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July | Event: Wet and Wild
Wet and Wild↲ OOC Plotting
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As the days go on, the refugees are sure to notice that following Tanabata, the weather has been unusually awful. While there are have been some sun breaks here and there, for the most part, it's rained every single day. Rumors have circulated that the cause could be related the failed symbolic meeting of the two emperors, though few have put much stock into that idea. And yet despite the weather, the residents all seem very happy about it. Why? Because last year, it hardly rained at all. The stark difference serves as a pleasant reminder that time truly is moving forward.
But that's not the only reminder. Over in the Itabashi Ward of Tokyo, a certain project has been underway for a very, very long time. And now that time is finally moving, Itabashi Gardens is finally open.
Boasting a massive indoor complex, it's one of the largest buildings in Tokyo, housing a vast botanical garden, aquarium, and water park. Those looking for a break from the rain are encouraged to come by and spend a day or even a week there.
Wild Waves
Given the miserable weather outside, the first stop for many guests will be the water park. While the area will be a little overrun with children, the park is open to all ages, and includes a number of activities and pools for guests to use. Large water wheels can be seen pumping water through bronze-colored pipes, and a rainy midday sky can be seen though the steel and glass roof covering the complex.
But some may take notice of the large number of "swim at your own risk" signs. It turns out that Itabashi is among the first water parks in Nippon, and there aren't too many safety standards yet. They have lifeguards at least?
Totally Tubular Itabashi, Tokyo
Everyone who walks in will be immediately met by the sight of dozens of bronze tubes and slides encircling a number of pools. These water slides come in a variety of speeds, with one even requiring that riders must ride two at a time, with the smaller rider in the larger rider's lap, or else risk being shot out and hitting the glass wall on the other side of the landing pool. You know, safety first.
While most of these slides are simple enough, one boasts two loops, in which about 80% of riders get stuck. Hopefully you at least make it to the top of one of the loops, as there's no easy way out otherwise. They even have a name for those poor souls who get stuck in the middle of the two loops -- purgatory. This slide is closed after a few days, and no one really questions why.
But the most fun (and also safest) are the larger tubes intended for pool inner tubes. Riders can ride alone or share a double ring, with the most popular slide being designed to look like a trip down a series of waterfalls. At the end of each fall is a small pool area, containing mini whirlpools to get riders stuck spinning in circles. Of course, the best part of this slide is that in order to move on, you frequently need to kick other riders down the waterfall to keep things moving. Just watch the face, yeah?
Have Fun Don't Drown Itabashi, Tokyo
One of Itabashi Gardens' biggest selling points is their lazy river attraction. A narrow river circles and weaves in between other pools and under footbridges, lined with tall plants to give the illusion of privacy as swimmers float or ride atop an inner tube along the easygoing current of the water.
Along the way, swimmers can push their friends into "trap" sections, such as through a cave filled with waterfalls that drops buckets of heavy water on their head, or a slide that leads down into an isolated pool with a small bar, where swimmers can sit in the water and enjoy alcoholic beverages. Drinks must be finished before walking back out to the main river again, but there's more than enough space to swim and float around by the bar. Alternatively, the bar exclusive hot tubs are located just outside another exit, where additional drinks can be delivered while you relax in the hot and bubbling water.
And of course, what water park isn't complete without a wave pool! Rather than use machinery for this, instead the lifeguards themselves have been trained in Mizu magic, allowing them to manually control the rise and fall of the waves. This results in a much more personalized experience, with some swimmers taking to goading the lifeguards into giving them bigger and bigger waves.
Just... don't piss them off. They're professionals who've studied for years to be able to do this, and insulting them will encourage them to bend the water around the offender, causing them to fall onto the dry pool floor. The water will constantly bend away from them no matter how fast they try to dive back into it. While not fun to experience, it's certainly hilarious to watch happen to someone else.
