jigokulogs | May 2022 Mini Event

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May 2022 Mini Event

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As the Haniwa continue to pop up in the city and the turf war rages on, life goes on in the city.

1. SHUTEN CLAN

Remember the Isonade? Yeah, those guys. The surly shark-dudes who were no doubt involved in some black market smuggling along the banks of the Sanzu. They were too tough to fight off in order to figure out what they were up to, last time.

Well, Toraguma has caught wind of them now. Despite the ongoing turf war, he’s not about to lose out on an opportunity here! He wants his Shuten Clan operatives to scour the river looking for these guys. They will be a lot harder to find without the rabbits’ help, though. If you find them, you are to “inform them” that the Shuten Clan will be taking over their operation. If they have problems with that, well… you know what to do.

Don’t forget that they’re quite strong and that they aren’t too keen on giving up the information on their supply line without a fight. You’ll need to use teamwork to get what you need out of them.

Should you manage your way to their warehouse, you’ll find a fresh shipment of their products: specialized herbs, mineral-rich clay, and rarefied ore. None of these products can be found in the city naturally. The Isonade won’t dare name their primary buyer but they will let slip that all of this is being smuggled into the city from the outer Wastelands.

The Shuten Clan will demand their cut out of this operation, but you may get the impression that this is only one small piece of a much larger shadow creeping over the city…

Art by Alejandro Gonzalez Agudelo

2. SUTOKU ALLIANCE

The death and subsequent “rebirth” of the Daitengu has caused a considerable amount of chaos. Many of the subsidiary tribes have struggled under the weight of uncertainty during this debacle. The Daitengu has decided that an apology tour is owed. It’s good for the sake of the Alliance, after all.

Oh, but they’re not going to be doing it themselves. You, the Sutoku Lost Souls, will be fully responsible for it. ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

Sutoku Souls are tasked with going to various businesses and tribe centers with an offering of gifts and deference to any and every group within the Alliance who will agree to meet with you. The gifts have been provided by the Daitengu, and are mainly snacks and coupons. Which will not be enough to please everyone. Some clans will demand more and some, in their rage, will try to take their anger out on you. You are an (lowly) ambassador right now, better to turn the other cheek.

This all boils down to be less of an apology tour and more of a bribe tour. What the Daitengu has provided won’t cover everything and you’re going to have to go out of pocket to truly placate the other clans. If you don’t have enough cash on hand, you may be asked to do various unpaid tasks and labors: washing dishes, scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, taking out the trash, serving kids’ birthday parties; any amount of the lowest work you can imagine.

It’s rough! But somebody’s gotta do it

3. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA

The chaos of the Night Parade has caused a resurgence of unaffiliated gangs popping up around Jigokucho. They can usually be found identifying themselves through the use of basic colors and mascots. They are made up almost entirely of violent youths with uncertain futures, who are lashing out at an uncaring world. The antics of the Daitengu, the accusations against the Enma, and the squabbling between Shuten and Tamamo is not inspiring their confidence nor loyalty.

In addition to this problem, the retrieval of the Haniwa is going poorly. Most residents are too uncomfortable to even touch the statues and their appearances don’t seem to be slowing down. There are too many for the Department to collect.

With an abundance of cursed objects in town, the petty gangs have decided this is an ample resource for them. They are using the Haniwa to harass the general public and against one another. They have weaponized the excess Haniwa and are using them as “curse bombs”, hurling them at both each other and the residents they want to intimidate. It’s getting nasty.

It’s the Department’s job to keep the Haniwa figures from falling into the wrong hands and to keep some semblance of order. The official orders from the Office of the Enma are directing all hands to converge against the youth gangs. Use any force necessary and retrieve those figurines.

4. TAMAMO CLAN

How inconvenient! In addition to the complications of the turf war, an extremely important time of the year has arrived for the Tamamo Clan.

It is time for the yearly visit of one of the clan’s greatest benefactors: the Tennin. These Celestial Immortals descend from the Heavenly Realms to spend time (and incredible amounts of money) in Hell’s Playground, Jigokucho. Hell simply offers the sort of delights you just can’t get in Heaven. Due to Tenkohime’s connections with them, the Celestials have had her host them for several years in a row now. She emphasizes how incredibly important it is to keep them happy.

The Celestials want entertainment and delights of every variety. It’s up to the Tamamo Clan’s Lost Souls to entertain them. Your entertainments can take many forms: keeping the Celestials company, putting on a performance, showing off your cooking and skills, tea ceremonies, and other exhibitions. Should you choose the carnal and kinky route for entertainments, know that you won’t be laying down with any Celestials themselves. Oh, no no no, they’re Heavenly, after all! This is still performance, so you may need a partner to help you out.

