[ 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

[rainswords]

[ Those were mere words, no true presumption made, a clear picture is being painted before him. He does recall their exchange of names, and even now, before Chongyun. Fortunately, his friend knows him well. Honesty, that is something rare. Now as for him ultimately selling out the older Sutoku member, Chongyun forgets, Xingqiu does closely follow a moral code.

While he may be mischievous, playful, he would never go as far as to truly cause harm. Be good, do good, it's as simple as that.

Listening to Matoba speak, he slowly begins to nod, yes, about the kappa. That's what he wants to clarify as it's not exactly pertaining to the time of the festival but rather during preparations. Before he can explain what his initial line of questioning was meant to lead towards he feels a warm touch upon his thigh. He doesn't look down, there is no need, his gaze darts away to some far-off corner taking attention with it. Conversation comes to a halt.

The hand that previously dismissed their petty exchange, is now closed tight, weight put on his feet as he leans forward but eventually he settles back. He won't make the sudden move to stand. ]

Not about that. About before if you would, when we were meant to dissuade intruders from investigating preparations. I know at the moment how those creatures are being treated, while I may attempt to seek them out I fear they would only flee if I attempted to exchange words with them.

[ Once that hand is gone, he crosses his arms leaning back in his seat, stifling a sigh. ]

As for flattery regarding my mercantile skills, there is no need. I'll freely admit I don't concern myself with the exchange of weaponry. If I recall correctly, I did mention I am tasked with the silk trade in Liyue. I may have delved into other business opportunities...but the point is, I have nothing of value to offer in that regard. Although I am sure you are aware of shops that offer wares, those aren't like the weapons used for the attack.

Well... [ Wait where had he been looking? He returns his gaze to his present audience. ] See, there may be a clandestine route used to smuggle in weaponry but that is easy to surmise. During preparations, within the sewers, from what I've heard there were kappa transporting unknown items in carts... listen about that, if you were down there the only obstacles were kappa, some guards, alliance members but that changed when the festival started. I guess it doesn't matter now...

[ Yeah, Chongyun, go ahead enjoy that popsicle. ]

[cutcloud]

[ Ah, true enough, Xingqiu is a man of chivalry and doing good, which the exorcist respects. Satan will just have to hold hang on to his corn chips. Regardless, there is something about the two of them that strikes Chongyun as similar, but he can't quite articulate it. A vibe? Something like that.

Nothing he thinks about too deeply as they discuss. He does pause when tension coils in his friend for a moment, a touch of gentle concern etching between his brows, but it eases when Xingqiu seemingly relaxes. Then, talks and talks and talks and talks. Some things Chongyun knows and some things he doesn't. Very used to listening to his friend talk enough for three people, Chongyun sits and listens, enjoying the sound of his voice.

Wordlessly, Chongyun snaps his double-bar popsicle into two separate pieces. When Xingqiu finally drifts on his last word, he takes the rare opportunity to unceremoniously stick one of the now two bars into his friend's mouth. Here, have some ice cream. ]

I did learn that the kappa had specific areas blocked off underground. A guard told me. [ it might not matter now, but it doesn't hurt to compare notes, does it? ] They could have been closed off for that purpose. I wasn't able to get close enough to see them myself, though.

[worldbent]

Ah, you mean in the preparations. Unfortunately, given our orders not to directly question or interfere with their work, the only time I made any excursions down to the underground areas was to inspect for wards or seals which were rumored to have been placed down there to avoid further inspection or detection... [Matoba taps his chin in thought as he speaks, and tilts his head to the side.] I was assigned with assisting in the preparation of decor, and mostly kept to that. But when I investigated, I was able to find no evidence of magic use in the end, and left it at that.

Now that I consider that, I wonder if the "wards" being spoken of were the same abilities used by the Daitengu's assassins to vanish from sight....

[In any case, Xingqiu's observation leads Matoba to somewhat of the same conclusion: that the Sutoku Alliance also had domain over the trade routes that may have been used to bring in these weapons, right under their noses. Until they knew more about them...]

I suppose we will have to wait until the Department's lockdown concludes. Sutoku now lacks a leader to coordinate any effort to wrest control back, and we have not yet received word from any of our superiors.

[Matoba tsks gently, like a disappointed parent.] A weak showing. How unfortunate, for the Alliance leaders to be caught unprepared for a worst-case scenario.

[rainswords]

[ Chongyun, you weirdo, he wasn't expecting that! He goes a little crosseyed for a moment staring at the cold treat.

