jigokulogs | 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

[Indeed, some of those treats and prizes slip out of her arms - but fortunately, there is a gentleman who's willing to help!]

Oops! Careful, there.

[... Okay, "gentleman" is an overstatement, but Dazai does deftly catch the falling items before they even hit the ground.]

I admire a healthy appetite, but... perhaps you'd better sit and eat some of these first, hmm?

[He offers her what he considers a winning smile. Mostly because he's already plotting to keep one of the snacks for himself. (What? It looks tasty, and he's good enough at slight of hand that he thinks he can probably get away with such a minor crime.)]

[Squints at the mystery man, then at the treats in his hand, then the ones in hers.

Did he? He couldn't have! But there was no other explanation for how her treats could have gotten into his hands. Except, you know, if she was actually dropping things. But there was no way she would ever let any of her hard-earned loot go so easily! The mighty oni glowers at him! This guy is beyond suspicious now.]

Ha!? Did you steal those from me?

[More glowering and accusatory staring. Then again... how would a simple human be able steal an oni's treasures straight out of their arms? Injured as she is, Ibaraki doubted that Dazai could manage such a titanic feat!]

Well?

[Well, that's certainly not the reaction he was expecting. Usually people take at least two seconds longer to conclude that Dazai is, indeed, trash. And he likes to think that he charms the ladies enough that they tend to take longer still?? (Dazai plz, you tend to bring up lovers' suicide with them in your first sentence...)]

Not yet?

[Honesty is a virtue, right? He'll likely change his story, but why not start out honestly... It's a nice subversion of convention.]

[Not yet? So it was his plan all along to steal her precious hard (stolen) earned stuff???]

...Whatever, return them to me then. And I may yet be lenient with you. Human.

[Said as matter of factly as possible. Never mind that she's like, pretty dang small, looks like she had the poop kicked out of her, and was currently wearing something not made for running in.

...Just don't try to outrun her. She's also currently still glowering and looking super mistrustful of the stranger! Best return them snacks fast!]

[Listen, Dazai has bad experiences with very powerful beings in very small packages! It's not to say he'll assume she's as powerful as she seems to think she is, but he won't disregard the possibility either.]

My dear oni lady... or should I say belle oni... [Baloney!] Would I be drawing attention to the fact that I have your things if I had stolen them?

Without drawing any conclusions about your no doubt mighty oni physique, I promise, you simply dropped these. I could give them back, but you will likely drop something again, and the next passer-by may not have as much respect for your possessions as I do.

[Good, he best give her all the respect that she's due as a mighty oni, of terrible... might. That includes buying her even more tribute to stuff her face with!]

You have some nerve, claiming that I would be so clumsy as to drop my loot. [Grumbles, grumbles, at least she isn't spitting fire right now? Maybe after she gets her strength back she will.]

...But I shall allow you a way to apologize. [Here she holds out her arms that were carrying the mountain of stuff. Bags, food, plushies, a bunch of shiny trinkets... It's a lot of crap that she picked up!] Carry them for me, and anything else I might gain, human! And I shall grace your apology with acceptance.

That's certainly an interesting proposal.

[Boy, is it ever! Dazai considers himself to be something of a gentleman (which he is not, but he's got a certain level of charm reserved for the ladies, if nothing else), and he wouldn't normally begrudge a lady a simple request...
... but this would be a lot of work, and he's not having it. Technically, does an oni even count as a lady? It's a loophole he can abuse, for sure!]

I respectfully decline.

[Now, he could just put the things he picked up back in her arms, but those are already more than full, and so... what if he just hangs a bag from one of her horns instead? And an unfortunate stuffed animal can be speared on the other.

There, dutifully returned~! And then he'll casually wander off, snacking on -... Wait, was he even holding snacks before?!]

[Looks at him confused at first... and will promptly bite him with those very sharp, very pointy, fangs of hers the moment he even attempts to hang the bag off of a horn, or stab a plush on the other.

...Alternatively, to avoid losing a chunk of his flesh, Dazai can simply hand it over, all gentlemanly-like.

She ain't here for bulli and is kind of fed up with people at the moment!]

[If the bully-oni is going to snap at him, sadly Dazai's reflexes are good enough that he'll come out at least mostly unscathed. A scratch is fair game, though.

Next on Dazai's to-hellgoogle list: can oni give you rabies?]

Oh, dear... [His voice is still borderline playful, but his expression is completely void of emotion.] Somehow, I get the impression I'm not wanted here.

[And after being so helpful, too! It's an outrage, really.

He might have handed her her stuff back if she could have managed to hold it all, but she sure couldn't before, so unless she grows some extra arms all of a sudden, that seems unlikely. Therefore, as it is, he'll just put everything back where he found it... dropping it on the ground.

Except for a piece of cloth from something or other, which he'll use to wipe the blood off his hand as he walks away.]

APRIL 2022 EVENT

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