Perhaps their love was just contagious? In any case, you're a furry now, so you better enjoy it while you can.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's May 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!
• Starting this month, players now have the option of having their characters arrive in Tokyo or Kyoto! TDMs will randomly take place in one or the other depending on what areas are being explored in the latter prompts, but characters will still be able to pick where they show up regardless.
• 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! All characters will be allowed free housing in both the East and the West. 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.
• Wishes can be anything, including living people, who will also cease to exist after a few minutes. However, for current players apping a second character: you have the option to have your character join the game this way, in which case they will not disappear, and will be encouraged to visit the MRU immediately to be examined. These characters will remember a time loop, but will not remember seeing a door, instead appearing in Kyoto after hearing the wishing-character's voice call to them.
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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I-is everything okay...?
no subject
'S it look like everything's okay?!
[ Physically? Debatable. Emotionally? Definitely not. Oh god, he realizes with a start, there's fur on his face, and we're not just talking about his stylish pirate goatee. He whimpers. It's a very doggish sound. ]
no subject
[Someone probably should have warned him??]
no subject
[ Okay, that might have actually gotten him to calm down for the moment. He still doesn't want dog fur all over him, but "temporarily" sounds like the key word here, and Ragetti takes a deep, if mildly shaky, breath. Okay. Calm. ]
Ye mean it's happened to ye before?
no subject
[More like every conversation, but that might be worrying again.]
no subject
[ This world's gonna have to get creative if it ever wants Gershom to realize his furry potential. ]
An' they go away, yer friend's? Eventually?
no subject
Fifteen minutes, usually. Nothing to worry about.