jigokulogs | June 2022 Event

June 2022 Event

1. SWIMSUIT TROUBLES (1 POINT)

As the city goes through its daily motions, the heat bears down harder and harder while bringing out some increasingly overheated behavior from the local population. Summer is here and the natives are flocking to the shopping district: both as a respite from the scorching temperatures and to stock up on the needed supplies to beat the heat.

That means one noticeable problem: the bathing suits left on the racks aren’t the most fashionable at this point! Suits are scarce and what is left over are the skimpy, the oddly-patterned, a size too small, or all of the above. Then again, you are probably just feeling lucky you aren’t in the Shuten Clan, who have been provided their own precious supply of freshly laundered tiger stripe bikinis. And nothing else.

You may be able to borrow around within your own faction, where the pickings might not be so slim, but are still unlikely to match your personal style. Better hope you ran out to buy something nice when the Daitengu first announced the party.

2. BEACH GAMES (1 POINT)

The indoor beach facility that the Alliance has provided is extraordinary. It’s massive! It seems to extend to the size of an entire soccer field. With the combinations of Kappa tech and Tengu magic, the experience has been made as close to a natural one as anyone could ask for. The heat of the beach feels true to the real world, the sand is white and pure, and the waves rolling in and out are just like the mortal realm. Even the palm trees and beach scrub seem entirely authentic. The vibe is immaculate.

Each faction has their own area set up for meeting and mingling but everyone is welcome to let loose and interact among all the groups.

SHUTEN CLAN

The Shuten Clan has set up their beach fort with food and drinks. The drinks on offer are a particularly strong Oni beer and a few spirits (especially sake). These drinks have been mixed so that anyone who imbibes them will feel a heightened sense of competition and the need to prove themselves!

There are plenty of opportunities to show off:
Learning surfing with a few knowledgeable Oni.
Volleyball matches.
Shoulder chicken tournaments.
Beer pong.
Drinking contests that never seem to stop.
And friendly scuffles with some of the Shuten who are feeling more rowdy than usual.
In particular, the volleyball matches appear to be the Shuten Clan’s sport of choice. They’re taking these matches deathly serious. With all powers allowed in play, the game is truly deadly with how powerful, how fast, and how fierce those spikes and volleys are. Hold nothing back and leave it all in the ring!

Toraguma himself is here in his tiger striped best! He’s observing the games and taking note of which Shutens do well and which ones shame the clan with their defeat. He’ll give out rewards to those he thinks are exemplifying the pride of the clan. Don’t worry though, if you’re not up to snuff you won’t be punished; except with Toraguma’s obvious disappointment.

TAMAMO CLAN

The Tamamo Clan doesn't disappoint either. Their tiki bar is set up with a far greater variety in stock than the Shutens. Every drink seems to be made to that Lost Soul’s exact tastes. Watch out, this may compel you to pound them back more quickly than normal. The drinks will make you feel much closer to those around you — either in camaraderie, or something more intimate. The Tamamos have arranged a number of floats, inner tubes, and water wings lounging in the water. Enjoy your time together!

When you aren’t relaxing, the Tamamo Clan has also arranged huge buckets of water balloons and have filled their water guns. The instructions are clear: whether sniping from afar or going in on a full assault, go nuts. Especially against the Shutens. Lady Tenkohime herself has a high-caliber, sniper-grade water rifle with her at her lounge chair. She will occasionally pick some unlucky soul to fire off devastating rounds against. She is not soaking them in just water, of course. This is the Tamamo clan’s patented ‘perfume’, which inspires the most amorous feelings.

Finally, the Tamamo have also inspired a spicy wet t-shirt contest. It’s essentially a sexy beauty contest, but given the variety of bodies and hidden ‘talents’ tucked away under everyone’s clothes, it should prove interesting! Tenkohime has described the simple rules:
One must wear the provided white shirt and only that shirt.
The crowd will soak them down.
And the crowd will judge how well they pull it off.

SUTOKU CLAN

The Sutoku Clan has been given free reign on a fleet of jet skis and paddle boats; perfect for two. There are boogie boards and larger inner tubes ready to be attached to different jet skis. Just be careful, ok?

A large snack bar has been provided with cheerful yokai behind the counter ready and willing to serve up your heart’s desire. There are some strange candies towards the end of the bar, they taste a bit funny but once you eat one you’re compelled to have a few more. These sweets will give you the power to breathe underwater. What is the meaning of this power? Well, you’re in the Alliance, after all, you figure out what’s under the waves.

Sutoku games include things like kan jam and frisbees, but Sutoku Souls are also very much encouraged to participate in the Shuten Clan’s volleyball tournament. Much to Toraguma’s frustration, the Alliance has planted a Tengu referee who seems to really favor the Alliance players over his own. Use your powers liberally.

The Daitengu is in attendance with sunscreen marks on their mask, for some reason. They’re being a total busybody, as usual. They’re really taking the time to chat up Tenkohime and Toraguma, even if the two want to rip each other’s throats out. Could a resolution to the turf war be on the way? One can only hope!

