July | Event: Waterpark Waves

[jikan_mod]

Waterpark Waves↲ OOC Plotting

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Thanks to the Refugees, vital information concerning the history and application of Kizuna bonds is now available to the NRL with MRU's cooperation, quickly allowing for new breakthroughs in their research.

As thanks-- all Refugees who participated in the Trials last month are gifted a free week-long stay at Itabashi Springs, Tokyo's premiere (and only) indoor waterpark, while others will be given the chance to buy vacation packages at a highly discounted rate! Boasting a massive indoor complex, it's one of the largest buildings in Tokyo, housing a vast botanical garden, aquarium, and water park!

Wet n' Wild

By and far, the greatest attraction at Itabashi Springs is the water park itself! While the area will be a little overrun with children, the park is open to all ages, and includes a number of activities and pools for guests to use. Large water wheels can be seen pumping water through bronze-colored pipes, and a rainy midday sky can be seen though the steel and glass roof covering the complex.

But some may take notice of the large number of "swim at your own risk" signs. It turns out that Itabashi is among the first water parks in Nippon, and even after a year of operation, there aren't too many safety standards yet. They have lifeguards at least?

Black and Blue and Bronze Itabashi, Tokyo
Everyone who walks in will be immediately met by the sight of dozens of bronze tubes and slides encircling a number of pools. These water slides come in a variety of speeds, with one even requiring that riders wear helmets, as most people tend to slide out too fast, skipping over the landing pool, and slamming into a nearby wall. You know, safety first.

Those who visited Itabashi Gardens on its opening weekend may remember a certain waterslide boasting a pair of vertical loops. The slide has since been altered to create two horizontal loops instead, but the risk of being trapped inside is definitely still present, as most will find themselves coming to a stop in the purgatory between the two loops. Better start crawling, or else there's going to be a traffic jam inside the tunnel!

But not all the slides are dangerous. The newest attraction is by far the most popular, as a pair boards an inner tube and makes a slow decent down a clear pipe, which extends through one of the aquarium tanks. The lights are low and the ride is smooth, making it a popular choice for couples looking for something a little more romantic.

Wait, is that a crack? Is the aquarium tank leaking into the slide?? Don't worry about it.

Have Fun Don't Drown Itabashi, Tokyo
One of Itabashi Gardens' biggest selling points is their lazy river attraction. A narrow river circles and weaves in between other pools and under footbridges, lined with tall plants to give the illusion of privacy as swimmers float or ride atop an inner tube along the easygoing current of the water.

Along the way, swimmers can push their friends down various paths containing traps, such as a cave filled with waterfalls that drops buckets of heavy water on their head, or a slide that leads down into an isolated pool with a small bar, where swimmers can sit in the water and enjoy alcoholic beverages. Drinks must be finished before swimming back out to the main river again, but there's more than enough space to swim and float around by the bar. Alternatively, the bar-exclusive hot tubs are located just outside another exit, where additional drinks can be delivered while you relax in the hot and bubbling water. This is the only swimming attraction open late at night, so those who want a little more privacy best be staying in the hotel to get late-night access.

And of course, what water park isn't complete without a wave pool! Rather than use machinery for this, the lifeguards themselves have been trained in Mizu magic, allowing them to manually control the rise and fall of the waves. This results in a much more personalized experience, with some swimmers taking to goading the lifeguards into giving them bigger and bigger waves.

Just... don't piss them off. They're professionals who've studied for years to be able to do this, and insulting them will encourage them to bend the water around the offender, causing them to fall onto the dry pool floor. The water will constantly bend away from them no matter how fast they try to dive back into it. While not fun to experience, it's certainly hilarious to watch happen to someone else.

Deep Blue Sea

The aquarium is perhaps the greatest showing of Tokyo's technological advancements over other cities, with vast tanks containing any number of fish and other sea creatures. Guests can spend hours looking into the tanks and appreciating this rare look at Gaia's unique wildlife.

Refugees who decide to stay in the hotel will be staying in one of a number of rooms sharing a wall with the largest tank in the complex. Take a relaxing nap as sealife gently coasts by the window, as if living under the sea. Just keep in mind that with the lights off, it's not too hard to see across the tank and into another bedroom, so don't forget to close the curtains before doing any Activities (unless you're into that).

