jigokulogs | May 2022 IC Mingle

May 2022 IC Mingle

1. WELCOMING COMMITTEE

The influx of fresh Lost Souls means the factions need to have a little welcoming party for them. The leaders realize things have been chaotic in the city. So some recreational activities are in order. All Lost Souls will receive a message from their respective faction leaders with orders to go have some fun.

The Shuten Clan are given an advance on their first paycheck and told to go to the Celestial Phoenix Casino. A big sign on the half boarded up door proudly proclaims UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. What happened to the old management? It doesn't matter and stop asking questions! The important part is that all games and machines are half-price and there are special prizes available in exchange for your chips and tokens. Games range from the traditional Western style (poker, roulette, slots) to Japanese favorites (cee-lo, koi koi, cho-han).

As for prizes, they have a selection of designer goods, including some particularly nice bracelets, necklaces, and watches!

The Tamamo Clan are given a considerable number of drink vouchers for Crimson Moon Karaoke, where they can sing their hearts out and while absolutely smashed. Private rooms are cheap to rent and they even offer a special discount for groups of two or more. The karaoke machines have any songs you could possibly want, which is a little suspicious, but don't question it! Just get drunk and have fun. By all means, extend your time as you wish and drink up to get in the proper mood. This is an important bonding opportunity.

Oh yeah, as an important note: the rooms are soundproof. You can get as loud as you like, be it with singing or... something else. Don’t do anything Tenko-hime wouldn’t do!

Members of The Sutoku Alliance are given tickets to Fiance of the Funeral Procession at the Pluto Theatre and Cafe. The tickets include free food at the cafe, including beer. Sure, the star may not be a Sutoku member but that doesn't matter too much: getting butts into seats at Sutoku-owned theaters is what’s important. The Daitengu rented the theater out for the day, so there is plenty of time to mill around both before and after the show.

Make a day, or night, of it!

A funeral-based romantic comedy melodrama as the viewing fare is probably a tasteless joke on the Daitengu's part. But hey, y'all aren't still mad that they crashed their own funeral and then took off laughing, right?

Right?

The Department of the Enma members are told that they're going to be doing a team-building exercise. What exactly does that mean? That's right, it's community cleanup time! You get to clean up cans and trash in the street! You get the honor of using a department-issued bike with an attached cart to wheel around the city and pick up trash! How exciting! Teamwork is encouraged, of course. Teams that collect enough garbage will get one (1) voucher for mini-golf.

Please be aware of the local homeless population as you work, they won’t be happy to see you. They normally collect the cans in the mornings as a meager source of income that you’ll be dipping into. They're probably just not happy with Enma officials in general though. Sorry!

2. IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING...

By the time you're done with your faction-sponsored fun, the sky has decided to open up. Hope you brought your umbrella! The rain is bad enough that walking home might not be an option right now. So take refuge in one of the many nearby nightlife spots.

Not in your faction's home territory? Doesn't matter! Make some friends outside your group or maybe get into a fight and cause some trouble. There's always the third option of ignoring everyone and drinking yourself silly instead! The rain has to let up eventually… right?

Hopefully you aren't caught near one of the cursed Haniwa figures that have been popping up around town. Their aura really dampens the mood and may even start to cause some dramatic and frightening hallucinations if you and your rain-stranded friends stay near them for too long. But remember! Do not break the figurine. Just try to move it somewhere else? And hopefully not get drenched in the process.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That is correct. He is as much a part of me as my arm or leg.

[And though his tone is still stoic and serious, there is a touch of fondness to his words. He really does consider Dark Shadow a friend!]

Somewhat... apparently it is something that occurs to everyone with some sort of superhuman ability. My other friends who I know are here have also had their Quirks's abilities reduced, as did others who came from different worlds. Do you have an ability that was suppressed as well?

Quirks? That's what you call powers, I assume. [ Kim shakes his head. ] I've never heard of such a thing in my life. The place I'm from has no powers, no supra-natural going-ons, and certainly no non-humans.

[ A group he assumes his new acquaintance falls into. There's the whole issue of the bird head, for one. It's only Kim's familiarity with the ayakishi that keep him from gawking. After you meet a sentient umbrella, nothing else can really shock you anymore. ]

Needless to say, there was nothing in me that needed suppression. I just came as I am. Though after meeting enough of you with supra-natural abilities, it does seem like it would come in handy. I'm in the minority here, I admit.

That's correct. In my world, superhuman abilities are known as Quirks.

