jikan_rpg | April | Event: Skybound Travelers

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April | Event: Skybound Travelers

Skybound Travelers↲ OOC Plotting

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As everyone settles into a routine in Nippon, newer refugees may find that visiting the Western Kingdom is something of an undertaking. Although considerably faster than traveling by airship or on foot, the underground train that connects Tokyo and Kyoto still takes at least five hours. And not everyone enjoys the roller coaster-like experience of the Sunday-only time surge that shortens that ride into ten minutes. But lucky for them, the NRL are finally ready to release a special new travel system!

Developed in part thanks to the refugees for gathering the necessary etherblossoms back in March, refugees will now find teleportation terminals available at the NRL in Tokyo and MRU in Kyoto. These terminals only connect to each other, with plans to expand to other cities in the future.

Or at least, that's what they're supposed to do.

Nippon Traveler

With the announcement of fast travel between kingdoms quickly spreading among the refugees, many of them are clamoring to be the first to take advantage. After all, the train is rather inconvenient for those with friends and family in both kingdoms, and even more so for those who wish to work in one while living in the other.

Thankfully, the NRL took this into consideration, and made sure to add additional platforms and a timed queueing system to make things run smoothly, essentially creating a small station on the top floor of the NRL's main building. And with exclusive elevator access on the outside just for traveling refugees, it's certainly built for convenience.

Ready, Aim... Kyoto, Western Kingdom
Despite the fact that the NRL has been using these teleporters just fine for transferring between Tokyo and Kyoto for the past few weeks, the sudden inundation of users is causing the system to overload ever so slightly. As a result, the teleporter hasn't been sending people where it should, occasionally redirecting them to random areas throughout Kyoto.

On the one hand, magic is so commonplace in the West that no one really thinks anything about the Refugees popping in and out of existence, with most natives just assuming they're teleporting using the local magic. But on the other hand, this assumption means the natives will think it's intentional, resulting in a large number of refugees finding themselves in both literal and metaphorical hot water after teleporting straight into a public bath, fully-clothed. Hopefully it's a mixed bath, or they might find themselves being carried away by the patrolling samurai guards for questioning.

In addition to becoming a public nuisance for the natives, some may find themselves teleporting into the homes of fellow refugees instead. They may wind up as an uninvited dinner guest, or perhaps they'll appear during a private or intimate moment between lovers. Some may even end up appearing in a closet, giving them ample opportunity to hide until they can make their escape!

Thankfully, this bug is discovered quickly enough that it only creates a few days of chaos -- so don't let that put you off the technology forever!

Here Comes a Thought Higashiyama, Kyoto
But of all the locations the teleporters are sending people to, perhaps the most common one is Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto's Higashiyama neighborhood. As one of the most famous temples in Kyoto, its already a popular tourist destination, with beautiful gardens, a veranda overlooking all of Kyoto, and is home to a magic school that specializes in the Mizu Element.

Those who are lucky may simply find themselves suddenly standing in front of a very tall pagoda, or overlooking the view of Kyoto. But most refugees will instead find themselves standing before the Tainai Meguri, a dark underground passageway beneath one of the many shrines in Kiyomizu-dera. Naturally, it'll be assumed they want to go in, and they may find themselves ushered down by a shrine maiden or two who don't want them holding up the line.

Blanketed in an inky darkness, the Tainai Meguri is composed of a single hallway and a rope along the wall to help guide visitors down to the lowest part of the passageway, where a mysterious stone can be found. Glowing with a mysterious power, the stone is the only source of light in the tunnel. And those who touch the stone with a clear mind will see the carving in the center change, showing which magic element they have an aptitude for: Tsuchi, Mizu, Hi, or Kaze.

However, those who touch the stone without a clear mind will witness something different. Because the stone in question is a Memory Stone, an ancient magical artifact capable to creating illusions of a person's memories. Once the stone is touched, the light of the stone will jump out into the darkness, projecting illusions of their past on the walls around them. Whether these illusions appear as text, an exact replica of one's memories, or something more abstract, varies by the person.

Those whose memories are being projected may find themselves completely overwhelmed by the emotions they felt at the time of that memory. For this reason, no one is allowed into the Tainai Meguri alone, so those affected better hope that their partner in the darkness is prepared to drag them out of it.