With The Fishes
The aquarium is perhaps the greatest showing of Tokyo's technological advancements over other cities, with vast tanks containing any number of fish and other sea creatures. Guests can spend hours looking into the tanks and appreciating this rare look at Gaia's unique wildlife.
And for an additional fee, guests can even stay overnight in one of a number of rooms sharing a wall with the largest tank in the complex. A little pricey, but not an experience one would want to miss! Just keep in mind that with the lights off, it's not too hard to see across the tank and into another bedroom.
Jaws Itabashi, Tokyo
By far, the greatest appeal of the aquarium is the different ways one can experience the sights, as in addition to the winding paths outside the tanks, there are also guided tours inside, using magi-tech breathing apparatuses to allow for breathing underwater. These devices have a half-hour time limit before they need to be refilled at the surface, but those proficient in Mizu magic will find they can stay underwater just fine for well over an hour.
Guests will be warned not to stray from the group for their own safety. But those who do may find themselves in areas they're clearly not meant to be, with one such area including a large shark tank. For the most part, the sharks won't bother anyone. They're not the thing to worry about. Unbeknownst to the staff, a kagewani was accidentally captured when gathering specimens for the aquarium. Known as the shadow-shark ayakashi, it appears only as a flat dark shadow with no physical body, and should your own shadow cross in front of it, it'll attack and simulate the very same pain as if one were being legitimately bitten by a shark, even from very far away.
Immediate treatment will alleviate the pain, but waiting too long will allow the curse to settle into their bones, resulting in a deeper pain that lasts for over a week. Alternatively, killing the kagewani will undo the curse immediately. How do you kill a shadow? While stabbing it may cause it to run away, forcing it to the surface is the only guaranteed way of killing it, as this will expose its entire body to light.
The Shape of Sexy Water Itabashi, Tokyo
Over in another section of the aquarium, guests will be given an out-of-water tour by one of Itabashi's most famous residents: a Kappa Yokai named Kawataro, who chooses to live among humans. As most Kappa rarely stray from their homeland, let alone from the water, it's a unique opportunity to learn about the freshwater wildlife of Nippon.
But that's not really why people go. They go because Kawataro ripped all to hell and is a rather infamous flirt, spending much of the tour showering compliments on men and women alike who catch his eye. Can Yokai develop human fetishes? This surely toes the line.
At the end of the tour, two lucky guests may be offered the opportunity to explore his own private quarters, comprised of a large tank, and a number of winding passageways that connect every freshwater tank in the Aquarium. They'll be given a magi-tech breathing apparatus, and offered a swim suit and flippers to better assist in swimming through the narrow tunnels around the aquarium. Speaking will be a bit difficult, but who needs words, really?
And for those who seem receptive to the idea, he'll lead them to his private tank, where sunlight glitters far up above, and all sorts of tropical fish can be found swimming around. And here, he'll be making a move to suggest an underwater threesome. How long do you think the staff here will tolerate this...? Not like they can fire him. But are you really going to pass up this opportunity to feel the shape of water?
The Greenhouse Effect
One of the most intriguing points of interest is the Botanical Garden. In addition to beautiful local plants, the garden boasts many exotic plants, including those previously thought to be impossible to raise in captivity. Those who experienced the forests in Chubu back in March might just find a few that are familiar to them.
Butterflies can be seen fluttering around, and while the inside of the garden is very warm, those sensitive to heat can borrow a cooling poncho with a magi-tech powered cooling device fixed inside of it.
Stupid Sexy Plants Itabashi, Tokyo
Among the most popular is the False Silver Dragon Grass, a rare plant with properties that both neutralize other toxic plants, while also taking on those impurities and magnifying them within its blossoms. Very few can claim to have ever seen them for how difficult they are to grow. And for five lucky winners each day, they'll be allowed to go home with a single blossom that's been harvested from the plant's flowery stem, containing an extremely potent version of the comfort leaf's aphrodisiac effects. Of course, the blossom on its own is harmless. But should anyone get curious enough to dry and crush it into a powder for tea, the resulting drug is so strong, even just a pinch is enough to drive anyone horny out of their mind.