Hmm... it seems our worlds truly are different. Though, my world does not have non-humans that aren't animals. There are those who's Quirks may change their appearance, but most all of us are human.

[Meaning that, yes, he too is a human. Even if he looks weird.]

Even so, perhaps you are one of the ones who may adapt the best. You have no prior abilities, so you have no sense of loss or adjustment. You may well be more at ease than I am.

Really?

[ Kim has his inflexible face to thank for the fact that his jaw doesn't drop at that realization, though he does look pretty damn surprised. He's gotten accustomed enough to non-humans that he had been ready to accept that Fumikage was among their ranks, but -- human? Truly? With a bird head?

He can't help but wonder if this was a common Quirk in his world, or if his parents had been completely gobsmacked when they were expecting a healthy baby boy and were greeted with a beak instead. It does explain the rest of his body, but...

He shakes his head. ]

I see. No matter how much I learn about other worlds, apparently there's always more to learn. I don't know if I would say that it is easier for me to adapt -- just different, I think. What I lack in needing to adapt from a loss of abilities, I need to make up for in having come from what I've grown to realize is a very mundane world indeed. I thought I had lost all grip on reality when I first arrived here. Or that any moment, I would simply wake up.

[ Obviously, that didn't happen. ]

You do get used to it, though. Eventually. And you seem to be taking things in stride.

[ Kim doesn't know if he could have sat in a darkened theatre his first week here; he had been too put-off by the ayakishi surrounding them to want to turn his back to anyone. ]

Correct. I am as human as you are, though my appearance is different. It is not wholly uncommon to find others in my world who's Quirks have altered their appearance in drastic ways.

[Fat Gum, Koji, Mezo, Mina... Even the villain Spinner had his lizard-like appearance.]

It is a little complicated. Because of their nature, there is always something new to learn about Quirks. They are always evolving. [Hence why his Quirk was Dark Shadow, and not necessarily his bird-like appearance. That was more a by-product, in a way. It was complicated.]

That does make sense. I would imagine someone like me would be a product of fiction in your world, would I not?

[He crosses his arms, nodding slowly.]

I admit, I did have an adjustment period when I got here. But if I cannot adapt, I cannot find a way out of this situation. And I have friends here who are here with me.

[ The very prospect of being born with distinct powers, prone to evolution, is enough to give Kim a headache. How can anyone parent underneath those circumstances? Besides, puberty is something that Kim remembers with a sense of faint horror. He cannot imagine going through life's changes and also having some strange superpower continue to develop out of his control.

But he's aware that he's likely in the minority here. Most would love a superpower, wouldn't they? ]

Yes. Like something out of a comic book. [ Which Kim read, avidly. ] But I can say the same for most things here. But friends from home -- that's good! That's very good. You'll need people you can trust here.

Are any of them in Sutoku?

[It definitely made for a unique world, that's for sure. And parenthood was complex enough without including Quirks in the mix. It was safe to say that the world had to evolve to adapt, and quickly.]

Yes, it is a small blessing. Most of my friends who are here are in different clans, but there is one who is in the Sutoku alliance with me. My friend, Midoriya Izuku. He is roughly my height, with green and black hair. Perhaps you've seen him?

[Izuku could also be an absolute nerd and a bit of a disaster at times, but he leaves that unsaid. Izuku is a good friend, after all.]

Do you have others here from your world as well?

That many? The most I've ever heard of coming from the place is three people. I haven't met an Izuku - [ nor has he met anyone from Fumikage's world, unbeknownst to Kim ] - but I'll keep that in mind. I'm not the most social person here anyway.

[ He doesn't know half of his own clan, he's sure. He should probably amend that at some point, but he doesn't know where people get the energy. ]

I was lucky enough to arrive with my partner -- my temporary partner in the police, that is. [ He's already lived through that misunderstanding. ] We're both cops back home. Another arrived two months later, also from the RCM.

[ His partner's real partner. If they keep using these words, it's going to get confusing. ]

When I said it's easier to adjust to this place with someone you know, I meant it from experience. I consider myself - and you - to be very lucky indeed.

That’s right. In total there are five of us; myself, Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, plus my mentor, Hawks. The others are in different clans, but perhaps you will cross paths with them eventually.

[It may be a while for Ken to meet them, but maybe they will cross paths in the future.]

A police officer? So you are also a defender of the innocent. I am glad to hear that your partners are here to help you as well. But you speak the truth; I do not know if I would be as calm as I am without my friends present.

