jikan_rpg | December | Event: With A Bang

December | Event: With A Bang

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In the weeks following that rather heavy announcement, anxiety and unease become familiar emotions among the refugees. Eventually, rumors begin circulating throughout the city, as the "first" anniversary of the time loop's end draws ever closer. Even without concrete evidence, it seems some among the native population have started to believe that time will simply loop again as well.

But the refugees have more than a few powerful allies on their side, and with a little bit of work and a little bit of love, they'll find a way to move forward into next year.

For The Big Night

As the day of the potential loop draws near, all refugees will find themselves receiving a special invitation to a Winter Gala being held at the Imperial Palace in Nihonbashi on the night of the 24th. The refugees themselves are the guests of honor, with the Emperor of the East scheduled to be making an appearance. Surely this can't be a coincidence, right?

But unlike the casual atmosphere of the Western Emperor, here in the East, this is likely to be a far more formal affair. Thankfully, they'll have a few opportunities to prepare themselves before the Gala itself.

Dance Dance Perpetuation Yoshiwara, Tokyo
For a fancy Winter Gala being held in the Imperial Palace, it goes without saying that there's going to be dancing. And for those who don't know how, they'll find a certain dance troupe in Yoshiwara is offering free lessons for all refugees attending the Gala.

The dances range from a formal Waltz to traditional dances native to Nippon, with the instructors patiently teaching the steps and correcting dancers as they practice in their studio. They even offer to let the Refugees borrow some of their costumes to practice dancing in more restrictive wear.

But their patience has a limit, and their offer, an ulterior motive. Because the costumes they offer are no ordinary costumes. Built into the fabric is a special magic-conducive material that connects to a small magi-tech device hidden under the collar of each outfit. And when activated, this magi-tech will cause the wearer to move against their will, following the dance routines programmed into the device. Supposedly, these are used for training beginners, as well as ensuring that dancers who need to sync up with one another can do so seamlessly.

Of course, the reality is they're mostly just used for hazing newbies, because the sensation of having your body dance dance dance the night away against your will is unpleasant. But hey, at least you'll remember the steps!

Binary Blowout Shibuya, Tokyo
Over in Shibuya, the Central Station Department Store is holding a special winter sale for couples purchasing matching outfits for ringing in the new year. Thankfully, couples won't have to do anything embarrassing to prove they're together in order to get the sale, and merely need to buy one half of a matching set at the same time.

For the most part, these outfits will consist of traditional kimono and hakama sets. However, it seems gender equality was not taken into consideration for this sale, and with few exceptions, couples looking for up to 75% off luxury clothing may find themselves forced to pick who gets the masculine hakama set in muted colors and who gets the bright and colorful floral kimono set (complete with matching hair accessories). Unfortunately, this seems to extend into their more Western styles as well, perhaps to a more extreme degree. Flapper dresses and fancy suits? Well, at least the sizes are inclusive?

Thankfully, given the cost reduction, it's still worth it to buy the full set versus buying only one half. But seeing as the sets do need to be purchased at the same time by the couple, and the ever so helpful employees will insist on giving each person a proper fitting and even offer professional photos, this may just end up being a more embarrassing experience than they expected.

Winter Wonderland

At last, the day of the party arrives! The palace is tucked away in a large garden in Nihonbashi, set atop a man-made island with a moat surrounding it. No doubt a common sight when traveling through the city, this will be the first time any refugees have been allowed to enter the castle grounds.

Inside the castle proper, the entire main hall has been fitted with a wintry theme, complete with magi-tech powered snowflakes that aren't cold, but fall gently from the ceiling and disappear before touching the floor. As the guests of honor settle in, the Emperor himself makes an appearance, dressed in extravagant blue robes and speaking in a soft, gentle voice.

"Greetings, my dear time refugees. Although previous circumstances prevented me from extending you all a proper introduction sooner, tonight I shall hope to make up for it.

I am Karu, Emperor of the East, and the one responsible for initiating the Time Refugee Project. Although it is customary in Nippon to address me by my title, Tennō, I do not wish to impose such formalities on all of you. Call me as you will.

I am well aware of the many difficulties our world has imposed on you. Hence forth, I hope to become a more reliable ally for all of you in this world. It is my hope that together, we can move forward towards a brighter future, both here in Nippon and in all of your home worlds."

After delivering his speech, he can be found mostly surrounded by his attendants and just quietly enjoying the atmosphere. While guests are welcome to speak with him, they may be quick to notice that he's not quite as eloquent when his words aren't pre-written.