Landshark Itabashi, Tokyo
By far, the greatest appeal of the aquarium is the different ways one can experience the sights, as in addition to the winding paths outside the tanks, there are also guided tours inside, using magi-tech breathing apparatuses to allow for breathing underwater, with the latest model even allowing for natural-sounding speech through a small speaker. These devices have a half-hour time limit before they need to be refilled at the surface, but those proficient in Mizu magic will find they can stay underwater just fine for well over an hour.

Guests will be warned not to stray from the group for their own safety. But those who do may find themselves in areas they're clearly not meant to be, with one such area including a large shark tank. For the most part, the sharks won't bother anyone. They're not the thing to worry about. Unbeknownst to the staff, a kagewani was accidentally captured when gathering specimens for the aquarium. Known as the shadow-shark ayakashi, it appears only as a flat dark shadow with no physical body, and should your own shadow cross in front of it, it'll attack and simulate the pain of a shark bite, even from very far away.

Immediate treatment of the skin will alleviate the pain, but waiting too long will allow the curse to settle into their bones, resulting in a deeper pain that lasts for over a week. Alternatively, killing the kagewani will undo the curse immediately. How do you kill a shadow? While stabbing it may cause it to run away, exposing its body to bright light is the only way to kill the creature.

Considering the effects of its curse can extend through the glass walls of the tank itself, even those simply walking through the aquarium normally best be careful not to cast a shadow into the tank either!

Horny Sealife Itabashi, Tokyo
One of the newest attractions this year is a special wading pool that guests can walk through directly, extending through a winding path down a long hallway. With a sandy floor and waves that gently lap at their legs, it's a popular choice for those who wants to see creatures up close without doing a full dive.

For the most part, the pool is filled with starfish, harmless anemone, and the occasional small fish. But the pool comes with a warning. Don't touch the spiky anemone. But why? Of course someone is going to find this out the hard way, either by accidentally taking the wrong step, or curiously poking it.

The spikey anemone in the wading pool is actually a gentle ayakashi known as the anemonmon. Never attacking directly, these ayakashi will only cast their spells when stepped on, causing either feelings of intense anxiety and distress, or feelings of intense arousal, seemingly at random.

Why would they put such a thing in a wading pool?? Perhaps they put a bit too much faith into people reading the signs properly. Though this may explain why such a seemingly family-friendly exhibit has an age limit.

Greener Pastures

One of the most intriguing points of interest is the Botanical Garden. In addition to beautiful local plants, the garden boasts many exotic plants, including those previously thought to be impossible to raise in captivity.

Butterflies can be seen fluttering around, and while the inside of the garden is very warm, those sensitive to heat can borrow a cooling poncho with a magi-tech powered cooling device fixed inside of it to keep from overheating.

Plants of Temptation Itabashi, Tokyo
This summer features the opening of a new exhibit: an entire grove of wine fruit trees, specifically formulated to contain unique flavors. Thankfully, most of the fruit available is fresh, so the alcohol levels are low enough that one can enjoy as many flavors as they like!

There are a few basic flavors, including apple, strawberry, and watermelon, in addition to the classic grape-like flavor. Guests are welcome to pick them off the tree to taste test, and are even allowed to take the seeds home, which work as effective pain killers when chewed, no matter the ripeness of the fruit.

But those old enough to drink can select from a few fruit cocktails brewed using the fully ripened variety, which all contain a not-insignificant amount of alcohol. But among them, a suspiciously mild and floral variety is the most potent, with just a few sips required to put anyone flat on their ass. There's a reason they won't sell more than one glass of it to any one person.

However, those looking for something a bit more exciting should make their way over to the Nuruname Blooms. Carefully guarded by a well-trained samurai during the day, these plants are known for using their long, slimy buds to inject seeds into living creatures in order to incubate them. The samurai is there for your protection, not the plant's!

But the Gardens can't afford to pay a samurai to be there 24/7, and at certain times of the day, the nuruname is simply guarded by a strongly worded sign not to get too close. And while that may be a sufficient warning for visitors, it's not enough to stop the nuruname from hurling its vines across the barrier to try and drag some poor soul into its grasp. Looks like it grew a little faster than expected. The slime it produces is also a powerful aphrodisiac, but try not to have too much fun out there.