Into the Unknown

As the technology powering these terminals is still quite new to the scientists at the NRL, actually releasing these to the public is still a way off. Although there's zero risk of harm coming as a result of using the terminal, they have noticed that occasionally the terminal registers another point of travel, as if another terminal exists. A reverse transfer always brings them back just fine, but little is known about where these objects are ending up.

To that end, the NRL is asking brave enough refugees interested in exploring to take the teleporter to these unknown locations and report what they find. But don't worry, they're not asking they do this for free! All participants will receive a moderate sum of money, as well as a week-long stay at the Ōwakudani Hot Spring Resort in Hakone, to be redeemed whenever they like.

Cold Cuddles Sapporo, Hokkaido
For the first mysterious location, volunteers will be bundled up in warm clothes, as objects that come back always arrive very cold. And indeed -- upon teleporting, they'll find themselves in the midst of a snowstorm, an ancient version of the same terminal below their feet, and strange ruins all around them. And stranger still, the walls of the ruins appear to be covered in dark blue ice that won't melt no matter how much heat is applied.

It seems this teleporter is somehow connected to Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Nippon. Due to an ancient curse, the land is perpetually snowy and plagued by unmelting ice called everfrost. And while those who visited the region prior may recognize their surroundings enough to know they're actually very close to the city of Sapporo, others may not be so lucky, nor willing to take the risk of missing their return window.

Worse still, they're just far enough away from the city that their magi-comms won't work! With no way of activating the terminal from their side, and two hours before the NRL reactivates it on their end to bring them back, it looks like they'll need to huddle together for warmth to ensure they don't freeze.

Thankfully, the terminal is located in a covered area, and the remains of an old campsite nearby even has some blankets and supplies. And upon their return, they'll be given hot drinks and no shortage of apologies for not considering the risk of giving them such a long window to explore.

Party in the Dark Jigoku, Shitaya
The second mysterious location is by far the most intriguing, as it's clearly somewhere that people have access to, and yet no one has tried coming back through the terminals. Instead, empty cans and half-finished drinks sometimes end up on the terminal, with no explanation as to who was drinking them prior. And as this phenomenon only occurs late at night, that's when the volunteers will be sent.

Upon arriving, at first they'll find themselves blanketed in a perpetual darkness, surrounded by some sort of stone tunnel, with the sound of music echoing from further in. They'll still be able to contact the NRL, leading the scientists to suggest that they may be in Jigoku, the catacombs of an abandoned subway system below Tokyo.

Should they be brave enough to follow the source of the music, they'll stumble upon what appears to be a secret speakeasy in the dark, run by the Hanyo who live in the neighborhood of Shitaya. As many Hanyo still possess the Yokai ability to see more clearly in the dark than Humans, the lack of lighting is more a feature than a gimmick.

Still, for having made it all the way down here, they'll be offered free drinks and a playful atmosphere -- so long as they promise to keep their illegal supply of Uki-based drinks and snacks a secret from the authorities. A popular recreational drug in the West made from the naturally sweet Uki Weed, Uki is highly regulated in the East, and causes lowered inhibitions, feelings of calm or euphoria, and even functions as a mild aphrodisiac.

Which might just be why many patrons are taking advantage of the dark and inviting atmosphere for romantic trysts in the dark, with futons set up in nearby tunnels for all your sensory deprivation needs. The Refugees can contact the NRL to return at any time, so why not let loose and join the fun?

Castle in the Sky

After a week of using the teleporters, Refugees will discover a new warp point is now listed alongside Kyoto and Tokyo: Tengoku, the nation of Tengu, comprised of dozens of airborne cities that float high above Nippon. According to the NRL, the technology used for these teleporters was developed thanks to the Tengu of Skytower, as a much belated thank you for the refugee's help back in March 1921.

And while Skytower itself remains off-limits, the Tengu Capital of Miyazaki has decided to open its doors to outsiders for the first time in centuries.

Fly High Miyazaki, Tengoku
The Tengu cities are unlike anywhere else on Nippon, comprised of a single, massive amount of land that towers upward, and numerous smaller islands that float up and around the main part of the city. Mysterious magic-powered technology can be found all around the city, though the appearance is quite different from the more modern magi-tech.

But perhaps the most notable thing is that these cities are not designed to be very accessible to those who can't fly. Very few actual pathways lead upward into the city proper, and the entrance to most buildings are located on the top floor, with only a small balcony in front to land on. But thankfully, there's a means around it!