Sus Snax Imperial Palace, Nihonbashi
Beautiful decor aside, the Gala has a live orchestra supplying the music, which seems to be of a more classical affair, with a Nippon-like twist. Dances will shift from playfully energetic to slower and more romantic as the night draws on. Enjoy a slow dance with a sweetie? It might just be your last chance before time resets at the end of the night.

And of course, no party would be complete without plenty of food and drink. Drinks are unlimited, with no shortage of beer, locally-brewed sake, and very expensive wines imported from before the time surges made international travel too dangerous. Should the Emperor really be giving this out for free? If asked, the attendants managing the party will simply explain that the Emperor is not very fond of alcohol, and wishes to share the collection he's acquired over the years with those who will enjoy it.

But at some point after the party has begun, some rather mysterious snacks make an appearance. Although looking like perfectly innocent manju, just one sniff will reveal the unmistakable scent of Uki weed laced within the sugary treat. How did someone smuggle these into the Imperial Palace of all places?? Well, as long as no one's a killjoy, the attendants won't recognize the scent, and the snacks will remain until they've all been eaten!

But what of those looking for a little... privacy? There's far more to the palace than just the main hall, and with just a little sneaking around, they'll find a door that leads to the upper floors. Despite being closed off, it looks like some of them have been decorated for the season as well, although it only takes a glance to see that most of the rooms are clearly unused. Wasn't this the Emperor's home? Well, regardless, there's still plenty of futons to be found in the closet of each tatami-lined room, so there's no reason that guests can't have a little fun in secret.

Mistleno Imperial Palace, Nihonbashi
It seems there's some other sort of trickery afoot at this Gala. All around the main hall, and even in some of the private hallways and outdoor areas, colorful paper cranes can be found hanging from doorways and ceilings. There's only ever one, and they seem to following some kind of colorful theme. Naturally, it should come as no surprise that these little fellas are enchanted, with different effects triggering depending on the color of the crane itself.

The red cranes will cause whoever walks under it to kiss the first person they see. A second variety, with a glittery sheen, will instead make them seek out someone they've never kissed before for a smooch.

The orange cranes will cause whoever walks under them to spontaneously teleport to the side of the last person they were thinking about, whether they want to be there or not. It seems someone thought it was funny to stick one of these above the bathrooms...

The green cranes will only cause an effect if two people walk under one at the same time. This crane will cause their minds to switch places, putting them in the other person's body. Passing under additional green cranes while the effect is still present will cause another swap, until no one knows who anyone is anymore.

The blue cranes will cause whoever passes under it to suddenly confess something out loud to the first person they see. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be a major secret, and may even just cause them to offer a spontaneous compliment, or admit they've have a little bit of the Uki snacks from earlier.

The purple cranes will manifest a random Kizuna effect that may linger for the rest of the night. This can be anything, from a mild physical change like growing flowers in their hair, to a severe mental change like intense levels of possessiveness.

And the pink cranes are of the most predictable sort, causing whoever passes under one to become almost insatiably horny. Thankfully, these ones are the rarest.

But how long will the effects last? Good question! Although none will last past midnight, the range seems to be anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. If pointed out to the Emperor's attendants, they'll immediately begin trying to remove them, but the cranes will simply take flight and flutter to another hidden location. So they weren't intentional, after all... so who put them there?

Party Crashers

As the evening progresses, the source of the mysterious Uki and magical paper cranes is revealed, when a number of Yokai abruptly crash the party. But this is no ordinary group of party crashers, as they're all dressed in imperial regalia, and are joined by the Emperor of the West himself, Katsuragi no Mikoto.

"Salutations, my dear guests from another world! Please, do not let me and my entourage disturb you! You see, I simply have very important business with a certain Karu-chan who stood me up last summer... no regrets, right?"

After a brief kerfuffle, the two emperors quickly take their leave to the very private balcony that absolutely no one can sneak into or blatantly peek at from the windows, not at all. Those hoping for a steamy scene may leave a little disappointed, but the lingering glances and shy smiles shared between the two say plenty on their own.

Boom Boom Boom Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Although the party may have been winding down before, once the Yokai join the group, things grow very lively very quickly. The classical music playing on the dance floor is replaced with some swinging jazz tunes, and dancers may find themselves literally dancing on air, as the Yokai use their magic to allow for weightlessness on the dance floor. They're being very careful that no one falls, and those affected will find their dance steps unaffected by the chance in altitude, but it's sure to be a little disorienting for some.

