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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You find a reason." Aerith said, and now she wasn't getting her head bitten off, she scooted closer so that she could curl her arm around Wufei once again. They needed to keep warm after all.

"Maybe your Duo is reason enough? You've both lost enough, maybe you're each others reason to live?" It was simplistic and maybe a little on the unhealthy side to be so dependent. But maybe that was what was needed after having lived a life depending on no one and fighting for your life?

Wufei sighed heavily, leaning into her embrace. It was definitely only for the warmth. He sighed heavily at her words and let his gaze stay on the fire. "Maybe," he agreed softly, giving himself a little squeeze. "Back home I had a job, but it... was slowing down considerably." And he hadn't been coping well.

"And what's keeping you from finding a job here?" She asks with a smile, curious about why that would be a limiting factor.

"As I recently explained to a friend, we have a second chance here. The ability to do things we couldn't do back home. A change to... live in ways we never could. If you give yourself time, you'll find a way, you'll find your way. Because the world you've left behind? It'll still be there when you return. So why not enjoy every moment you can while you're here?" It was, Aerith thought, the most logical an reasonable of ideas. How often did you get sucked into another world, your very own pocket dimension, away from all the trials and troubles of your own home so that you could live a second life? Not often, she thought! So why not make the most of it?

He bit back the first reply that came to mind -- that he had no right to enjoy anything, after all he'd done, after all he'd lost, but that would just talk them in another circle, so he shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe," he murmured softly. "If I can ever figure out how." He didn't exactly know how to go easy on himself, after all.

But maybe that was the secret. He just had to go hard in a slightly different direction.

"Give yourself time. You'll get there. And you have friend who can help." She paused for a moment, thoughtful, and the smiled once again. "I can help you, if you'd let me? If maybe you think you could ever consider me a friend?"

There was no need to go hard in any direction. Living didn't have to be complicated, if you had something to live for.

He managed a little smile for her, and nodded. "At this point, I owe you that much at the very least," he conceded, rubbing away the last of his tears again. "Thank you, for your kindness and patience," he knows damn well that he's a pain in the ass, even for the people who like him, and that he was lucky she was one of them.

"It's what I do." Aerith replied with a hint of cheekiness followed by laughter. "At least this distracted us from being too cold, huh?" Because she hadn't even thought about it for a moment while talking to Wufei, even though the tip of her nose and her lips felt icy enough she was afraid they might fall off.

She leaned away from Wufei for a moment to throw a few more bits of wood onto the fire and stoked it with another. "Do you think someone will be looking for us yet?"

He hummed in agreement, and after she tossed the wood into the fire, and shifted closer again. He settled his arm around her, rubbing her arm gently. "I doubt it, this area seems very remote, but the scheduled portal back will open soon," he replied.

Well colour her surprised! Wufei had moved up beside her to take the initiative. The arm around her was surprisingly strong, though the gloved hand that rubbed her arm was far gentler. She thought about commenting on it, teasing him, but recognised that if she did that the poor boy might get embarrassed and pull away. And she didn't want that at all. She wanted him to feel comfortable around her.

"Lets hope so. I could really do with a nice, hot bath and a cup of tea. This kind of snow is not fun in the slightest!"

Wufei probably would've taken offense to it -- he was still in a fairly delicate place, emotionally speaking. He nodded in agreement. "I've never lived anywhere that gets this cold, not even Brussels." He'd gone to cold places a few times for work, and space could always turn icy on you, but in those situations he'd been properly prepared for it. "Hot tea, maybe a warm bowl of soup," he agreed with a sigh.

Someone to cuddle up to, though he kept that thought to himself. He knew Duo would let him, but he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with the questions it would bring.

Aerith decided to just go ahead and dropped her head upon Wufei's shoulder after she'd cuddled up a bit more to his side. Shared warmth was the name of the game here. The fire was keeping them warm enough though, so as long as they could keep that going then they would survive long enough to be picked up by the rescue crew.

"It could get bad in the slums but never this bad. And I had never left Midgar to see anywhere else where it could get this bad." Even though this was the exact kind of climate she had been born in. "I don't think this is the kind of place human's are ever supposed to thrive."

"Also soup sounds so good." She sighed herself, daydreaming about making a nice big pot of soup. "I should make some. Maybe I'll even be nice and invite you to enjoy some also?"

He blushed a little, but found himself smiling again, glancing over at her. It worried him, but not for any good reasons, and he let out a little sigh of relief when she spoke.

"It definitely isn't," he agreed with a chuckle. "But if there's one thing I know about humans, we'll find a way to live anywhere."

"That depends," he teased a little, holding his free hand up to the fire. "If you're any good at cooking, I'd absolutely accept. If you're as bad as a knife-thrower, I have no interest," he chuckled.

Nothing to be worried about, Wufei. She was just cold and tired and needed something warm and solid to rest against.

