jigokulogs | APRIL 2022 EVENT

APRIL 2022 EVENT

1. HANAMI

The week of the Night Parade is marked by the traditional symbols of Spring in Japan. Somehow, several city blocks have been turned into cherry blossom groves as a show of goodwill by the Sutoku Alliance. These cherry trees don't feel normal. They are more like spectral manifestations. Rumor has it they grew so quickly because they're planted on top of a graveyard. That's just a rumor, though. Don't pay it any mind! Don't listen to any whispers you might hear if you walk through the rows of trees alone and certainly don't dig under them for proof of their provenance.

Accompanying the hanami are copious amounts of food and drink. Such as dango, specialized bento, sake, and festive drinks. They are all available to purchase from stalls near the spectral grove. The refreshments may have a little something special added to them:
Ingredients that promote peace (calming any angry or upset feelings)
Ingredients that promote romance (gives soft, warm feelings towards the first person you see).
These effects are mild and only last as long as you're in the boundary of the grove. Eat, drink, and be merry with your fellow lost souls.

2. KANAMARA MATSURI (NSFW IMAGERY)

In addition to the simple joys of flower viewing and the cherry blossoms blooming, new festivals pop everywhere. They are inspired by various regional festivals from all over Japan. Some of these are benign and feature your normal festival fair. Others are a little more unusual, such as the Kanamara matsuri-inspired treats. You can thank the Tamamo Clan for this. Don't mind the giant phallus being carried down the street or the wooden phalluses you can ride on or the interesting mascots walking down the sidewalk, or the suggestive vegetable carvings.

Surprisingly, none of these foods are spiked, at least not more than the experimental recipes had been during the parade preparations. The spirit of the thing is more just the amusement of genital-based foods rather than anything meant to entice a sexy sort of good time. That will come as the parade rounds out onto the bath district...

3. HADAKA MATSURI

cw: nonsexual nudity

If that cheeky festival isn't your kind of fun, maybe the hadaka matsuri is more your speed. The Department of the Enma are probably the most stressed out faction in the entire city, so the Enma has allowed them to put on a festival to blow off some steam! It's a bit different from the traditional celebration: it's not contained to just men and it's not contained to a shrine.

This event is a mobile mob of nearly naked people and youkai running after a cart with a masked person throwing out small sticks. They represent good luck for the people who manage to nab them. There are far fewer sticks than there are people present and everyone will do a lot to get one of the coveted prizes. Try not to get in their way!

Or you can get caught up in it all and try to snag one yourself to see what your fortune holds. (No, the Enma isn't participating. Too dirty, for his tastes.)

4. FESTIVE FUN

A. SUMO
Some other festivities you might come across are miniature sumo tournaments put on by the Shuten Clan. Raised dirt circles with chalk rings on the outer perimeter pop up seemingly everywhere. Two people are allowed in the ring at one time and there are strict rules to be followed. If you disobey the rules, you may find yourself suddenly ejected from the ring with magical or physical means, and at the mercy of a Shuten enforcer.

Play by the rules to beat your opponent and victors will find themselves rewarded with a strong bottle of booze. The winners of each bout are handed out a commendation by Toraguma himself, which comes in the form of a commemorative sake gourd. This is probably the kind of prize you'd expect from an Oni at a festival like this.

B. FOOD RUNNERS WANTED
If you're in the mood to pad your pockets, maybe you want to help the Tamamo Clan out by running food delivery. This opportunity is available to anyone regardless of affiliation. Runners will be fitted with a contraption to carry the food orders on their person and may proceed either on foot or on a small motorbike. Be careful and make sure not to drop anything! Any ruined or undelivered orders will come directly out of your pay.

It's harder than it looks not to drop the food with all the excitement going on and your delivery recipient may be similarly hard to locate.

C. HOT BATHS (NSFW + cw: optional aphro)
The Tamamo Clan has set up a sanctioned orgy in one of their larger brothels. Rooms are available for whatever your heart desires, including one with exposed windows if you like being watched or if you want to watch in kind. Baths and pools are available for all your indulgent fantasies. Everything you could need is at your disposal: toys, restraints, costumes, lubricants, condoms, aphrodisiacs in many forms. It's a proper bacchanal celebration!