In addition to the Uki-laced snacks from before, drinks bearing magical effects are also brought out, with each effect carefully labelled to prevent accidental ingestion. The blue soda bottles cause drinkers to grow or shrink in height or size, in varying degrees of strength. Some may simply grow to a respectable six-feet tall, while others may find themselves shrunk down to no more than six-inches tall! The red berry-flavored drink causes those who drink it to become overtly flirty and confident, earning it the nickname "suave soda". And the mysterious sparkling sake causes those who drink it to become imbued with powerful Kizuna magic, causing severe Kizuna side effects to manifest. Strangely, it seems this one effects Yokai very differently, as the intended effect is simply a magical amplifier. Oops?

But aside from escorting their amorous emperor to his long-awaited date with the other emperor, the Yokai accompanying him have one last present to offer the refugees to make the evening even more magical. As the night grows late, a special spell is cast upon the ceiling, making it entirely transparent. And following a brief countdown, a spectacular show of fireworks is played overhead, visible from all over Tokyo. Magical in nature, the colorful bursts often take the shape of creatures, bounding across the sky before bursting into a brilliant show of light and magic.

By the time the show comes to end, few will have noticed that the clock has long since passed midnight.

Your Best Friend Everywhere, Nippon
It's not until the sun begins to rise that the last of the party goers begin filtering out of the castle and into the streets. Although none of the people sleeping in their homes are aware, it seems yet another time loop has been successfully stopped thanks to the refugees!

...sure, they did cause this one, but it still counts for something!! Though it seems they'll be left with no definitive answer for exactly how the time loop was prevented in the end. Maybe someone just needed to let loose a little for once?

Over the next few days, things really do seem to be progressing as normal. And more importantly, the people seem to be in even higher spirits than before. As another year safely passes by without any word of another loop, the native population begins to feel a true sense of relief, as if this year was proof that the time loop was truly over. Perhaps this is why scienz_rulz_1899 was so insistent that no one else find out the truth: because she knew just how important this peace of mind would be for the people of Nippon.

As thanks for their efforts, all refugees will find a gift addressed them to delivered to wherever it is they're staying -- and regardless of where. How did it find their way to them? It seems she still has her secrets! Each gift will include either a box of fancy pastries, a bottle of wine, or a small amount of money for those who can't enjoy either. And alongside that, an item from their home world that they would be happy to see again.

And at the bottom of each box is a small card, printed in their native tongue: from your best friend, Tomoko.

OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's December event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.

• While there is no official dress code, characters will ICly be encouraged to dress up for the occasion! For outfit ideas, consider searching 1920s fashion trends and Taisho era fashion!

• Feel free to make the effects of the paper cranes and drinks as mild or as strong as you'd like! Only the sparkling sake is alcoholic.

• Attempting to destroy the cranes will cause them to fly away. With effort, they can be torn up, but the effects they cause will linger unless burned to ashes. They are not living creatures, so don't feel bad about it.

• Characters who are in one of the upper floors when the fireworks begin will also experience an invisible ceiling. However, thanks to the way the magic works, the floor will not be invisible, and those on the floors below will not see them fuckin'. Unless you want them to, in which case, exactly one room will have this effect for all you exhibitionists out there.

• The item received in their gift from Tomoko/scienz_rulz_1899 can be normal or magical in nature, but it must be something they would want to see again, and something that would realistically fit in a large box. They do not need to attend the Gala to receive this item.

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Mistleno
[Kuro certainly hadn't expected the cranes to be anything but ordinary. He'd assumed they were decorations, rather pretty ones at that.

He was wrong. And once he realizes his mistake, he'll still have trouble with them throughout the night, sometimes due to not noticing them, and sometimes due to sheer laziness of not wanting to find a different route to get where he wants to go.]

A
[The red cranes are certainly inducing a spirit of spontaneity in the normally lazy vampire, though. He's moving faster than one might expect from him when he lays eyes on the first person he sees after passing by a red crane, leaning in to press a kiss to their lips, or, in the case of a woman, their palm or knuckles.

Sometimes it's someone he knows. Sometimes it isn't. Either way he heaves a sigh after, slumping a little in place in his own weird version of flustered.] ...Ah... What a pain...

[What a way to say hello.]

