Underground Turf War Catch-all! [OTA! Come toplevel!!!]

[baofeng]

Who ⬤ Open to all!
What ⬤ Catch-all log for the Underground Turf War
When ⬤ Throughout April: Dates within
Where ⬤ The Underground
Content Warnings ⬤ Please tag any cws in individual toplevels / threads!




This is a post to facilitate shenanigans regarding the Underground turf war! Feel free to park your toplevels below and tag around!

Summary of what’s going on:
The Underground is the network of subterranean utility / sewer tunnels under the city, previously held by the Kappa tribe. After the April 2022 Event, the Underground has been cleared out by the Department of the Enma and is now mostly unattended.

The Tamamo Clan and Shuten Clan have received orders from their leaders to take over the Underground. Unfortunately, there's two of them and only one Underground, so the two clans are fighting over it. (Tamamo Meeting Log) (Shuten Meeting Log)

The Sutoku Alliance is not willing to fight for the territory, but are intending to work out a deal with whoever wins the turf war to get the kappa back to work. The Department of the Enma is also more interested in investigating the Daitengu’s assassination than the turf war, but that means their Lost Souls can bring popcorn and watch the show. (more info here.)

Comments

[ryototsukai]

[ The way the light played against the frozen surface was only slightly different from the rest of the wet steel and concrete around. Someone not paying a careful glance definitely wouldn't notice. Musashi reached out with one foot to test it, finding she only had to barely put her weight down before she felt the lack of friction. ]

That oughta do the trick! Let's just make some spots along the Shuten's route and see how many we can trip up!

[cutcloud]

Good idea. Do you think we should create some kind of mark, so the other Tamamo know what to look for? It might be difficult just looking at the ground.

[ Especially in the shadows. The last thing they need are their own sliding around the tunnels like it's a kid's fun station filled with slip-n-slides. Chongyun studies the wall, running his fingers down its stretch. ]

A signal of some kind, to let them know to be careful... but it can't be too obvious, lest the Shuten figure it out.

[ryototsukai]

Maybe a particular sigil? Something the Shuten wouldn't immediately recognize.

[ Not that she had any ideas, there, herself, letting out a hum and rubbing at her chin. ]

Can't be any of our names, that's for sure...

[cutcloud]

[ They're like two mirror buddies, both rubbing their chins in consideration. ]

Definitely not. Something like a fox would be way too blatant—even the Shutens with no brain at all would understand that... [ Or anything fox-like, for that matter. ] But if it's anything too generic our Tamamo won't recognize it either.

[ What's something all the Tamamo like, or have in common, that isn't fox-themed? This is turning out to be more difficult than anticipated. ]

Think a snowflake would be too obvious? Or a snowman...

[ryototsukai]

[ Musashi snapped her fingers, eyes wide. ]

Yuki-onna! A snow woman!

[ Wait, she should probably explain. ]

A yuki-onna is a type of youkai, so no one would really stop to think about it as a symbol being put up. They might even think it was just some sign left over from the winter season, right?

[cutcloud]

Hmm… that’s not a bad idea. If we don’t have them look identical, they might just think they’re drawings some bored kappa did.

[ He’s read about that kind of spirit in his family tomes before, but there had been no pictures. Rare and elusive, they’d hide at the tops of mountains … or so the notes had said.

He taps his fingers against his Vision; frost builds between his fingers, creating some makeshift frost-chalk. It should leave marks on the wall like chalk, and it shouldn’t melt.

With a nod, he passes the “chalk” to her. ]

How are you at drawing?

[ryototsukai]

Terrible.

[ Still, she takes the chalk. ]

But if it's just gotta be graffiti of a pretty snow lady, I know my heart can manage!

[ Musashi... ]

[cutcloud]

[ At least she’s got the spirit… ]

Alright, let’s see it then.

[ He’ll try one of his own, too. His skills likely aren’t much better, and since he spent most of his life just making up what spirits looked like because they never appeared in front of him … his ideas are a bit different than “pretty” snow lady.

Nodding, he takes another piece and begins to scribble on the wall. No peeking until he’s finished! ]

[ryototsukai]

[ Musashi focused on her own drawing, though was a lot less secretive about whether or not Chongyun could peak a glance at it before it was finished. Honestly, she really did seem to be throwing her heart into it, humming thoughtfully to herself before finally... ]

There!