All that matters is your consent and enthusiasm.

5. NIGHT PARADE

One of the primary highlights of the Night Parade are the fantastical floats depicting scenes of legendary events. Keen-eyed observers may note that the humans are portrayed as the bad guys in most of them. While a few of these are mounted on motorized vehicles, most of them are carried by people. That means you'll probably be called on to help carry one along the parade route. It's a fun job, if exhausting.

If you're not the type to wear yourself out carrying a float, ride on one instead! There's plenty of things to toss out into the crowd along the street; candies and trinkets. Dress up in a fitting costume and walk around the float. Have fun scaring bystanders or just have fun hamming it up and celebrate the peaceful night.

5. FIREWORKS

The parade's central stop is the festival square in the heart of the city, just under the shadow of the Kaigo no Bou Tower. There is a stage set up here where the four faction leaders and their personal entourages have assembled. All of them are giving pretty typical speeches. The Enma has declined to give one, having no patience for unnecessary oration. Tenkohime gives praise to the unifying factors of love in the city, while Toraguma rallies the crowd like a sports hero; encouraging them to get stronger and do better in the coming year.

The Daitengu is the last to speak and they also seem to have the largest entourage. The entourage is quite conspicuous: White Wolf Tengu, each standing well-taller than the Daitengu themselves. They are carrying massive broadswords strapped to their backs and hunting about the area for anything suspicious with keen eyes that seem to see right through the crowd and the heat of night.

The Daitengu's speech is also pretty typical, although much more humble than their fellows. Mostly, they just wants to hurry up and get to the fireworks. Just as they finish speaking, the sky lights up.
There are a few peaceful moments beneath this spectacle as the crowd enjoys the display of unity and phantasmal wonder that this unique and strange world has created.

But the explosions aren't just in the sky. One particularly loud boom seems to rattle the very earth beneath the crowd. That is the only warning anyone gets before...

6. A NIGHT PARADE TO REMEMBER

Every manhole cover on the street bursts open, injuring anyone that was standing nearby. Far worse is the deluge of steam that rushes out from the underground. Pillars of hot, blinding steam spill into the air, quickly filling the streets. The luminescence of the festival lamps and city lights are diffused and blurred into singular blobs of color, obscuring all vision and making it impossible to see what's going on. The panicked cries of the crowd also make it impossible to hear. Everything happens so suddenly, so violently, that ascertaining what's going on takes time.

Too much time.

In the chaos, gunshots are heard. They seem to come from several directions. Fighting is breaking out. It's difficult to tell from where and who is in the brawl. Previously unseen figures in full-body black coverings appear from nowhere, rushing the stage. They zoom past any Lost Souls nearby, ignoring their presence. They are focused on a singular goal. The barking of the White Wolf Tengu further indicates the goal of the attack.

Struggle in the steam, help others get to safety, get caught up in fighting the other factions, try to protect the Faction leaders, or try to keep up with the black-suited youkai rushing the stage; do as much as you can.

When the steam finally begins to clear, however, there will at least be one thing that is certain: the Daitengu has been killed.

Welcome to the April event!

If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
We also have OOC top levels for Shuten Sumo Results, Tamamo Partner Cards, and Hadaka Luck Draws!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh. Well, that's true. I'm having to get used to it all over again anyway. I keep forgetting I don't have pockets like I usually do...

[ and it's probably a good thing that izō has not been around for the times he's stuck his hands in his "pockets" as a habit only to remember that he's... wearing hakama. ]

That's the plan! Things'll go back to being all business soon enough. [ the dango makes him quiet briefly, seeing as it's chewy, but it doesn't stop him from trying to talk again before he's finished. ~~that would require him to act like he has manners.~~ ] Might as well enjoy it.

[ Any other time Izō would get up and leave Ryouma here. Whatever's in the drinks (how many that may be is a mystery -- he's long since stopped counting them) he's had makes him slightly less prone to running off. It makes that face he's making a little more tolerable.