B - Pick lewd or tame confession

[The Blue cranes are certainly an interesting way to start a conversation...Or just embarrass himself. Some of the things he admits are silly, some are weird, and some are just very, very lewd.]

C - NSFW option
[And the pink ones.... well.

Kuro was never a person to have much shame.]

....Y'know, I bet we could find a place to have a lot more fun together.

Boom Boom Fizz
[Of course Kuro was going to try the soda. It's been ages since he's had some, and he doesn't hesitate to reach for the bottle of fizzy blue.

He's expecting to lose a few inches or gain some. He isn't expecting to be roughly a foot tall.

...But actually, that isn't all that unusual for him at all. Having hands instead of paws at this size was bound to be useful, too. That bright idea in mind, well.... is it to anyone's surprise to find a foot tall Kuro wandering around the snack table, stealing bites from anything he can get his tiny hands on?

He's got a hunk of cake that he's more or less buried his entire face in, frosting caught in his bangs and zero cares in the world as he spots someone staring, ears perked and tail swishing lazily.]

Yo.

[#noregrets. RIP that poor cake though, looks like he just yanked a chunk off. Someone might want to stop him.]

Warm and Bright
[Eventually, Kuro's going to seek out a place to settle in and watch the fireworks-- maybe it's in a bedroom in comfy futon pile, maybe it's with someone he knows, maybe it's in the gardens outside the castle.

Either way he'll look up at the fireworks, watching the glowing creatures bounding across the sky with a soft expression.... before tilting backwards and flopping on the ground wherever he stands, letting out a sigh as the lights paint the night in blooms of color.]

Can't believe it's been a whole year...

Wildcard
[Open to pretty much anything! Kuro can be found wandering the party and garden mostly being a wallflower, and at some point he'll sneak away upstairs to take a nap. He's wearing a suit to the party... rather sloppily, with his tie loose and coat unbuttoned. He made half an effort at least.]

Edited 2021-12-19 04:14 (UTC)

[ Okay so he hadn't been here long enough to really understand the heaviness of the thing that had been mentioned with the time loops, but a party was not something he would say no to. Infact, it was interesting enough that Noé had went out of his way to try and find something nice to wear for it.

He'd shown up dressed in quite the dashing outfit and his hair was parted off to the side to give the overall look something much more elegant, the touches of color working quite well without being too flashy. Though while cutting quite the impressive figure, it hadn't stopped him from being distracted and looking around in amazement at the winter-themed decorations and the 'snowflakes' that fell so naturally without being actually real.

It was in his curious wanderings that he'd missed what the emperor had said somewhat and exactly why he hadn't seen - or heard - someone approach until a hand grabbed his tie and used it to pull him down in time to have lips pressing against his in a kiss. That did something to short his brain out for a couple seconds, not processing a whole lot until the other man pulled away and his cheeks turned a nice shade of pink.

Still fairly visible even with his darker skin in this lighting, no less. ]

What?? I... [ He cleared his throat. ] Is... that some kind of new greeting here I'm not aware of?

[ This is about as much as he can manage as everything all settles into his head. Maybe it'll clue in that the other man here had fangs too. Eventually. ]

[cute. That's the first thought that goes through Kuro's head at the poor man's reaction, the way his cheeks turn a bright pink even in the dim lighting. He's cute, and it makes Kuro want to tease him, just a little.

His tongue darts out to wet his lips, a quick flash of fangs following.]

What, you don't know how they greet each other in the west? It's all the rage, y'know.

[That feline tail of his is swishing playfully behind him as he speaks, furry ears pricked, but his expression is as calm as it usually is. The nice thing about looking perpetually exhausted is no one can tell if you're joking.]

[ Maybe it's just because he's unaccustomed to how casual the other man had been after kissing him that it seemed like maybe some kind of new greeting he wasn't truly aware of. After all, Noé was more used to a place like Paris and how they did things there and it was a stark difference to Nippon's way of going about everything.

From the clothes, food and the people themselves.

There were so many inhumans here, yet no formulas that controlled this world, either. He was learning oh-so-much about this foreign world and the people who came from different worlds as well. So, to him? A greeting like this seemed like it could be normal, though that kiss was... ]

I-I see. My apologies. I haven't been here long enough to pick up on the different ways there are to greeting people.

[ Noé completely believed him, used to someone like Vanitas who would have grinned obnoxiously while lying to his face and this man wasn't doing that. So he was serious in taking things at face value... but there was also the matter that he'd seen fangs before.