Keep in mind that the legends are true! The Celestials are deeply deeply fond of peaches. Both literal and metaphorical. 🍑

The Celestials love to chat and gossip, so keeping them entertained is also an excellent way to hear some interesting information. Tamamo artisans will likely learn that many Celestials openly trade with Tenkohime. In fact, the aphrodisiac goods that the Tamamos so famously deal in come, in large part, from the Celestials. Tamamo isn’t the only clan they do business with either. They also have connections within the Sutoku Alliance and are the land owners of several Alliance properties. They are considered one of the primary sources of capital in the real estate market.

Why would the Celestials want properties in a world they literally can’t live in? Doesn’t that just reek of capitalism.

5. TURF WAR (ALL FACTIONS)

The turf war between the Shuten and Tamamo clans is at a simmer right now. Which doesn’t mean that it’s over – not even close. Minor magical traps, similar to those found in the sewer, have been found in Shuten territory. Frustrated Shuten enforcers have been taking out their anger on anyone that so much as looks at them funny. Bars in both districts are regularly getting smashed up. Knife fights are breaking out in the streets. Cars known to belong to members of both clans turn up with slashed tires. There’s even rumors of hits being taken out on higher ranking members.

Watch your step if you’re out and about in either territory. Faction affiliation doesn’t matter when tensions are running high. What’s more, rumors are flying all over about which of the two warring clans is going to be the one to escalate the violence further.

Will tensions boil over at any moment? At what point does the Department of the Enma have to step in? Why haven’t they already?

It’s all getting too much to handle…

6. CURSED OBJECTS (ALL FACTIONS)

The presence of the Haniwa is having increasingly frightening effects. There are whispers about blood coming out of the walls and the floors in apartments, about black ooze pouring from faucets and coming up from storm drains. There are even whispers of terrible household hauntings.

These aren’t just rumors though. Bars are having to close early due to the presence of wailing ghosts inhabiting the toilet or blood pouring from the taps. People run screaming out of alleyways pursued by ghostly hands.

These curses and hauntings seem to be fairly localized; kept to one building or one block at a time. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason as to when these accursed sightings will take effect.

Be careful out there! Who knows what could happen with so much terrible energy running rampant.

Welcome to the mini event!

If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
FOR THE PURPOSES OF REWARDS, since all of these prompts tie into the main plot in some way, we will count all qualified threads in this post as 2 point threads!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

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Even when the river churns, Minakami doesn't raise his head. He just sits there with his hair hanging down, feeling hollow. After holding those words in for fifteen years, what else was there to really say? He's not even sure if he wants forgiveness. He's starting to realize he's not sure what he wants at all.

Even so, the movement of Tamamori catching his balance makes him start and look up in case he stumbles; and from there he can't look away. If he's scared of confronting Kawase with everything he has and hasn't done, he's no less afraid of facing Tamamori's judgement. But it isn't there.

I wasn't a child, he wants to say; I was born with million year old dreams. But that's not something that can ever be unsaid. All he can say is, "I know."

Still. Some of the coiled misery starts to drain from his expression, and he takes the outstretched hand, willing his own stiff muscles to get moving so he doesn't just pull Tama back down again.

"...I've been a real nuisance to you, haven't I?"

The sound of the river, both present and not, drowns out the softly muttered 'Idiot' that he uselessly sighs out. For being such a genius, sometimes Minakami can be just as dimwitted as everyone else in Aizu, and Tama wastes no amount of effort in helping him stumble to his feet. "If you're trying to trick me in to speaking badly about my best friend, then you'll have to try harder." Of course he could complain- about little things, larger things, thing that had happened and hadn't happened yet. But he wouldn't really mean those things how they might come out, so there wasn't any point in voicing them.

"Besides, you forget you're talking to the nuisance of Aizu. The worst thing you've ever done to me..." He does hesitate, despite himself, but Tama bowls forward with his words as if trying to cover for it. "It won't happen here. You've promised it won't, already. So there's nothing I could complain about." Even once Minakami's upright, Tama's not letting go of his arm any time soon, maybe a little needfully clingy. "Honestly, Minakami, I'm not going to be one of those busybody so-and-so's who always talk badly about who they're with. I have more integrity than that...!"

Audible or not, he gets the idea of Tama's muttering. Mina's shoulders shake with quiet, strained laughter as he gets his feet under him. The nightmare, and the sense of wrongness that's become pervasive throughout the city, they're all still there, but -- for now, there's a distance between them and him. "Sorry... I wouldn't know where to start." Maybe another time he could add something like, That's Kawase's job, but... not right now.

Minakami's eyes flicker away at that reminder from the argument (the worst thing and what it had to have been), but he keeps ahold of his smile, even if it's pained at the edges, as he reaches up to adjust Tama's ridiculous uniform hat.

"Is that so? You're the one calling my friend a nuisance now, too. Where does that leave us?"