Upon arrival to the capital of Miyazaki, all Refugees will be offered a small backpack with a tiny pair of wings attached to it. Upon putting it on and jumping, the wings will grow larger, acting like a part of their body and allowing them to fly! These backpacks will only function in Tengoku, but they're welcome to keep them should they decide to visit again.

Of course, just because they have the power to do so doesn't mean they'll actually be good at it. Refugees may struggle to become airborne at all, or may find it difficult to control themselves in mid-air, flying into walls, other refugees, or accidentally hurling themselves over the edge of the city. Thankfully, there's patrolling Tengu who are always prepared to catch those who fall, but considering it always comes with a lecture, it's really not the best experience.

But those who persevere will be able to fly up to the very top of the city, where they'll find a beautiful garden overlooking the clouds. The flora here is far more alien than anything commonly found in Nippon, with plentiful etherblossoms, crystal-like mahougi trees, and-- is that a nuruname bloom? Maybe stay away from that one...

Liquid Happiness Miyazaki, Tengoku
Being so high up in the sky, completely isolated, meant that the Tengu cities were designed to be completely self-sustaining. Although they do conduct trade with the mainland below, almost everything they need is either grown or produced by the land itself. Which might just beg the question: where is the water coming from? Because nearly every level of the city is accented by canals and waterfalls.

But those who visit on a rainy day will get their answer. As high as they are, the Tengu cities are close enough that they can draw from the magic properties of the ring that circles the planet of Gaia, which is only visible at night. Thus, the rain that falls in Miyazaki has magical properties: in audition to a rainbow color, it can be infinitely multiplied, instantly heal wounds and certain illnesses, and seems to cause feelings of euphoria similar to Kizuna when one stands in it. For this reason, the rain that falls in Miyazaki is referred to as liquid happiness.

But for Refugees, these effects are even more extreme. Those who visit Miyazaki during a particularly rainy week at the tail end of April will begin to manifest severe Kizuna side-effects, especially the supernatural variety. While ordinarily these effects are only possible when feelings of love are present, the power of the rain will allow Refugees to share their thoughts and feelings with the people around them, whether they want to or not.

So strong are the effects of the rain that these effects will linger well after they leave, and may even become contagious to those they meet later on the surface. In the end, the NRL issues a warning for Refugees to avoid lingering in Miyazaki in rainy days until a more conclusive study on this "liquid happiness" can be conducted.

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

• Characters will not be allowed into the Tainai Meguri alone, and must descend in pairs.

• Sapporo is roughly a twenty minute walk away, and characters who are familiar with their surroundings will be able to go to the city proper. Magi-comms will also begin to work again. More information on Sapporo can be found on the Setting page!

• You are welcome to assume there is Uki-based incense in the underground party if your character would need an extra nudge to participate.

• Given their isolated status, the Tengu cities only contain Tengu Yokai, who range from entirely human-like with wings, anthropomorphic birds, and the traditional long-nosed variety! Although Refugees may be treated as a novelty by the people there, only elderly Tengu will treat them rudely for being outsiders.

• Characters will find that inns and hotels are both plentiful and cheap in Tengu cities, as the cities are very far apart from one another, and it's very common for Tengu to travel far from home. Miyazaki, for instance, floats above Kyushu near the Westernmost point of Nippon!

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[ Prim hasn't begun to consider whether or not her magi-comm is functional or not because she's just now blinking her bright orange eyes open to yet another unfamiliar, unintended location. Yes, another, which she's aware could be considered her fault by this point. i>Partially her fault, that is, because it's been hit or miss making use of the new teleportation technology with the latter being her more popular experience much to her chagrin.

'I should've taken the train,' she thinks for what seems to her the hundredth time as she stomps across the house to throw open the door so she can figure out where in Kyoto she is this time. The sight that greets her is different from all previous foolish instances and she stops abruptly in the threshold.

Her lashes flutter rapidly before her eyes. To her knowledge, Kyoto doesn't boast of floating islands and residencies in the clouds and she's certain the city would if it possessed such attractions. There are paths between the islands -- magical in nature, she can tell being a being possessed of magic herself -- but no immediate sign of a terminal or way to leave. No sense of one either in the brief moment she closes her eyes in attempting to detect some interruption or anomaly in the mana of this place.

Her vulpine ears flatten atop her head. Her expression is not one of due wonder as she turns her eyes about this place, but a frustration many days in the making. Previously, she'd been flung from Tokyo to some location in Kyoto. With a handy map and plenty of people eventually about if not immediately, figuring out where she'd wound up in the city was not difficult, but this -- and she's whipped her map of Kyoto out of her bag -- truly isn't anywhere on her city map that she can tell.