However, those looking for something a bit more dangerous should make their way over to the Nuruname Blooms. Carefully guarded by a well-trained samurai during the day, these plants are known for using their long, slimy buds to inject seeds into living creatures in order to incubate them. The samurai is there for your protection, not the plant's!
But the Gardens can't afford to pay a samurai to be there 24/7, and at certain times of the day, the nuruname is simply guarded by a strongly worded sign not to get too close. And while that may be a sufficient warning for visitors, it's not enough to stop the nuruname from hurling its vines across the barrier to try and drag some poor soul into its grasp. Looks like it grew a little faster than expected. The slime it produces is also a powerful aphrodisiac, but try not to have too much fun out there.
Spooky Scary Itabashi, Tokyo
Plants aren't the only thing on display in the Botanical Garden. Isolated from the rest of the complex is a series of rooms housing plant-like ayakashi. Before entering these rooms, guests must be purified by a brief prayer given by a local monk, and affixed with a thin paper talisman on their forehead. Removing it will prevent them from being allowed to leave the area until they've walked back to the front and received a new one, in order to prevent any ayakashi curses from spreading.
After all, the very first enclosure houses an entire field of higanbana. As these flowers only grow in places where people have died, it begs the question of exactly how they got them here in the first place. However, there's a rather interesting trick at play here. The higanbana is only visible to those who have witnessed a person die. Those who haven't won't see them at all. Instead, they'll see the vast graveyard filled with stone markers hidden below the flowers, with an otherwise hidden plaque reading: "Dedicated to those who didn't survive to see the end of the time loop, and pledged their final year to the research of this facility. May their souls rest in peace." A bit grim, but a unique memorial all the same. But should there really be so many...?
Many of the next exhibits aren't too exciting. A Venus flytrap type ayakashi that gnaws on anything unlucky enough to sit next to it, a grass-like ayakashi that turns the ground acidic enough to melt metal, a distressingly stinky flower that manifests temporary synesthesia in anyone who stares at it for too long... okay, the tree that grows fruit that resembles laughing human heads is pretty wild.
But at the end of the exhibit lies an enclosure labeled "Unknown". Inside sits a singular boulder and nothing else. But the moment one turns away from it, they'll hear the sound of a woman crying and wailing for help in the distance. And yet, the source sounds as if coming from the stone itself. Attempting to listen to what the stone is saying won't bring any clarity, but it will cause the listener to begin crying profusely, overwhelmed by a feeling they won't be able to explain. Those who are affected are encouraged to leave as soon as possible, as the full effects of this ayakashi's curse are not known. What is known is that those who cry when listening to the screams of the yonaki-ishi will become more prone to crying whenever they become upset in the future. How long this effect lingers is also unknown.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's July event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.
• The slides can be as dangerous as you want them to be, but no fatalities, please! They have a reputation to keep up.
• Visitors are not allowed to retaliate against the lifeguards. Doing so will result in being removed from Itabashi Gardens all together. Splashing back doesn't count as retaliation.
• Feel free to get creative with what underwater wildlife exists in the aquarium! Siren jellies can be found swimming throughout, for example, but you're not limited to what exists on the Flora and Fauna page. However, due to their dangerous nature, any aquatic ayakashi such as Fukugyo will be kept in sealed tanks with no swimming access.
• If you are unsure whether your character would be able to afford basic amusement park entrance fees, you can assume someone at the NRL bought them a ticket!
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Good! From the look on your face I can tell it went well~
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[SPARKLES]
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[The Akutagawa fanclub...]
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[Akutagawa has visible muscles and it's driving her crazy.]
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[Akutagawa's sexiness is attacking them personally.]
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[US, SHE SAYS]
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Dragging him somewhere private would be more fun, wouldn't it?