That easily could have gone poorly, but thankfully he does not choke and die when Chongyun decides to shove a whole popsicle in his mouth, although he would have found amusement even in his own pathetic demise if that had come to pass. Maybe he should consider writing a will before much like every one of his birthday celebrations someone decides to take the helm, do as they wish rather than consulting him about his preferences. Actually taking into account the events that took place, what would happen to someone if they were to pass on? It was time to store away that question for another time.

Give him a second here, before he looks like a gross mess, popsicle removed from his mouth and he wipes the corners of his lips with the back of his free hand. Ice cream has to wait. ]

I am aware of that Chongyun, I was down there. Several times.

Anyway, if there were methods to keep intruders out they weren't properly implemented. I think plenty of information that something odd was happening down there leaked out. That's what's odd, they could have done something to repel most intruders into their dwelling from the very start. See, I attempted to venture once again into the sewers at the height of the festival but by that point, it became impossible to traverse through most areas, even the ones I've crossed through before.

Now, am I allowed to make an inquiry?

[cutcloud]

I was just saying.

[ Don't mind him. He's just going to sit here and fulfill his duty of being cute Tamamo armcandy since that's the whole reason why Xingqiu brought him in the first place. Some may have taken advantage of being brought in to try and sniff out some secret Sutoku plans, but the exorcist hasn't even tried to do that.

Munching on his ice cream, Chongyun listens, satisfied to sit back and let these two discuss. ]

[worldbent]

...Are you alright? [Oh... Xingqiu is dying on a popsicle.... Matoba turns to raise his eyebrow at Chongyun for a moment as the boy tries to regain his composure. Is that a, 'be quiet'?]

[...After the night he's had, Matoba could use something sweet, too....]

I wonder about that. Their systems seemed to be sophisticated enough, but given the other evidence we currently have, it's possible that whoever was responsible wasn't technically an intruder. If espionage was involved, it was likely in the form of a betrayal or an undercover job.

Go on.

[rainswords]

Yes, yes, I know.

And yes to that too. [ A nod is offered, dismissing not so much the question, but rather that momentary distraction. The cold sweet treat is held in his hand, and given the temperature, it is obviously beginning to melt, and yet he would ignore it in favor of the conversation. ]

At this point, there is really no telling who is at fault. Even if someone weaseled their way into the ranks, it's hard to weed out people with little information right? [ While they could pour their energy into investigating further, at the moment shouldn't their focus be on what steps to take next? He has no idea what they're going to do thanks to missing a good portion of the meeting. So that's what his inquiry involves. ]

Well, do you know what everyone has collectively decided to do moving forward? It is a meeting so I figure some people may have come to some decision.

[worldbent]

Haha, it is a bit like herding cats, isn't it? There doesn't seem to be any one consensus from this meeting. It is more of an information share than an organized decision-making process.

[But if Xingqiu sought general direction, Matoba could provide that. It was easy to extrapolate the next steps based on experience alone.]

By daylight we should receive orders from the higher-ups. Technically speaking, as grunts, it isn't our place to be making decisions on how to proceed with respect to the other clans and the investigation, precisely because we do not have the full scope of information available to them. But...

[Matoba's head tilts thoughtfully.] None of us are the type to sit idly by, now are we?

[rainswords]

[ He should have expected that when the invite was extended to people who rather not attend the gathering in person, perhaps he should have just communicated through the device. But it would have made his approach completely impersonal, he knows the value of making connections very well through his family's business. Still, once information was shared what value did it have if they couldn't come to some consensus on how to proceed next?

It was useless then. It's like having knowledge of future market prices and doing nothing with it. ]

No, I'd be content to let someone else take care of everything. But it doesn't look like it's going to go that way. But I can't really say how to proceed when I haven't fully grasped what is happening now, unfortunately, I arrived late to the meeting so I missed most of the information shared.

[ If the motion he made indicates anything, his palm out is a plea to Matoba to get him up to speed. ]

[worldbent]

Hmmm. Well...

[Normally, Matoba's reply would be 'information isn't free'. But that would be rather counter to the spirit of the meeting, wouldn't it? So he'll make an exception, this once.]

There seem to be a few chief theories. The first is the suspicion that the Daitengu is not truly dead. It would be easy, after all, to have had a body double appear at the Night Parade in their stead, since no one knows who the Daitengu really is.... If they were aware that this attempt would come, and chose to sacrifice a double in their stead in order to draw out the perpetrator, that would certainly be like the head of our clan, the whisperers in the shadows, now wouldn't it?

