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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[The decision to attend the Gala is something the Harbinger decides on the day of the event, finally sorting through his thoughts enough to make a choice. Being the correct one or not is still something he doesn't know, but he doesn't want to be alone with a time loop looming over them all. A feeling to think on later, should he somehow remember.

The request that those attending dress up is something that he's gone over in his mind, and selecting an outfit is simple enough given he already has some options that he would deem fall into more formal. It would be easy enough to leave it at that, merely a change of clothes and no more, but he decides with his hair as long as it was, he wanted to do something with it.

Perhaps it's an excuse, a way to spend some time with the woman who has only ever shown him kindness, though if that were the case he's yet to admit it to himself. Either way he contacts Vennessa to ask if she'd be willing to help him with it. That she's the first person he's invited over didn't mean they were friends or anything, she was merely the best choice for something like this - aside from his creator.

If he was meant to look nice for this, then he would. And if he could spend some time catching up with a human he didn't hate, all the better.]

[Scaramouche would find Vennessa all too willing to help him with his hair, asking nothing in return except his company. Perhaps things would be different if she knew anything about what the future would hold for Snezhnaya, who the Fatui were and what they would do, but she knows nothing of this and she sees the peculiarly eccentric Inazuman just for who he is and nothing more than that.

But even though they get along, she thinks, she wouldn't have expected to be invited to his home. When she shows up she's clearly made an effort to make herself look clean and presentable for the visit and isn't lugging around all of her belongings (only a single small bag over her shoulder). It's just her, with neat clothes and her hair freshly brushed, washed and braided, and a bright smile on her face the moment he opens the door.]

Hello, Scaramouche! [She greets him as cheerfully as she ever does, her hands clasped behind her back.] I brought you something.

[Quickly rummaging in her bag, she produces a small box of namagashi and offers it to him.]

They're fresh, I picked them up this morning.

[The sight of Vennessa brings a small smile to his face when he opens the door, glad to see her before time has a chance to loop. That feeling of loneliness that he's inflicted upon himself since returning from their adventure lessening. One of the few people he will admit he doesn't want to forget.

Though his smile is quick to morph into a look of surprise when Vennessa digs around her bag only to offer up a box of sweets.]

Ah--

[For a moment Scaramouche has no idea what to say, not expecting to receive any kind of gift, even if only something as simple as sweets. It's a kindness that isn't shown to him very often, especially not unprompted. A surprise with no indicators that he can think of. He had asked for Vennessa's help, and from his understanding of things if anyone was to be giving any gifts it should have been him as a thank you - were he more of a gift person.

The Muratan woman continues to baffle him.

But he can't keeping standing around at a loss for words, quietly taking the box with a curt nod and mumbled thanks as he moves aside to let her in.]

You didn't need to bring anything, Vennessa.

I know, but I saw them and thought of you.

[Since she was coming here anyway, she thought she might as well bring him something he might like. Sweets tend to be universally appreciated in her experience, and though it's sometimes hard to read Scaramouche's reactions to things - especially to kindness - she thinks he would be more forthright if he didn't appreciate it.

She steps past him and quickly toes off her shoes once she's through the door, setting them neatly to one side.]

So, you're welcome.

[Then she turns a smile on him and tucks one side of her hair behind her ear, before clasping both of her hands together up near her chest. She isn't about to go running off into his house, so she'll just... give him a second to pull himself together.]

Are you ready?

You're too kind. Someone could try and take advantage of that you know.

[Scaramouche finds himself voicing a concern that really shouldn't exist as he shuts the door, eyes fixed on the box of sweets in his hands. He has little idea as to how many people Vennessa spends her time with, but it wouldn't be a shock to hear of anyone trying to exploit the kindness she offers so willingly.]

Hm?

[It takes him a moment longer to look up and see Vennessa standing politely. Another for him to shake the thoughts and concerns from his mind, to consider leaving the sweets in the kitchen before deciding against it not wanting Ei to eat them all. And one more to focus fully on the reason he'd asked for the woman to visit.

Not to keep her waiting any longer from his own distractions, the Harbinger makes his way further into the home, fully expecting she'll follow without prompting.

It's nothing special, nor particularly big - the main room devoid of anything personal of his, save for a tank of purple beetles, though he wanders though not stopping until he reaches his room. His hat sits atop a small table, and other than some makeup and a sparse amount of things for his hair, his room is as equally bare of personal touches.]

If I don't have everything we need, I can look through Ei's room. I'm sure she has more than enough things for her hair.

I'm kind to people who I feel deserve it. Don't mistake me for a fool.

[There's a certain sternness in that correction - a hint to him of the kind of person she could be towards those that she did not feel deserved her kindness. Vennessa was not the kind of person to blindly trust or offer a gentle nature to just anyone who crossed her path, even if she was more instinctively inclined towards kindness than anything else.

When they walk through the house she pauses for a moment to peer at the beetles, leaning down with her hands braced against her knees to look at them. They look familiar, though she can't place where she might have seen them before. He's still moving though, so she quickly follows after him and has a look around the room when she steps inside.

It's... very spartan, she thinks. There's very little here to tell her anything about the man, and yet that alone tells her more than he might expect it to. Nothing to be discussed right now though, and she picks up a brush before she turns to him.]

Ei lives here? [The way she says the name makes it abundantly clear that she already knows the woman. If she had another thought to add to that, she doesn't continue it.] Ah- you can sit down, I'll start.