Cry Baby Itabashi, Tokyo
Plants aren't the only thing on display in the Botanical Garden. Isolated from the rest of the complex is a series of rooms housing plant-like ayakashi. Before entering these rooms, guests must be purified by a brief prayer given by a local monk, and affixed with a thin paper talisman on their forehead. Removing it will prevent them from being allowed to leave the area until they've walked back to the front and received a new one, in order to prevent any ayakashi curses from spreading.

After all, the very first enclosure houses an entire field of higanbana. As these flowers only grow in places where people have died, it begs the question of exactly how they got them here in the first place. However, there's a rather interesting trick at play here. The higanbana is only visible to those who have witnessed a person die. Those who haven't won't see them at all. Instead, they'll see the vast graveyard filled with stone markers hidden below the flowers, with an otherwise hidden plaque reading: "Dedicated to those who didn't survive to see the end of the time loop, and pledged their final year to the research of this facility. May their souls rest in peace." A bit grim, but a unique memorial all the same. But should there really be so many...?

Many of the next exhibits aren't too exciting. A Venus flytrap type ayakashi that gnaws on anything unlucky enough to sit next to it, a grass-like ayakashi that turns the ground acidic enough to melt metal, a distressingly stinky flower that manifests temporary synesthesia in anyone who stares at it for too long... okay, the tree that grows fruit that resembles laughing human heads is pretty wild.

But at the end of the exhibit lies an enclosure labeled "Unknown". Inside sits a singular boulder and nothing else. But the moment one turns away from it, they'll hear the sound of a woman crying and wailing for help in the distance. And yet, the source sounds as if coming from the stone itself. Attempting to listen to what the stone is saying won't bring any clarity, but it will cause the listener to begin crying profusely, overwhelmed by a feeling they won't be able to explain. Those who are affected are encouraged to leave as soon as possible, as the full effects of this ayakashi's curse are not known. What is known is that those who cry when listening to the screams of the yonaki-ishi will become more prone to crying whenever they become upset in the future. How long this effect lingers is also unknown.

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

• The slides can be as dangerous as you want them to be, but no fatalities, please! They don't have a great reputation for safety, but they're trying.
• Visitors are not allowed to retaliate against the lifeguards. Doing so will result in being removed from Itabashi Gardens all together. Splashing back doesn't count as retaliation.
• Feel free to get creative with what underwater wildlife exists in the aquarium! Siren jellies can be found swimming throughout, for example, but you're not limited to what exists on the Flora and Fauna page. However, due to their dangerous nature, any aquatic ayakashi such as Fukugyo will be kept in sealed tanks with no swimming access.
• If you are unsure whether your character would be able to afford basic amusement park entrance fees, you can assume someone at the NRL bought them a ticket!

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[damn_kitsune]

[At first, Mitsuhide thought that the girl he pushed towards the cave was Lucy, but there was something different about her. That was confirmed when he heard her shrieks as he floated along the outside of the cave. He couldn't help but chuckle. Okay, maybe that was a little mean, but he had heard laughter from other people who went into the cave so how bad could it be?

[Once he got to the other side of the cave, he saw the unoccupied inner tube come floating out.]

Well, that cannot be good...

[Not what he expected! He got off his own inner tube so that he could grab the other one. He quickly up them up on the edge of the river so that they wouldn't float away. Once they were secured, he enters the cave through the exit to check on the girl, going against the gentle current.

[The water only came up just past his waist, so he didn't have much difficulty. That was until a heavy amount of water was dumped on him!]

What the blazes!

[scarredhorns]

[While the cave might have been fun for some people, that wasn't the case with Nyuu. In fact, she was scared. It was dark, people's voices were echoing, and she kept getting lots of water poured on her! Due to the water park's lack of safety standards, the water comes down too heavily for some to the point that it's more painful than fun.

To escape the pouring water that made her feel as though she was getting stabbed by tons of little icicles, Nyuu actually slid off her inner tube of her own volition and completely submerged herself underwater, crawling on her belly against the ground for the rest of the way. Given that the water isn't too deep, she doesn't escape the waterfalls entirely, but she does manage to save herself from the worst of it. The reason she's able to stay underwater for so long is thanks to her Mizu magic's transformative abilities. A lovely blue fishtail has taken the place of her legs, complete with a set of gills on her neck.