[ It... wasn't great. But it could be drawn quickly enough, and was recognizably a yuki-onna, what with the furisode and the snow hat. ]

[cutcloud]

[ Meanwhile, this is the snow maiden that Chongyun shows once he pulls his hands away from the wall to reveal his masterpiece. Isn't she lovely? He looks satisfied with himself for a moment before the comparison. Waaait. Wait, wait, wait.

He glances between his and Musashi's. ]

Was I not thinking of the right thing....?

[ryototsukai]

I mean... I guess the description "snow woman" can lead to a few different places, if you've never heard of yuki-onna before...

[ She kind of hoped that was the case, just Chongyun not being familiar with that type of youkai. Because if that's what they looked like where he came from... ]

[cutcloud]

Well, if they're in the snowy mountains they have thick hides and fur... and sharp teeth to burrow if their claws aren't good enough. We had some pictures in the family tomes.

[ He also may be going off of a few things he'd seen on Dragonspine when he had visited. They hadn't been spirits, but they had made sense with the terrain. Snow monsters can be ladies too! Even if he actually has no idea if any of the ones he had seen were female. ]

Yours is nicer.

[ryototsukai]

Where I come from "yuki-onna" are these gorgeous maidens that tempt their victims out to freeze to death in the cold, and then feed off their regrets later.

[ Or something like that. ]

Hence the snow hat and the long kimono sleeves. They're apparitions, so they don't have to worry about becoming cold, themselves, right?

[cutcloud]

That does make sense.

[ No such maidens were on Dragonspine, that’s for sure. Though, if they were, they probably would have avoided him anyway. From the name they sound more rooted in Inazuman culture… maybe that’s why. ]

Have you met one before?

[ryototsukai]

No, but...

[ For some reason, her thoughts moved to that girl... Anastasia. ]

I did face off, once, against someone who surrounded themselves in frigid cold. Literally and figuratively...

[cutcloud]

[ He’s thoughtful for a moment, touching his fingers to his chin before dropping his hand altogether. The make-shift chalk melts, returning to nothing more than dampness on his fingers. ]

Was that here?

[ryototsukai]

[ Musashi shook her head, settling to make herself a little more comfortable. ]

A place called "Russia", but one that was doomed to die out. And yet, there was so much strength in the people there...

The woman was a princess, no an Emperess, named Anastasia. That time, she was my enemy. She and the despot Ivan the Terrible. Both were way stronger than I could ever have imagined... I'm a little sad I didn't get to see the end of that battle. By the time I'd finally struck down the mastadon that Ivan used as a mount, I slipped off to the next world, the next step on my journey.

[cutcloud]

I see...

[ He's never heard of Russia or any of those names... but it's interesting. Even more so when she mentions slipping off to the next world. He hasn't considered the fact that there were those used to passing through realms. It does help put new perspective on their situation here. ]

How do you know they were doomed to die out, if you had moved on?

[ryototsukai]

It's hard to explain, really... but it was just the nature of that world. It was a place barely clinging to its own survival. A Lost Belt, is the term for it. Honestly, I barely know enough to explain any of it, I just know they're worlds that aren't "supposed" to exist.

[ She took a drink from her canteen. A long one. Her next words came after a long, silent pause. ]

The world I was born in was one of them. It's gone now.

[cutcloud]

[ He ponders on that while she tags a good swig from her canteen. There had been mention in the family tomes of realms, of different worlds, just as there had been about their world of the past. Worlds that aren't supposed to exist, though ... an interesting prospect.

Then she says that. From a place that's gone. How must that feel? ]

I'm sorry.

[ryototsukai]

[ Musashi shook her head, managing a smile. ]

Don't be. I have a place to belong... a place to return to, when I'm done here.

[cutcloud]

I’m glad that you do. [ he nods toward their artwork, ] Let us continue laying traps. If we’re lucky, the Shuten won’t be able to get close to anyone else for a while.

[ It would be too optimistic to think that patches of ice would keep them down for long, but as long as they can assuage some of the assault—all the better for their fellow Tamamo. Especially the ones much less offensively inclined. ]