He reaches for his non-existent scarf to try to hide the creeping blush on his face, then crosses his arms over his chest in his embarrassment. ]

Hmph, 'course...Bet ya got all kinds of important shit ya gotta do. Always did, didn't ya...

[ Peaceful doesn't mean he isn't still bitter. ]

I'm trying? It doesn't exactly feel like it. I didn't use to get tossed into rivers a long time ago.

[ it's impossible to miss that bitterness, after all, so ryouma admits as much with a little laugh because he figures izō might find it amusing at his expense. that izō should bring it up at all gives ryouma an idea and he can't resist asking, seeing as he's had certain things on his mind lately. ]

Do you think I'm different now? [ he probably could have said that in a way that makes more sense or at least sounds better instead of blurting it out as-is. oh well. ] Er.. I dunno—... it's a serious question though!

[ sorry izō, you're the only one who can answer this particular burning question. blame it on the sentimental feelings. ]

Maybe if ya had, things might'a gone diff'rent.

[ Maybe he wouldn't have gotten all the wild ideas he did. It's a moot point, anyway. Izō stuffs another dango in his mouth to keep from answering the question right away. ]

Diff'rent than I remember. Same enough that I know ya but...Somethin's diff'rent. Dunno how t' say it. [ And then he gets fussy again. ] Quit askin' me stupid questions already.

[ he draws in a breath and lets it out in a soft sigh, finishing off the last of his dango with that. if it weren't for the calming feeling, he'd probably feel sad. instead, he feels...? it's hard to place what it is specifically. maybe in smoothing out the upsets there isn't anything to directly replace it with. better to focus on what's happier then, in that case. ]

It is a pretty stupid question, isn't it? Things would be different no matter what wouldn't they? Sorry, Izō! I met someone else here who knows who I am not too long ago, so I've been thinking.

[ he laughs awkwardly and waves a hand dismissively. ]

Anyway, don't think I didn't notice you dressed up. It looks good.

[ if he's not going to talk about himself, he has to talk about something~ ]

[ Met someone else? It...had to be Hizen, right? Not that Ryouma's name was obscure among anyone who knew. One of the two most famous people in all of Japanese history -- and he knew the Daitengu knew it. Maybe that's who he meant...

He's not going to ask questions to clarify, that would be silly. He's going to get fussy instead. ]

Shut up! [ It's physically impossible for his face to get any redder than it already is. ] I didn't do it for you!

[ Though it does feel nice that Ryouma noticed. Izō is just incapable of taking a compliment from him. ]

[ ryouma finds this incredibly endearing as usual and whatever's in the food makes sure he can't keep from showing it on his face. ]

I didn't think so, but that doesn't change how it looks. Or what I think of it.

[ so izō is just going to have to deal with it. changing the topic was the best idea he's had all day. ]

Yer fuckin' annoyin', ya know that?!

[ But again, he's too calm to actually do anything about how annoying Ryouma is. He angrily finishes off his dango as a way of cutting the conversation off for a moment.

And then he decides to pivot the conversation back to the previous topic. ]

...th' one who knows ya is Hizen, ain't it?

It might've been said once or twice, sure.

[ he can't help but laugh, but preemptively holds his hands up in front of him to signal that he's not laughing at izō. that's just the one bit of feedback he's gotten consistently forever, so he must be doing something right? ]

Hm? Yeah. It figures if you're both Shuten you'd probably run into each other by now. Actually, he recognised the sword I was carrying before he recognised me. Gave it a look... kinda like that one.

[ he looks happier about this than he ought to be considering what kind of expression it is. ]

Which means he don't like ya.

[ He snorts. ]

Prolly more bitter 'bout ya'n I am...He likes me. Real grumpy li'l shit, ain't he?

He really is a lot like you, so I think he's great. But you're not wrong...