What she didn't expect was for the man who pushed her into the cave in the first place to come in through the exit. They're close enough to the exit that some of the light from outside enters, allowing Nyuu to see Mitsuhide properly. Did he... come in looking for her? Whatever the case may be, Nyuu reaches an arm out from the water to take hold of his wrist before her head pops up.]

Come on, this way!

[Although it's the same face as Lucy's, Nyuu's voice is different--slightly higher in pitch.]

Sorry for the delay! Meant to tag this sooner.

[damn_kitsune]

[At least Mitsuhide was able to keep standing under the heavy downpour of water. Though he did have to use his arm to shield his head from the worst of it. Now he knew what those monks who meditate under waterfalls must go through.

[He felt a tug on his wrist which made him look down. It was the girl who looked like Lucy. Now that he heard her voice he was very sure that she was definitely not Lucy. It was higher and sounded more innocent to his ear.

[He gave a nod and started to walk back towards the exit of the cave. Once outside, he shook his head some to get rid of the access water.]

That was not how I planned for that little game to go. Are you alright at least?

[He looked back over to the girl.]

It's okay!

[scarredhorns]

[It's not just Nyuu's voice, but her eyes are different from Lucy's as well. Lucy often held a stoic gaze at times, maybe a little loneliness mixed in there too if one looked carefully. But Nyuu's eyes held more than enough brightness for the both of them.]

Yes, but I don't think that cave is for me. The water comes down way too heavily!

[The blue fish tail slowly melts back into her regular skin color and eventually splits as her legs reform, allowing Nyuu to stand up in the water.]

Huh? [She tilts her head at him. Now that they're completely out in the light, she can see his appearance much better] Are you... Akechi Mitsuhide? Lucy told me about you.

[While Nyuu isn't too mad about Mistuhide pushing her in, recognizing him from Lucy's notes gets Nyuu to forget about what she was going to say to him ("That was mean!").]

[damn_kitsune]

[He wasn't even going to comment on the fact that she had a mermaid tail that split to form legs just now. At this point, after seeing several yokai and ayakashi in this world, that was probably the less weird thing he has seen.

[He goes over to the side of the river and gets their innertubes back. He holds her out to her.]

You would think that with the way some guests were laughing you would think that the water wouldn't come down so hard. It led one to believe that there would be no harm going into the caves.

[Maybe those guests were just gluttons for punishment?]

My apologies for it was not my intent for you to come to harm

[Prank her, yes. Physical harm though? He drew the line there.

[At the mention of Lucy he arched a brow.]

That is correct. I didn't realize that Lucy had a sister?

[They looked so much alike that it was an easy assumption to make.]

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu's not surprised. She's certainly not the only Mizu magic user present in the water park after all. It's not just the lifeguards, but some swimmers may be doing the same thing she just did.

She gives him a "thank you" as she takes her inner tube from him, pushing it under water so she can hop back on more easily.

A thoughtful hum.]

Maybe I'm just not tough enough to handle it, but I can't say I feel like I'm missing out on much.

[If other people think the cave's fun, then that's fine by Nyuu. She'll stick to doing other things, thank you very much.]

That was mean, but I believe you. You came in to look for me, right?

[Nyuu easily accepts his apology and brushes off the cave incident. She chuckles at the sister remark, shaking her head.]

You wouldn't be the only one, Lord Mitsuhide. A lot of people think that at first, but we're not actually twins. It's a little more complicated than that. We're more like two different personalities who inhabit the same body. In our time, we call that a split personality.

[damn_kitsune]

[Mitsuhide hopes back onto his own innertube so that they can both drift down the lazy river again.]

I assumed something went arie when I saw your little raft come out of the cave without you. It was only natural for me to at least see that you were alright and not drowning.

[He doesn't deny that he can be mean at times. Especially when it comes to teasing and pulling pranks.

[Though the way she describes herself and Lucy makes him arch a brow.]

So you are basically two people sharing one body?

[It sounded like something that the superstitious would call a possession. But he can't deny that Lucy and this other girl were completely different. It was like he was talking to a completely different individual.]

