[ open ] all hands on deck

[kaientai]

Who ⬤ sakamoto ryouma (rider) + other sutoku alliance lost souls
What ⬤ post-event emergency meeting
When ⬤ several hours after the assassination
Where ⬤ konoha — vip area
Content Warnings ⬤ none right now but will update as needed!

[ once the dust (steam?) has settled, an sms goes out to fellow sutoku alliance contacts. some might recognise the username rider more than others and know the man it's attached to but in any case, everyone who shows up will know him soon enough anyway. ]

Hello!

There's a lot of confusion right now, but what's important is to stay calm and not do anything hasty. I'll be organising a meeting tonight at Konoha. Let's exchange what we know and discuss next steps. You're going to have to pay for your own refreshments though, sorry! Space is on me though! (*_ _)人

Don't be discouraged! We're only getting started. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

If you think there are any other Sutoku who haven't gotten this, pass the message along, ok?

— Rider

[ someone has to keep the spirit of the daitengu alive, okay?? the message also comes attached with a calendar invite. ]

---

[ later, anyone arriving for the meeting will be directed to the club's VIP area and encouraged to place food and drink orders as desired. this has definitely set ryouma back, but under the present circumstances, there's no better time than this to spare no expense, right? ]



☆ ooc; this is a mingle in addition to a general sort of information sharing prompt so feel free to throw your own top levels up and thread amongst yourselves! i give everyone free rein to threadjack as you see fit — just check with other individual players if you have any questions!
☆ i left the exact time of the meeting sort of open, but assume it's sometime within the next half-day or so after the assassination to account for people needing to finish up investigations, potentially heal up a little after fighting, time for him to book the club, etc. feel free to have characters wander in late too!
☆ i also provided the option for characters to phone in (since it was mentioned to me on the ooc post), so if they can't make it in person they can still be in the loop!
☆ any non-Sutoku tag-a-longs are assumed to be showing up late so as not to be sitting in on private discussions earlier in the night.

Comments

[cutcloud]

[ Chongyun—tries.

He really does try, for his friend's sake. He knows Xingqiu has been practicing his handwriting. But the longer he stares at the page and tries to make sense of the scratch, the more it feels like they're slowly becoming even more illegible squiggles. Like Xingqiu had tried to make some sort of code just in case a stranger were to find his notes. A puzzle. A passcode. A weird system that only one person's frenzied mind could possibly know.

After a long, long, long moment, the exorcist finally sighs. ]

It ... you have a good memory, right? Maybe notes don't really matter.

[ He can't read it. SORRY, BABE. ]

[rainswords]

[ Give him just a second. He needs to parse the hidden meaning behind that question. Of course, at surface level the answer is simple, yes, his memory is sharp. He recalls most details that he managed to gleam but it is always prudent to keep a written record as time can wear recollection.

Slowly his gaze drops down to the page, he scans through what he wrote, and even as he speaks he knows his words are nonsense. ]

It's not that bad.

[ Besides, he isn't the sole individual that could read the puzzle that is his handwriting, Xu is quite talented and devoted. But Xu is also not here to interpret for others what he has written. ]

[cutcloud]

[ Chongyun’s mouth twitches at the corners as he looks back down to Xingqiu’s notes. He really has been trying … so the exorcist gives his friend a pat on the shoulder. ]

Actually, I think it’s gotten a little better. After some more practice you may even be able to enter calligraphy contests.

[ It might seem like teasing, but he’s really trying to perk his friend up a bit here … Chongyun knows well how disheartening it can be to try, try try and see very little in the way of results. Hell, isn’t he the king of that? ]

So keep it up.

[ Friends must encourage each other! ]

[rainswords]

[ He can recognize teasing for what it is, he engages in plenty enough to know, but he also notes Chongyun's attempts to uplift him. Truly a wonderful friend, in times like this does he ever appreciate the honesty and kindness afforded to him. ]

Do you really believe in me that much? Well, what do you say to a contest between the two of us?

[ They may as well, he hasn't heard of much in the ways of competition here, aside from that tipoff given to him by his friend here. Of course, he means a friendly competition. Nothing to get too competitive about. Except, he knows Chongyun and he knows himself. ]

[cutcloud]

I do.

[ He wouldn't be putting any real money on that contest, sure, but once Xingqiu puts his mind to something, Chongyun is confident that the other boy will eventually achieve it (even if this one might take some time).

A contest between them, though—why not? He nods his agreement. ]

What were you thinking?

[rainswords]

[ Of course. He already knew that, yet it still manages to get a pleased laugh out of him. He smiles and pats Chongyun's back once. ] You wouldn't be my... second biggest fan if you didn't.

[ He knows what he said if his smile is anything to go by. Now as for the contest, shouldn't that be obvious. It is the subject of their discussion, after all, so he pats the notepad. Not handwriting. Despite his lack of attention in class, he knows Chongyun has never even been in a setting where he would even have a glimpse of the mastery behind that artform. In some way, they are evenly matched then. ]

Calligraphy. What else? Not now, we are in a meeting, but we can set a date and the subject, nothing too intricate so it's manageable.

[cutcloud]

I know calligraphy, [ durrrr Xingqiu, ] but I was asking about the specifics. You're right, though. We can figure those out later.

[ He has a few ideas, but knowing the other boy, he must have at least a dozen knocking around that head of his. Chongyun's happy to go along with whatever Xingqiu wants ... as usual. ]

We can figure out what the winner gets later, too.

[rainswords]

[ Of course, specifics, right. That's what Chongyun meant. Fortunately, he had already thought of some ideas, he had also discounted some of them as they didn't seem fit for the contest. It needed to leave them on equal footing, so despite his lackluster abilities he still didn't think it appropriate that their own names should be inked aside from practice there is also the difference in how intricate the characters were.

There was also the idea of using some book passages, or poems, but that could get long and tedious. Therefore something simple like— ]

Right, another time. That too.

To be honest, I thought the satisfaction of victory would be enough but I guess that's not true for you. Therefore I am leaving you in charge of coming up with a prize.

[cutcloud]

Okay. I'll think of something good.

[ After all, he isn't the type to use his powers for evil. It won't be anything embarrassing or unfair. Just enough to charge the competitive streak between two teenage boys, nothing more. ]

[rainswords]

[ Blossoming curiosity, it's a good thing Xingqiu is well acquainted with restraint (more so than his older brother surprisingly) therefore he would not hound Chongyun with any information on what the prize for victory may mean, at most he would contact him regarding how they would go about with their little contest, setting up rules and what the actual challenge would entail...

When that comes to pass... well... there would be one victor. ]