...The Kappa, for their part, seem to claim no part in this. I'm inclined to believe that, given their behavior in the last few hours. [He frowns.] The weaklings are scattering in terror.... as they should. Their master can no longer protect them. [Matoba's displeased expression shows what he thinks of that. The place of a clanhead, no matter how you looked at it, was to shield their underlings.......]

But as for who might have been behind this in the first place....... [He pauses, and slyly smiles towards Xingqiu.] Who do you think might have made the attempt, Xingqiu-kun?

[rainswords]

[ It hasn't been lost on him that information may not be easily gathered by just asking, everything here has a price. He really could kick himself for being so late to the meeting, but he is taking a chance and hoping that there is some good faith between those in attendance.

Ever so often he nods as he listens, acknowledging what was said, although that first theory is rather vexing especially if it were true it would mean they have been left leaderless. Barely any guidance is given, but his face doesn't betray any annoyance at the thought, it remains pleasantly composed. As for the Kappa, there was really no approaching them as they seemed ready to flee, only force seemed to work and he wasn't about to go frightening the creatures. How quickly their safety became uncertain. That could be them... ]

Why are you asking me, I would hardly know. And when it comes to the Daitengu, I barely got a chance to exchange messages with the guy. I can't say I fully grasped any of their intentions... I mean there is obvious animosity between some of them, but well to put it this way, I wasn't in attendance when the attack occurred. By the way, did anyone get a chance to inspect the corpse, or perhaps see where it was taken?

And maybe he did it himself, but that's the type of thing that happens in stories, then again sometimes reality can be a bit awry. Honestly, whether he is dead or alive, it doesn't change the fact that by all accounts we're currently leaderless.

[worldbent]

Because I am testing you, [Matoba replies perhaps a little too frankly, but he did throw others off guard by being a little too honest at unexpected moments, sometimes. Or... when he thinks they truly aren't reading between the lines. Sorry, Xingqiu.] Oh, well.

The prevailing theory is that the Enma may be behind this- perhaps the first strike of many in a bid to take down the clan leaders, [He explains,] In order to regain control of the underworld from the clans. As to why the Daitengu was first, or whether the other clanheads are in immediate danger... We probably just don't have the information to tell that, ourselves.

....As for the Daitengu. [Matoba's voice goes a little lower. He had shared this information with a few of their fellow Sutokus, but it was something he didn't want to spread around too much. If those outside of the Lost Souls caught wind of anyone trying to investigate, it might end up souring the upper echelons of the clan....] It isn't as if it's uncommon for powerful spirits to be able to hide certain aspects of their features- wings, or tails, the like. But the Daitengu did not have any wings on their corpse, despite being the target of an assassination.

Why would a creature who could simply fly away not even attempt to do so, in that situation?

[As someone who has hunted Tengu before.... It did not sit well with Matoba. No, instead... He had other ideas about the so-called "Daitengu" and their mask.]

[rainswords]

[ And was that truly necessary? He hadn't gotten a full grasp of Matoba so he wasn't expecting any tests, it was pretty unpleasant, to be honest. In the end, all he offers is a polite smile after that revelation. There is nothing more he can do about it, it may not even be important now, but later, who knows.

The least he can do is be grateful that information is being shared with him when it's his own fault that he missed most of the meeting. He won't interject, there really isn't any new knowledge for him to offer now when he already said what he knew. Although from his point of view and what he gleaned, wasn't the Enma a figure who kept order, surely this would lead to the antithesis of the precarious tranquility between factions when a single one is weakened. But what did he know? All he oversaw was the silk trade back home. Okay, he's made other investments but it's not in any way relevant to any of this.

If the target had truly been all the leaders, then it was all poorly executed, which again is something that surely someone as powerful as the Enma would have considered.

With Matoba lowering his voice, he does brush his hair away from his ear, his smile taking a more amiable quality as he leans in close. Voice just as low he speaks. ] I am not completely unfamiliar with Tengu, but your theory is assuming they have the ability to fly. Although you're likely correct.

Of course, we can theorize and investigate, no matter the truth the problem lies with our current situation. We are leaderless. The Kappa are afraid, more than being seen at fault, perhaps we too should... well I don't have any prevailing ideas or plans. Aside from visiting the bookshop that's located by the Sanzu, they're having a sale you see.

But if anything comes up. [ He'll flash Matoba his phone. ]