"A resilient lot, aren't we?" Aerith laughed as well before she closed her eyes with a sigh and curled one of her arms around herself, as if trying to keep the warmth in that way. "I'm a pretty good cook, actually. I've no idea what a knife-thrower has to do with soup, but I think I can promise to be better than them!"

He chuckles softly, rubbing her arm gently. "You probably are. She travelled with a circus and was very close to one of my fellow pilots, but her soup tasted like she got the ingredients from the lion pen."

There's the sound of a soft sigh and a little puff of warm breath into the frigid air. It was a strange position to be in after their beginnings, but it made Aerith happy. She didn't really like to feel anger towards another person. She hadn't wanted to be at odds with Wufei.

"Then I can definitely promise that my soup is better than 'lion pen soup'." Sephiroth had always enjoyed it. And he was surprisingly fussy!

He chuckled softly at that, nodding in agreement. He glanced up at the sky and slowly started to pull away. "The portal back should open up any minute now. We should be ready to move when it does," he didn't want them to be stuck here any longer than necessary after all. "And then soup. And a hot bath."

At the first hint that Wufei was leaning away, Aerith sighed and made herself straighten up. Moving was a deeply unattractive idea, but she knew that Wufei was right and they had to be prepared. They wouldn't want to miss their chance and end up stuck in the frozen wasteland forever!

"Soup and bath. Yes." Maybe even at the same time? Soup in a cup. Warm inside and out. It sounded just about perfect to Aerith! "And up!" She pulled herself to her feet with a groan and immediately wrapped her arms about herself. "Oh my... why is it colder when I stand?"

His first instinct was to actually explain it to her, but he stopped himself at the last second and instead offered his hand. "It'll only be for a few moments. It'll probably feel like stepping into a sauna when we return," he replied lightly, heading back to where the portal was meant to open, just in time for it to do so.

She wouldn't have minded if he did, but when offered a hand Aerith smiled and reached out to take it. Why wouldn't she? A little added warmth would go a long way.

"I believe it." She was prepared, mostly at least.

The portal opened for them as they approached and without hesitation Aerith stepped into it. She hoped it would take them home but if not it couldn't take them anywhere worse, surely? Luckily they ended up back where they started. And as promised, the warmth was enough to make her shudder and gasp as it hit her need frozen skin. "... Well... at least we're warm now?"

He followed her through and shuddered when the warmth hit him, taking a deep breath and stomping his feet.

And then he was immediately scolding the scientists about not sending a thermometer through before people. And two hours! If he'd had his badge, he'd have thrown them all in prison, and he was saying so rather colorfully as he stripped out of the cold weather gear.

The scientists were just letting him ramble, letting him get it all out of his system as they collected up the gear they'd outfitted him with. He wound up huffing and stomping his feet once he was back in normal clothes, rubbing his arms and flexing his fingers. He was going to have nightmares about this, he was sure.

Aerith didn't quite have the heart to stop Wufei from going off on them, she might have done herself if she wasn't suffering! The sudden warmth really kind of hurt and she took her lead from Wufei and began to fumble with her clothes to change back into her normal clothes. She was so preoccupied that she didn't consider where she was when she started and didn't show a hint of embarrassment.

By the time she was done she'd found somewhere to sit and had brought hers hands together, a soft light appeared as she cast Cure upon herself to heal any injuries caused by the cold that she wasn't aware of. Then she looked up at Wufei. He'd came to an end of his rant and she offered him up a gentle smile. "Would you like me to heal you too?"

He seemed satisfied that he'd educated them in their errors when he returned to her side, still rubbing his arms and stomping his feet a bit as he watched her cast the spell.

"Hn?" He paused, looking down at himself and doing a more attentive inventory of himself. "Am I injured?" He didn't see or feel any, but they'd been in the cold for quite some time, and not as familiar with cold injuries as with others. He even sat down next to her to pry off his shoes and socks, looking for damage.

"That's what I'm asking." She smiled up at him, head tilted slightly. "It's just a precaution really. We've been in the cold a while. The healing spell should help our bodies adjust to the change in temperature a little more easily, as well as heal anything that we're not immediately aware of. But it was just an offer, Wufei." She would never force anyone, after all. So she began putting her materia away.

"Oh," he replied, tugging his socks back on and shrugging. "I don't think I'm injured," he assured. He didn't know enough about magic to know if it would cost her anything to cast on him, so he erred on the side of caution with his gentle refusal. "It would not be the first time I missed an injury," though that usually came with spikes of adrenaline on the battlefield.

Aerith was going to accept that and leave it alone, until he claimed that it wouldn't be the first time he'd ignored an injury. With a sigh, Aerith just went ahead and cast Cure on the silly boy. A warm glow would surround him for a moment, if there were any minor injuries they would be healed. A little of his energy would return. And with that done, Aerith pushed herself to her feet and stamped them, making sure her boots were on properly.

"A missed injury is never a good thing. What kind of healer would I be if I just let you go away without making sure you were okay? I'd worry about it all day and you wouldn't want that, would you?"

April | Event: Skybound Travelers

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