A defender of the innocent? [ Kim's lips quirk up. ] I haven't heard anyone put being a police officer in quite that way in a long time.

[ Maybe Fumikage is a little younger than he thought... or perhaps the police force in his own world is just very, very good. It's a nice thought, though. Sometimes it can be refreshing to hear about others having a sunnier view on your life's work. ]

But yes, I suppose you could say that. That's the goal, anyway. But not here -- here, the only officers are the ones who were assigned the role, not those who signed up for the job. And somehow, none of the people I know that were in law enforcement in their past lives wound up being assigned that duty. I'm not sure how I feel about that structure, frankly, but there's little we can do about it.

Of course. In my world, pro heroes often go after villains who are causing harm with their Quirks, but there are still a number of minor, petty criminals, some of which are Quirkless. The police force may not get the same recognition, but they are just as vital in keeping people safe.

[The police in his own world had its own problems, and that sometimes did come up as a contesting point, but Fumikage knows the value of support from all angles, even from the mundane police.]

It is a strange structure, I will admit. Technically, all of my friends and myself should be with the law enforcement based on our own experience and training. However, only two of the five of us are actually aligned with the Department of Enma. It is a curious facet; it makes me wonder if these clan leaders saw fit for us to be used in some other way.

[ Kim privately harbours the thought that Enma has intentionally avoided employing any official members of law enforcement. Perhaps it's that teaching someone new methodology by scratch is easier than trying to get an old dog to learn new tricks, or perhaps they want that inexperience, for people who are more likely to obey.

Those suspicions are for another day, however. He crosses his arms and taps his foot as he considers what Fumikage has to say, as intrigued by his own world as he is the situation they've found themselves in. ]

It's possible that we're just better fits for other factions, yes. I'll admit I'm well-suited for Sutoku, as the clans go. I don't believe I'd have much to offer to the Shuten or Tamamo clans. [ Though now that he's mentioned the other clans... ]

I will warn you, though, sometimes it's wisest to keep your friendships with other clans under wraps. It's not typically a problem, but when people from different clans want to live with each other, for example? [ He shrugs. ] It's something better kept quiet, especially with how things have been lately.

That is a possibility. I know that my friend is quite clever, which could benefit the Sutoku greatly.

[Izuku was very smart, and quick-witted. Fumikage can see why he was placed in the Sutoku over the Enma. And given what the other boy's been through, that might be for the best.]

Well... I understand that we cannot all share a dorm like we used to. But I cannot avoid my friends, even if they have been placed in other clans. We will make do how we can, but I appreciate your concern.

[Was Fumikage planning secret meet-ups with his friends? Absolutely.]

I don't mean that you should avoid your friends. Quite the contrary, in fact. I think it's good for us to keep those we can trust close to us -- and to diversify our contacts otherwise, so to speak. [ Spoken like a true Sutoku, though he doesn't mean to. While their clan may be in the practice of gathering intel, Kim has done precious little of it for their leaders. Nevertheless, enough has happened since his arrival that he's long since identified the value of having friends across the factions, if not only so that they can make an attempt at puzzling together the mysteries that lay underneath the strange city they've found each other in. ]

My own partner is in a different clan, after all. I'm merely advising that you use your best discretion. [ He shrugs. ] We Lost Souls, as they call us, have much more in common with each other than anyone else, after all.

[Fumikage blinks in surprise at Kim, before a smile forms on his mouth.]

A clever way to put it... I am impressed. Then, in that matter, consider this my way of... diversifying my contract.

[If he can justify sneaking out to check in with his friends, then hell yeah he's going to do so!]

I do appreciate your concern, Kitsuragi-san. I will do my best to use my best discretion and execute the utmost caution.

Precisely. Borrow the wording, if you must.

[ He doesn't think that they will. The Daitengu doesn't seem to interfere with their lives too much, and provided they aren't caught flagrantly disobeying what appears to be the silent rules governing the city at large, they remain free of any trouble. But Kim is well used to being watched by governing forces that only intervene when he least wishes for them to; it pays simply to never take any chances.

He glances over at the door as he hears a rustling from within, the lights in the theatre clearly turning on again. ]

Ah, the movie's over. I think I'll take this as my cue to leave. [ Before the lobby gets swarmed. He's not a fan of crowds if he can help it. ] Welcome to the city, Fumikage. Until we meet again.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

May 2022 IC Mingle

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