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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Comments

[scarredhorns]

[Despite his subtle attempts, Lucy seems dead set on seeing the bar hot tubs. Not once does she crack a smile, and unlike Nyuu's curious, wide-eyed gaze, she (Lucy) looks as though she's bored. She's not. She just... has trouble expressing other emotions most of the time. When they do reach the hot tubs, she only lifts up a single brow.]

Huh, it looks prettier than I expected it to be.

[Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect. She didn't even know you could have a bar in the pool. When they find an unoccupied one, she tests the temperature with the tips of her toes first before gradually sinking the rest of one leg in, followed by another, easing the rest of her body into it. She lets out a pleased sigh from her nose, closing her eyes for a second.]

It's nice.

[It's like an onsen, except people are still clothed and there's the nice pressure from the jets.]

[sultanofsquat]

Mm. [ He nods, ] More surprised that this place has more a blend of modern and old than I woulda thought.

[ He's never been to Japan, nor Inazuma, but coming to this world had certainly been a far cry from the advancements made on his Gaia. This waterpark was certainly a testament of that blend of magic and old technology. Patiently, he waits for this "Lucy" to get in first, and once she seems to be content in slipping in, the blond is less ceremonious in dipping in. Not quite splashing, of course, but he more or less just hopes right in with a hand bracing on the edge as he sinks in. The bar can wait for a moment. Right now?

Especially after that rough tumble in the waterslide, one blond in particular was keen on soaking his muscles in warm waters. ...warm waters that, thankfully, were not of the viscous and heat-inducing variety. ]

You never been in a hot tub before?

[scarredhorns]

[Cloud's less graceful entrance doesn't annoy Lucy in the slightest, being one who doesn't usually care about that kind of stuff. She's not jumping on the chance to order a drink just yet either, wishing to take a moment to relax after that... misadventure on the water slide.

She shakes her head.]

Not in one like this, with underwater jets and a bar, I mean. It's my first time to a waterpark, and Nyuu's too.

[Speaking of Nyuu, Lucy shouldn't forget the original reason she brought Cloud to a less rowdy place where they didn't have to worry about sliding into other people, or being a cushion for someone else's landing.]

Anyway, what I was saying before about me and Nyuu not being twins - [She sighs and gives Cloud a look.] I know how this is going to sound, okay? But I swear I'm not the type to make this shit up.

[Unlike Nyuu, Lucy wasn't afraid to curse.]

Me and Nyuu have a literal split personality. In other words, we're two minds in one body.

[She'll pause there to let that info sink in.]

[sultanofsquat]

Same here.

[ On the waterpark, front, that is. Then she mentions Nyuu once more, and as he gets settled into the water, eyes trained on the pink-haired woman he'd so rudely bumped into in that slide, his gaze is studious. ]

I'm listening.

[ It is a little jarring, hearing a more mature tone, let alone curses coming out of Nyuu's mouth. But it doesn't throw him entirely off. She asked for his trust, and he wasn't about to throw that away so easily. Not when he promised he was gonna come watch her sing some day. But if he was truly speaking to someone else... ]

.....

[ Cloud's reaction is mild, though there's a lot to process in all that. What may be surprising, however...is how long it takes for him to truly absorb it. And that's in very little time. ]

So that's it, huh. [ He doesn't reel away. If anything, he keeps his attention solely on her, letting himself have a flicker of a moment to take another breath before answering right back. ] Can't say I can fully relate, but...it still feels familiar anyway.

[ Between the man he was now, and the person he thought he was before arriving in Nippon. The contrast would only continue to grow with the passage of time. Sure enough, Lucy (and by extension, Nyuu), were getting to know someone he hopes is the real him. ]

Guess in that case... [ He doesn't quite smile, but he seems to relax a little. If he has questions about her split personality or how it came to be? They'll come after. More importantly, ] Good to meetcha. Lucy.

[scarredhorns]

[She's been in Nippon for nearly a year now, and so far, most of the people have taken the revelation of her and Nyuu's split personality fairly well. Considering they were all Refugees saved from some sort of time loop and were now currently living in an entirely different world, a split personality was probably the least strangest thing to hear about.]

Familiar? How so?

[She doesn't smile either, but Lucy's body language also looks more relaxed, especially by the way her shoulders seem to drop slightly. She even nods in acknowledgement.]

Good to meet you too, Cloud.

[Despite the awkward start of their encounter.]

[sultanofsquat]

[ This was technically his first time meeting Lucy, and he wasn't so sure about sharing something like this with a girl as sweet and innocent as Nyuu. But even Cloud doesn't have the entire story either... ]

S'kinda complicated. [ Thankfully, he also wasn't just going to leave the pink-haired woman in the dark either, as he keeps his eyes trained on her from where he's seated. ] Short version, I think, is I used to think I was something I wasn't. And I made up a completely different history for myself up to recently

Only just since I got here did I get my old memories back.

[scarredhorns]

I'm used to complicated.

[She herself was all kinds of complicated, after all. Interest sparks in her eyes as she listens to him.]

Huh, you're right. It does feel familiar. Despite sharing a body, me and Nyuu can't remember what happens while the other is in control, so we leave written messages to each other. That way, there's less of an info gap. That's how I already knew about you.

[After a pause, she asks:]

...Did Nyuu tell you about her amnesia?

[As long as she can avoid the topic of how exactly their personalities split off in the first place, Lucy doesn't mind talking about Nyuu's amnesia. As for Nyuu herself, they'd discussed in via their letters to each other, and Nyuu gave permission for Lucy to disclose it to others. Mainly because there wasn't much Nyuu could say about it, other than "I just can't remember our past."