I wasn't saying you lack sense Vennessa, but people do lie.

[The comment that he's deserving of kindness is something Scaramouche is quick to gloss over, placing his focus only upon his accidental implication. He doesn't find Vennessa lacks sense, he knows from their first meeting that she's more than capable of being cautious, but she also warmed up to him rather quickly. Faster than he thinks he deserves. He still doesn't know what he's done to endear himself to her as he has.

It's that which he finds could easily be exploited, where had he reason he might have done so, back before he found himself enjoying her company. As things stand now, he can't see himself considering such a thing. He'd like to keep her company, not drive it away.

Scaramouche takes a moment to set the box of sweets down next to his hat, before taking a seat on the floor - sitting atop his legs and looking overly proper and polite for once. Vennessa is doing something nice for him, he can at least make some effort.]

She does.

[The way she asks makes it clear enough she's familiar with his creator, though how he doesn't know, nor does he care to. What Ei does in her spare time is her own business, and and long as she isn't the one to try and take advantage of Vennessa it can stay that way. Still he can offer her at least some explanation, she knows enough already that it wouldn't require him to go into too much detail if he didn't want to.]

Do you remember what I told you about the feather? She's... the one that abandoned me.

[She feels like he's... trying to look out for her, in his own brusque and blunt way. Something she had liked about him from the start was his straightforward way of speaking, even if she could tell even then that he was keeping a lot hidden. Not really a problem - everyone has secrets, and not always for bad reasons.

So she doesn't press that argument further, being sure enough that had he tried to exploit her she would have noticed (half a lifetime of such things makes one sensitive to them) but quite glad that she had noticed no such thing.

Vennessa takes a seat behind him and sets the brush down to gently loosen and pull all of his hair back over his shoulders first of all. She runs her fingers through it, pausing at a couple of small snags she finds, then picks up the brush. It's well-cared for, she thinks, and getting any knots at all out of it would be easy. Still, she's quite careful with it while she brushes it.]

Oh... [At first, the implications of what he says don't quite hit her. Then she pauses half way through drawing the brush down his hair and feels a hot flush scald her face.] Then she's the-- ... the Electro Archon.

[This is neither the time or place to detail what Vennessa may or may not have got up to with the woman so she forces her voice to stay level. For a moment, her free hand comes up to Scaramouche's shoulder and she gives it a soft squeeze.]

I know you don't want any pity, but I'm still sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be discarded.

[Scaramouche shuts his eyes, content to simply sit in silence as Vennessa begins to work. There's something soothing about the brush running through his hair, as he allows himself to be taken care of by someone he finds he's come to trust enough for her to not only be so close, but to have even asked for help in the first place. A comfort he would never voice, but existed all the same.

The slight delayed reaction brings a quirk to his brow, faint amusement at the pause as the woman worked out just what he had implied. It's no surprise that his creator isn't going around mentioning she's a god, but it seems a pointless thing to hide when there were so many from Teyvat. Especially when interacting with someone else that hailed from their world.]

Unfortunately. I don't know how you know her, but don't let the title scare you - she's a disaster of a god.

[The amusement soon passes, the gentle squeeze of his shoulder and words he doesn't often enjoy hearing. Vennessa is much - much - too kind. That specific part of his past isn't something he can easily forget, less so when he lives with his creator, but he likes to think it has long since stopped bothering him. At the very least it brings about a different kind of feeling that it had all those centuries ago.

Still Scaramouche is not terribly fond of people acting like they need to feel sorry for him, feelings genuine or not, and he waves a hand dismissively at the topic.]

You're right, I don't. I'm over it.

Hmm.

[She has her doubts about that, but as it's a sore topic for him she won't press on it further. As for Ei being the Electro archon... she feels peculiarly numb to that piece of information and will probably just have a small crisis over it at a later time.

For now she just carries on gently pulling the brush through Scaramouche's hair until it can glide easily through it without catching on a single snag.]

Do you have an idea of what you want me to do? [Vennessa asks then, leaning to peek around at him. He has a lot more hair than her little sister, but she's feeling quite excited about what she might be able to do.] Or shall I try a few things?

[That the topic of conversation ends there is something he's thankful for, not wishing spend what is potentially the last day before the time loop irritated and dwelling on a past long gone.

The question is met with a faint shrug, Scaramouche attempting to move as little as possible as the brush glides through his hair. While he had asked for help it had been with little idea in mind, knowing what his makeup and outfit would be, but being rather lost on what to do with all of his hair to make it appear appropriate for such an event. Something past the simplicity of allowing it to fall untouched.

He trusts that whatever Vennessa manages to come up with will suit his needs, likely better than what he could manage on his own as he's never really done anything intricate with his own hair.]

You're welcome to try whatever you think would look best. I've no look in mind. I really do appreciate this, Vennessa.

[Her own and her sister's hair is not this long - it would be impractical - but she already has some idea of what she might do with it. Some kind of braid, certainly, but... nothing like Ei's.]

It's my pleasure to do it.

[With his hair thoroughly brushed she puts the comb aside and takes a moment to simply look at the sheer amount of hair she has to work with. A soft exhale puffs out of her, then she begins by parting it into a few separate sections.]

Do you have something I can use to hold it up out of the way?

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December | Event: With A Bang

CLOSED TO VENNESSA

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