So where is she now, then? This isn't... it isn't the same as when her bond with Nippon was broken and she appeared back at the start of the loop in the Crimson Cavern. It isn't the same as when Dohalim had wished her back to Nippon what wasn't even hours later for her, but months to him and the world of Gaia. She's well with the exception of that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She has her inventory. She has no memory of anyone casting a spell of any kind in the seconds before the terminal was activated. ]

Where in Gē's name am I now?

[ She shouts the question and receives no answer, not even a return of the question despite how empty the space seems to her in this moment, and she resolves to take a moment after that. She rubs her temples, takes a cool drink of water sweetened with fruits she'd purchased at the market from her flask, gives her neck a good crack left, then right, and begins walking, walking, walking, walking.

There has to be a way out of this place, wherever it is. If she could be teleported in, she can be teleported out. Maybe there's ambient magical energy she could use to try to craft something like a portal? She's an intelligent, capable. She's faced far worse, that's what she tells herself as she wanders the island over the course of... hours, she thinks.

It's beginning to feel like years. Not even picking and stuffing new potential ingredients she finds into her bag alleviates the seemingly increasingly slow crawl of time and so, when Aether does return to the teapot's dimension, he may be surprised not only to find he has an unexpected visitor, but that said visitor is lying face down in a patch of flowers with the ores of a few fully devoured fruits a few feet away. ]

'oo eebehn 'ihvs 'ere?

[ She mutters. Someone must if there's a house and not too terribly much dust. Someone who isn't home, she's sure. She's yelled a lot. Devised many strong words for the people at the NRL and MRU, too.

Something like a big, fluffy, blue-black tail appears in an annoyed swish. ]

[Aether doesn't come home until late -- really, she's lucky he came home at all, and didn't just sleep under the stars tonight. And as it happens, the spot he appears isn't too far from where she's settled in.]

[He jumps at the sight of something unfamiliar, nearly mistaking the tail for some kind of creature, but-- oh. It's a girl?]

Er... hello? Are you okay?

[ Her ears perk with the first syllable spoken. It's with the stranger's second question that Prim lifts her head almost mechanically to reveal a face. ]

No. [ She whispers. ]

Do... you need help?

[Look, maybe she's just vibin' in the dirt, he's not gonna judge.]

Yes, I do.

[ It isn't this person's fault she's in this situation. She's had plenty of time to think on that and commit a strongly worded letter for the NRL to memory. She sighs and begins to push herself up. There's not a trace of that tail to be seen. ]

The NRL's teleportation terminal is to blame for my presence. [ She explains. ] It has sent me to the wrong location before, but only ever into the intended city. I do not know where I am now or how to leave.

[Where did the tail go... is she like Yae Miko? She does seem to have fox ears.]

Oh, so that's how you ended up here! I didn't think that was possible... this place is an adepti realm, and it actually only occupies a space as big as a teapot.

I can show you how to get out, but it's pretty late, and we're actually out in the mountains right now. You can stay the night if you'd like? I can lead you back to the city in the morning.

[ An adepti...? The term flies right over her head, but just that. The rest of what he says, while not ideal to her, she understands. ]

'T isn't much of a choice.

[ But it is one and she chooses to stay the night. Wandering the mountains alone in search of the city at night would be a foolhardy endeavor and not at all the sort she's partial to.

She sighs. ]

Do you have a spare bed, then?

[Well, he feels a little bad about that, but-- what else can they do? If only he'd come back a little earlier, maybe he could have at least offered to carry the teapot down the mountain to let her out.]

I do! Well, it's my roommate's bed, but she's staying with a friend in Kyoto tonight. And I'm pretty sure she only sleeps on the pillow, anyway.

I'm Aether, by the way.

My name is Prim, Prim Proper.

[ She foregoes the inclusion of her nickname. It isn't as though anyone here will figure it out. Curiously, no one has thought of it in Nippon where several people seemed to stumble upon it in Yamato. ]

You have my thanks for your hospitality.

I figure it's the least I can do after how long you've been stuck in here. If I came home earlier, I would have found you before you... gave up in a flower patch.

[Was she just gonna lay there until she became one with the dirt?? Maybe he'll get a nice sign with instructions on how to get out just in case this happens again.]