Although Nyuu's rediscovered certain events from their past, there's still more she has yet to recall. Then those bits she remembered weren't anything she wanted to talk about lightly.]

[sultanofsquat]

I see... No hard feelings on the water slide then.

[ At least, not as hard of feelings over the water slide? When Lucy makes mention of amnesia, however...that's another familiar subject for him. And something he's still contending with now. At first, he thought he had everything figured out; a hotshot Ex-SOLDIER who could take on the world and make all the money he wanted from using his muscles for a nice paycheck. But now that his memories were less distorted... He's all too aware of the fact that he's still got pieces left missing from his conscience. ]

No. She never did. [ A beat. He may as well tell Lucy this part anyway, ] I was supposed to go listen to her sing sometime.

[scarredhorns]

Oh yeah, Nyuu mentioned that in her written message. We both sing. Wasn't really sure what else I could do for a living besides work in a library, or something to do with animals. I did consider security or jobs that required strength, but I had to take Nyuu's gentle nature into account too. Nyuu probably would've been okay in customer service, but me? I figured I'd end up punching someone and getting us fired.

[She can't help but half-chuckle at that last bit, even smirking. Hey, at least she was being honest?

As for Nyuu not mentioning the amnesia.]

The thing about her amnesia is, we weren't born this way, having a split personality, I mean. It feels kind of strange to say it aloud, but I'm the "original persona." Nyuu didn't come into my life until I was eighteen, so she can't recall our shared past.

[Which is for the better, in Lucy's opinion. Nyuu may have found some things out thanks to some of the strange happenings that occur in Nippon, but there were still plenty of dark secrets that were unknown to her.

Naturally, Lucy expects Cloud's next question to be pertaining to the "how," so she answers of her own accord, keeping it vague.]

The split happened after I suffered a severe head injury.

[sultanofsquat]

[ He would have imagined that they both sang... Frankly, it's something he still wants to do. Being in this world for the few months that he has, has opened him up to the idea of connecting and bonding with others more frequently. He still needed to hammer down how to be a more social person, and though he might never get that down pat? He's trying. He wants to try. People like Nyuu, and by extension Lucy, deserve as much for everything they were sharing with him now. The notion of drinks is forgotten on him for the time being as they sit within the water together, deep blue eyes intent on her as he takes the time to absorb everything. ]

You seem nice. [ He means that, but with a catch as he can't help returning that smirk. ] Just you don't put up with bullshit.

[ And hence, in their imaginary little scenario world, Lucy's out of a job. He doesn't laugh, but before they get to the heavier stuff, it was still a fair opening... ]



Sorry. [ He's learning. Empathy is something that's come to him easier these days. Even if he does well at keeping a straight face about it all. And there's a short silence before his lips part, drawing a little breath as if summing up the courage to ask, ] How...did it happen?

[scarredhorns]

[To be honest, Lucy's forgotten about the drinks they can order as well, even more so because she's not much of a drinker in the first place.

Likewise, being in Nippon for so long has made Lucy more sociable as well. Still not as much as Nyuu, and to be honest, Lucy doubts she'll ever be as sociable as Nyuu. Nevertheless, Lucy still thinks it's an improvement she's undergone. Cloud even manages to get a short laugh out of her when he mentions her not taking shit from anyone. That's another thing Lucy's noticed about herself, she's learning to laugh a bit more.

The slight smile leftover from her laughter is quick to disintegrate when they return to the subject of Nyuu's amnesia and the reason it came about. She nibbles at her lip, debating whether to say anything or not. In the end, she decides to keep on being vague about the circumstances surrounding the incident.]

I got shot in the head... but I was wearing a heavy helmet at the time, so that's why the bullet didn't kill me. I don't remember much more than that, just the blood running down my face, falling from the cliff I'd been standing on, and the cold seawater below.

[Technically, these weren't lies. What she wasn't willing to explain was the fact that she hadn't been an entirely innocent victim. She'd left a trail of blood and bodies while making her escape.]

[sultanofsquat]

[ The circumstances surrounding her amnesia? Cloud wasn't prepared for how brutal it all sounded. Of course, without knowing the whole story, he only has her points of reference to go off of. And Cloud can't help but note how she chewed on her lip, as if struggling to find the right words. He doesn't reach to touch her in comfort, but instead, he keeps his gaze intent on her. Not for a second breaking away once she finishes explaining how it all happened. Guilty or not...he can only imagine that she was being chased for one reason or another. ]

I'm glad you're okay now.

[ Now. And not then. There's only so much he can say. Or so many times he can say he's sorry for what's happened to her. So rather than dwell upon it for too long, unless she wishes to continue and he listens... ]

You and Nyuu both. [ A beat. ] I'm sure it won't take me long to catch onto who I'm talking to.

[ Now? It's Lucy. The next time? It could be Lucy again. But he'll learn to understand both of them. ]

[scarredhorns]

[Lucy's had plenty of opportunity to meet people who were genuinely kind to her. Not just Nyuu, but she, Lucy, herself. Still, it's nice to hear kind words.]

Thank you.

[She doesn't smile, but her eyes seem to brighten up a tad, and her tone of voice gives away that she's feeling touched. After living in a world where it seemed like hardly anyone cared about her, it's strangely comforting for Lucy to hear someone say they're glad she's okay.]

I wouldn't doubt it, most people tend to catch on pretty quickly.