It sounds like you do not go by "Lucy," so I assume that means you have a different name?

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu shows him a smile that could rival the sun, an expression that may appear alien on a face shared by Lucy.]

That's why I think you're a good person, Lord Mitsuhide~ Even though you pushed me in there. Because if you truly didn't care, you would've gone on your merry way.

[She called him a "good person" so easily. Whereas Lucy had shown a wariness of new people to rival Mitsuhide's own caution, Nyuu was so trusting. Perhaps... a little too much (and that was something that made Lucy worry over her other self).]

That's right. [A nod.] My name is Nyuu.

[She laughs bashfully and gently scratches at her cheek with an index finger.]

You probably heard me screaming that when I first floated into the cave. I don't remember it myself, but according to my friends, "nyuu" was the only thing I could say when they first found me. I couldn't write back then either, so they decided to name me Nyuu. Of course I can speak properly now, but sometimes I still say it, especially when I'm surprised.

[damn_kitsune]

[The smile did seem odd especially since he was so used to Lucy. But it did suit someone with Nyuu's personality. It will at least make it easier for him to tell the difference between the two personalities.

[The origin of her name was interesting but what really got to him was when she called him a "good person." He had to stare at her for a few seconds before he busted out laughing. And it wasn't his usual sly chuckles either. It was a real kind of laughter.]

I do believe you are the first person in existence to ever call me a "good person," Nyuu.

[He managed to get out once his laughing fit calmed down some. So far, his impression of Nyuu is that she was very innocent indeed. Almost frightfully so.]

[scarredhorns]

[Blinking at Mitsuhide's laugher, Nyuu also furrowed her brows, seeming genuinely confused.]

Am I really? But Lucy told me your world's events are different from what's written in the history books that we're familiar with. You did not betray Nobunaga.

[However, she had to admit to herself that Mitsuhide had a bit of an intimidating aura around him. It's not enough to make Nyuu nervous, at least for the present moment, but it does make her see Mitsuhide as a mysterious person.]

[damn_kitsune]

[He gives her a sly smile.]

Ah, but just because I'm innocent of one crime doesn't mean I'm not guilty of another. I've done many unsavory things in Lord Nobunaga's name.

[It was better for Nyuu to think he was a not-so-nice person. That way she wouldn't get tangled up too much in his business if he ever had to continue his usual work here in this realm.]

[scarredhorns]

R-Right. It was--is the Sengoku Period. I've read about some of the things that happened.

[Constant civil war, massacres, alliances that were liable to change at a moment's notice, deceit and deception, desperate people. To name a few.]

But-- [She looks rather pensive now.] Regardless of your past, Lord Mitsuhide, or what you might do in the future, during the moment you came to check on me, you were a good person at the time, and I'll remember that.

[She shrugs.]

I don't really know how to explain my reasoning with words, but for me personally, I don't want be defined solely based on my past actions, or Lucy's for that matter.

[Or in her case, Lucy's past actions mostly. Nippon gave Nyuu more time to learn about Lucy, and by now, she (Nyuu) has acknowledged their shared past, however horrible it may be (though she still can't remember all of it). Despite her not being directly involved, that's not how Nyuu feels. In her mind, she's just as guilty as Lucy. There's nothing she can do to change their past, but she can decide what kind of person to be in the present moment and the future. She would not allow herself to be defined by Lucy's bloody legacy.]

[damn_kitsune]

[Mitsuhide gave a nod at that.]

I suppose that is a fair assessment.

[Though he does make a note to not take advantage of Nyuu. He has a feeling that the invisible grip he felt from Lucy after he gave her that candle will make another appearance.

[Speaking of Lucy...]

If you and Lucy share a body, how do you talk with each other? Does it happen while you sleep?

[scarredhorns]

[She shakes her head.]

No. We write to each other, since we can't communicate directly, not even in our sleep. It's something we've been doing since we arrived in Nippon. To be honest, I didn't even know about Lucy at first. I learned of her a short time before we came here.

We've been managing well so far.

[The road hasn't been without its bumps and bruises along the way, but if Nyuu had to compare her relationship with Lucy when they first arrived to the present day, she'd say it's better now. She didn't see Lucy as only a murderer anymore, but that didn't mean she thought Lucy's killings were all justified.]