[ the easy smile he's had falters for a second or two before it recovers. he's determined not to do that as long as he can. maybe that's part of the draw of being here; the peaceful feeling hangs around so long as you don't leave. ]

I just never know what to say. I'm not sure there's anything I can say. He likes to eat the way you like to drink though, so I have that going for me, at least.

I don't think throwin' food at him's gonna fix whatever problems he's got with ya.

[ He sighs. ]

An' shut up. He ain't that much like me.

[ It's a lie. Izō is well aware that Hizen is very much like him to an upsetting degreer. ]

'Course it won't. But it makes him more willing to put up with me.

[ all he can really ask for in any situation is an opportunity, so that's what that gets him. ]

You probably don't hear yourself, but I do. Sometimes he says something and it's almost word-for-word! It's kinda neat if you think about it. I know it's not all that different from Servants, but it still feels like it? It throws me off all the time. The night I met him I thanked him and he got mad at me.

What's that supposed t' mean?

[ It means that you do the exact same thing, Izō. Accept that you rubbed off on your sword. ]

I know what I sound like an' that ain't it! [ But it is! ] It's just a coincidence an' nothin' else. Yer jus' hearin' it 'cause ya know he belonged t' me for a long time.

[ ryouma just smiles, which says everything he doesn't need to directly put into words. you know. ]

I bet it's just his accent that throws you off. [ because it's obvious otherwise. ] The whole reason I kept following him was that I thought he was you but from another world or something.

[ hizen has red in his hair and everything it's uncanny okay??? ]

He finally got frustrated and said who he really was because he got sick of me thinking it. That's how it's supposed to work anyway, right? They take after whoever had the strongest impression on them.

[ Izō crosses his arms over his chest like a petulant child. He's not having any of this completely rational explanation. ]

I said shut up!! He's jus' my sword an' yer seein' connections that ain't there!

[ He's just gonna chug the rest of his drink because that's much easier than listening to Ryouma right now. ]

[ ryouma just smiles and has to work very hard not to laugh. he doesn't want to turn izō's fuss into making him angry for real, even if the atmosphere and the stuff in the food are working in his favour. ]

I suppose you would know best, wouldn't you?

[ so he's just going to humour him instead. ]

Yer damn right I would! Glad ya fuckin' finally see it my way.

[ Huff!! He settles back against the tree with a grunt. Time to change the subject! ]

...This is all kinda familiar, ain't it?

[ this he does laugh at because he can't help it and he's not laughing at izō at all. no, he's just looking at izō with the sort of warm expression he might've tried to tone down if he hadn't eaten the dango. that izō brings it up first is encouraging though. ]

Yeah, it really is. I'm not sure what I was expecting with all of this, but I'm pleasantly surprised.

[ strange whispers of the grove aside. ]

[ He can't bury himself in his scarf, he can't hide like he wants to, so...

He kisses Ryouma instead. It's brief, but it still happens. ]

...Maybe I wanted t' do that back then, too. At least get ya t' shut up for awhile.

[ that's really the last thing he's expecting. clearly, or he wouldn't have such a dumb look on his face. enjoy that, izō. ryouma has been successfully flustered. what was he going to say? he forgot. ]

Ah—... guess it works..?

[ He does enjoy it. Ryouma is cute, especially when he's flustered, so Izō looks very proud of himself. ]

Damn right it does. Ya like that, don't ya?

[ it's not like he's going to lie. it's not like a confession of anything else. he likes kissing izō and being kissed by izō — this is not exactly a secret.

but no one said he couldn't take advantage of being asked. ]

Hmm. Maybe you should do that one more time so I can be sure...

[ Izō should just smack him and say no, but he's not going to deny himself what he wants. Ryouma gets another kiss, one that lingers as Izō strokes his cheek. ]

...How's that? Ya sure now?

[ that was nice but has the side effect of making his earlier blush that much worse. habitually, he reaches up but just like izō doesn't have his scarf he doesn't have a hat to mess with and hide behind. not that that's what he was doing or anything. just here, brushing flower petals out of his hair... ]

Oh, much better. But you aren't really surprised, are ya?

[ he's obviously relaxed, seeing as the accent's starting to slip too. ]

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