Are you hungry at all? I saw all the fruit you ate, but I was planning to make dinner when I got back anyway. So it'd be no trouble to make an extra helping.

[It'd probably still be less than what he has to make when Paimon is home.]

[ As if on cue, her stomach rumbles loudly. ]

If it's no trouble to you. I'd happily compensate you for the meal.

[Sorry Prim, he is gonna LAUGH good-naturedly at that.]

Oh, there's no need for that, don't worry about it. But, uh... you didn't eat all the fruit that ripe on the trees, did you?

Of course not.

[ Maybe disregard the way she turns her eyes to the trees. ]

Some of it was my own.

Well, that's good, then! Otherwise, a tiny fairy person would be pretty mad at you. Paimon's been waiting for those to ripen for a while now.

[No one wants to get between Paimon and her food. Not unless you want to be eaten, too.]

[As he talks, he leads her back into the house and into the kitchen, setting his bag of fresh foraged ingredients on the counter.]

Ah, Paimon is who I live here with, by the way. But she didn't feel like hiking today, so she won't be here tonight... which is probably for the best. She eats enough for two people as it is.

[He doesn't really want to cook a feast after climbing the hills of Kyoto all day.]

[ She follows after him after making sure she has all her things on her person and in her inventory. It wouldn't do to leave anything behind. She isn't entirely sure how an "adepti realm" works beyond what he's told her. ]

How tiny is this tiny fairy person that she can eat enough for two people?

...about this big?

[Measures with hands -- like a foot tall??]

I don't really know where it all goes either. But she did tell me she has two stomachs once.

Truly? I'll admit to wondering.

[ A foot tall with two stomachs... hold. ]

Would her stomachs not be relative to her stature?

You'd think so, but I've definitely watched her eat her own weight in sticky honey roast before. Paimon's biology might just be one of the seven wonders of Teyvat.

[They're roasting her and she's not even here!!]

[Eventually he just laughs, shaking his head.]

But enough about that-- is there anything you like to eat? Or I guess... anything you can't eat?

Pudding! ("Purin!")

[ Only she happens to exclaim it as he's asking his second question, which allows her a good recovery. Prim does love pudding. She loves it something fierce, but the pronunciation of the word is mistakably close to her name. It's a nickname given to her in her world, even, and she isn't entirely sure how she'd feel about people calling that here, especially seeing as no one has made the connection. ]

Erm, actually, I do have a fondness for tofu. [ She does. Honest. ]

Pudding... oh, like "Prim", right?

[Oh yes, he catches it right away.]

[But hmmm. A fondness of pudding and tofu? Sounds like he'll be making his specialty for dessert.]

But I think I can work with that!

[ For some reason or another, she wasn't expecting that. She blinks at Aether for a moment longer than she might have otherwise, her cheeks tinging red. ]

You can?

Of course! It's not too specific, but that just means I have more freedom to work with.

[Which is fine by him, and he quickly gets to work cooking -- so it won't be long before a small feast is laid out in front of her. He's a pretty big eater himself, after all, for all that he roasts Paimon about her appetite.]

[But there's a spicy vegetable and tofu soup, fresh grilled fish with a side of rice, a small salad with wild greens, and a sweet almond pudding for dessert. And yes, it will all taste as good as it looks]

[ She'd been content to watch him while adjusting her bows and occasionally capping a faux cough to disguise the rumbling of her stomach as delicious aromas wafted her way. Seeing the small feast laid out before her, her jaw drops. ]

You made all of this?! It looks delicious!

[ And that presentation... her rumbling of her stomach is not masked this time. ]

[In which Aether realizes he really need to cook for people more often, his cheeks reddening as he smiles.]

I'm glad! Hopefully you'll find it as tasty as it looks-- dig in!

[Someone needs to wife this guy already smh.]

[But after such a long day hiking the wooded hills of Kyoto, Aether wastes no time in savoring everything he's made, particularly the fish -- truly, nothing can beat fresh caught grilled fish.]

Oh-- that pudding is called almond tofu, by the way. It doesn't have any tofu in it, but its cooked in a way that gives it a really similar texture. It's one of my friend's favorite dishes, so I thought it'd be nice for something sweet.

[ Prim doesn't have to be told to dig in twice. She's always had a healthy appetite and she gets started right away. She does, however, have manners enough to swallow before she speaks. ]</small. It does sound nice. Would it be too early to say your friend clearly has excellent taste?

1. Tea(pot) Time

Pokes her with a stick

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