Red eyes. Fangs. It made so much more sense now. ]

I also wasn't aware there were other vampires here besides myself.

[...He really bought that?

...Seriously?

Kuro's brows raise slightly in surprise, and if he were a more emotive person he'd have laughed. Not that he's very focused on the man's gullibility for very long.

He'll tell him the truth. Eventually. Probably.

For now he startles slightly, those feline ears prick up in surprise at the statement. How had he--]

You're a vampire too...? Huh. Most guys with red eyes I've met here are either humans or something close enough.

[Enough that he'd forgotten to question them, in any case.]

[ For just a second, Noé's eyes ticked upwards to the ears as the movement of them had brought attention to them unintentionally. He'd been more focused on that kiss before, along with the matter at hand that had come up. ]

I am.

[ He nodded, though the slight surprise that showed on his face was hard to miss all the same. ]

Vampires where I come from, they have red eyes unless they have good control over their thirst. Then we can change our eye color.

[ Which would explain how his own eyes are violet, but such was a self explanatory thing. He didn't want to assume the other man didn't have control over his thirst either, having enough awareness to know that things worked differently between worlds. ]

Oh.... I see. Yeah, it's kind of a permanent change with the ones in my world, at least as far as I know.

[He didn't make a point to socialize with many people period, but he knew his siblings and had seen some of their subclass. Which, you know, meant he was awkward enough to interact with.]

...You're probably the first I've met here, as far as I can recall.

[He'd been good friends with another undead guy, but a lich was kind of different.]

How fascinating!

[ That wasn't even said sarcastically, either. It was nice to hear about what other vampires were like in their world, though on that note... ]

Really?! Have you been here for a while, then?

[ Whereas he's been here maybe a month or so, but this does mean that this marked his first run-in with a vampire from another world! ]

[Wow, this guy was... bubbly.]

...About a year now, yeah.

[There's something a little wistful in his tone at that-- he's one of those first refugees who arrived, and it's been a long, long year.]

Kind of weird, thinking about it.

A year? That's quite some time, but i'm sure you've had the chance to meet and get to know a lot of people here in this past year, right?

[ Noé was probably one of the more optimistic people out there, and yet fairly realistic in certain situations. He just was now mostly focusing on the overall matter here and how interesting it had to have been to meet so many kinds of people from different worlds.

Despite a lot of it still kind of went over his head somewhat. ]

I'd like to know more about you, if that's alright. The differences between us despite being vampires and how it works for you back where it is you come from.

A... A few, I guess.

[A few he could even call friend even, which was... nice. Different, but in a good way.

He looks surprised by Noe's request, as if he hadn't expected it. Why though...? To compare and contrast? He guesses that made sense, but...]

Uh... sure, I guess. Dunno how many differences there'd be though. What do you want to know, exactly?

Even so. That's incredible. I can only hope I will be able to meet a lot of people from different worlds in my time here, too.

[ Honestly, just having the other man be willing to talk about their differences and possible similarities really was great news. It didn't even take long for him to think of a couple of things that seemed normal for him that he could bring up to another vampire. ]

Well... can you go out in the daytime? Are you restricted to just drinking blood or can you eat other kinds of food? Things like that.

I mean considering the amount of refugees here... Yeah, probably.

[It's... strange, having someone asking all these questions. Even stranger that Kuro feels comfortable answering. He knows events back in his world have changed him, but... Perhaps events here have, as well.

He's not sure how he feels about the latter.]

...I can go outside in the daytime, but not as I am. Sunlight weakens me and forces me to transform. I can eat food just fine, and I prefer it over taking blood from anyone, so I usually don't drink it if I can help it.

[If he can help it, though he's found that this place had put him in positions before where those morals fell to the wayside.]

[ Hypnos is not a big party type, and he's here to say hello to a few people before he leaves well before the party is over. He spends a lot of the time near the walls so that he can make sure that he doesn't miss anyone. He hasn't really realized what the cranes do - at least not yet. So when he spots Kuro - someone he's met a few times, and a familiar face - he approaches him underneath one. He only glances at it briefly, and before he hast he chance to say hello, he simply says exactly what is on his mind at the moment, and while there's not a lot going on at the moment, he blurts out: ]

One time I put Zeus to sleep, but it wasn't just because Hera, it was because I thought it'd be funny.

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December | Event: With A Bang

Kuro | Servamp

Mistleno - A

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mistleno - b, we'll go tame.