"Well, it leaves you with a questionable taste in friends..." The hat being adjusted makes his cheeks dust, but he's not yet prickled enough to get fussy over it; it's a...bonus, maybe, of the uniform he'd entirely forgotten he was wearing. It was a wonder the poor hat hadn't ended up in the Sanzu, honestly, and that he had enough presence of mind to lean in and very hastily give Minakami's cheek the quickest peck in the world. "...but I think I can forgive that."

He couldn't solve the Kawase situation, after all, and trying to talk about it with Minakami would be useless without their friend present- so for the time being, the best he could really do was try to keep Minakami's head above water. He could surely handle that mu...ch...

It took him a moment of looking up at Minakami with the slightly-dopey-but-also-about-to-reel-back affectionate gaze of his to realize that something seemed off. He looked down at the arm he was still hugging around, the hand he was still clutching, then held it up for inspection- and almost immediately the shoujo bubbles all popped as he detangled the hold to get a better look. "What happened?! Did you get in a fight? Are you okay??"

He goes still, not so much at the kiss itself, but the gesture just being... casual. Normal. A whole world away from the insecurities and unanswerable questions and fears about his inevitable confrontation with Kawase. That, more than anything, makes him think, maybe, this all could work ou--

Ah.

Right.

That.

Minakami guiltily tries to pull his hand back, taking a step or two back from the Sanzu (and, theoretically if unintentionally, away from the radius of the haniwa bullshit). Returning to consciousness meant remembering the rest of his day, running through the contested territory, the stakeout... Right. He'd been banking on getting home first, if not cleaning himself up at his neglected flat before then.

"I-I must have landed badly when I fell..." Given that the further he gets from the ghost-bridge, the more the storm fades away, making it obvious that the bleeding on his scratches and scrapes has dried hours ago, this particular lie is dead in the water.

Weakly: "Can we discuss this later?"

Yeah, no. Tamamori might be a vapid airhead in many ways, but he's paranoid enough to be mindful of injuries- if not for himself, then because Kawase was an easily wound-up little brat about even papercuts. This is something he could really complain about, and deservedly at that, but despite looking like he's really going to let Minakami have it...Tama just heaves a belabored sigh.

"Okay. You can tell me the truth later. But I'm not letting you get away with it forever, okay?" His tone lowers, the severity of his concern softening down to uncertainty. He doesn't want to let this go, in truth, but moving away from the river is more immediately important, and he...doesn't know what he should and shouldn't push, with how things have been going as of late. "I'm just worried." It's never easy for him, saying things like that so directly.

"...I'm sorry." It's the uncertain tone, and the admission, which sting more than the calling him on the lie. Minakami wishes this could be easy, that he didn't always have to make things complicated; but that line of thought was, in itself, an easy road to fall back down. He draws his sleeve up over his wrist, mostly covering the injury (the fabric's not ripped too badly, at least, considering this was a new shirt and all, but he's going to need to remember to pick up a sewing kit soon), and relents.

"I just... our people had a run-in with the isonade earlier." He doesn't want to talk about the... bodies, and he's not sure how much he's supposed to say about the situation with the black market smugglers -- it's not that he doesn't trust Tama to talk about faction stuff, of course he does; he's just not sure what's going to happen next, after this first concrete glimpse into the bigger picture, especially when it was Tama's own knowledge that had helped him find one of the sharks' hiding spots. "...I wasn't alone. It's okay. And... at least they aren't going to be chasing you up any more trees?"

"You..." Don't have to rush, he wants to say, but it's too late, yet again. He should be glad, that his discomfort can have such an immediate impact, but...it also makes Tama feel sick, at the same time. It's not manipulation, is it? Could it be, if he meant it sincerely?

(Stirner's Der Einzige und sein Eigentum, Heidegger's Sein und Zeit- he doesn't have it in him to deal with this right then. It's only chipping away at a wall he needs to keep up.)

"...that won't mean much if you start getting harassed by the local hashihime, next." It's a poor attempt to looping back in to some trace of humor, of getting some sort of- normalcy back, really. He knows what they are if they're joking around, but is still having to adjust to who they are when things draw too serious. They...really just needed time to relax in to this. He needed to stop making such an incident of things. "Come on- let's get back to the apartment. I'm not as good a nanny as Kawase, but at least I won't call you gross for stubbornly bleeding, or what have you."

The sad truth is he doesn't know what's too fast or not. Any action or initiative on this front, after he'd quietly resigned himself to letting everything slide until... it wouldn't matter anymore, already feels too much. He still feels like he's the one who needs to be grounded and reliable, not the one who needs being looked after. It's what he's meant to be.

But. Tama said to trust him.

"...I still can't get used it, seeing what they look like." He looks down at Tama ruefully, as he lets himself be led closer to the main street and away from the memory of the storm. "Ah, what's that uniform for, anyway?..."

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May 2022 Mini Event

just think about kite painting

chroniko never got to paint a kite

opens up tama's mind library, half the books are scribbled over with dickbutt

if he learned about dickbutt he would be so hype you dont understand

please delete the memory of dickbutt it is bringing down the resale value

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