ENMA DEPARTMENT

The Enma is instructing the members of the Department to volunteer (aka voluntold) for lifeguard duty. The shifts are short — it is ultimately a party — and participation will net you both free food and drink from any of the vendors, as well as license to let loose for the rest of the party! The fare provided by the Enma vendors is pretty staid, but it does fill you with the odd need to run down the beach shallows in slow motion. Not sure what that’s about.

There is one further task that is expected of the Enma Department: suikawari. It is a big deal and to be taken seriously! This is the Enma’s favorite beach activity and the only diversion that he cares about. Your guess is as good as anyone’s, but it’s probably because the game resembles a form of execution. Regardless! Every officer is expected to do at least one round of the game as a form of initiation to the Department itself. Captain Shiki hosts the game in the absence of the Enma. Someone should tell her to chill out with that whistle, though.

3. BONFIRE (1 POINT)

As the hosts of the event, the Sutoku Alliance has set up a massive bonfire as the sun begins to set and stars light up the magical sky. There’s a romantic feeling in the air. Things seem as chill as they ever could be, there are no Haniwa in sight! Things feel peaceful for the first time in a while.

A final happy hour is declared, with free libations for everyone to close out the night. It’s time to finish this party in style. For anyone particularly watchful, they may spy the extraordinary sight of Toraguma and Tenkohime together. Off in the shadows while the party rages on, they are sitting together and watching the waves roll in. What could they be discussing? It will remain a mystery, getting any closer to them would be a deadly mistake.

The evening closes without any major incidents. Nothing seems like it could spoil the mood. It almost feels too good to be true.

4. AND THEN... (2 POINTS)

As all the party goers change back into their clothes and exit the facility, there is a rumble of thunder over Jigokucho. The stars are quickly swallowed by a darkening sky and the ground shakes. A minor earthquake? That’s not unheard of but the sky above is looking threatening. Evil. Darkness washes out over the entire city, none of its many bright lights able to cut through. Something is wrong. Something is happening.

A warm rain begins to fall, spattering across you and your surroundings. It becomes quickly apparent that you are not doused with water, but with blood.

The silence is shattered suddenly when a scream cuts across the whole of Jigokucho. An accursed miasma pours out from every direction. Then you see them: the Haniwa. They are everywhere, gazing from every direction, pressing in. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Captain Shiki is the first to act. She makes a call to Kaigo no Bou, but what she hears is enough to freeze her in her tracks.

The containment center deep beneath the tower where the Haniwa were being stored has been compromised. All of the cursed energy that was stored there has leaked out into the city from below. The guards below are dead. No one is answering their radio. It is not just the containment center that has been compromised, but all of Kaigo no Bou.

Captain Shiki struggles to remain calm as she gives out orders. Her entire command structure has been decimated, but she has to keep these people safe. She urges everyone to seek shelter, immediately. Everyone needs to partner up and stick together.

None of the faction leaders present arguments and they enforce this ruling with their Souls. They direct everyone to make their way back to their home base. Shuten to the Arena, Tamamo to Mizukume, and Sutoku to Konoha. There, their faction leaders can protect them.

As for the Enma officers: they are on rescue duty. You will be heading out into the city to rescue as many people as possible from the nightmarish effects of the cursed energy on the city. Captain Shiki will act as their point of command at the indoor beach.

Good luck, everyone.

5. IN THE CURSED NIGHT (2 POINTS)

A rain of blood is sprinkling all around you. It pings off sign posts and garbage bins, it splatters wetly onto the concrete and your face. The scent is pungent and thick; spoiling. It is soaking in to your hair, your clothes, your skin. It is driving you mad: your pulse spinning, breathing short.

There are noises in the impenetrable darkness. Fox feet on the pavement, crow wings shifting on a perch, a stranger's cruel laughter. The dark energy that has swallowed you is bemused by your smallness, is lurking at the edges and waiting for the moment to strike. Hold tight to your fellows, lest in the darkness another hand be placed in yours. Do you know who you walk with? What you walk with?

The Haniwa are watching you from every surface; crowded together as one with their empty eye sockets and open mouths. Their dark eyes turn to follow where you go as you stumble through your nightmares and your delusions. They breathe in your suffering on the air.

Beware the onibi, they will lead you astray.
Beware the grasping hands in the trees.
Beware the whispers in the distance.
Beware the slope to the river.
Beware. Beware.

Welcome to the June event!

Art by astrono77153462
Special shoutout to vandalisto for coming up with the meat of this event; the beach party. They approached us with this as a player plot, and it was good enough that we made it into the full event for the month. Excellent work, Vandal!
If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
If your character participated in the volleyball games, see here! If they participated in the wet t-shirt contest, see here!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ For all threads (except cursed night), assume Cloud is wearing a pure black, vintage '20s swimsuit, with a fully opened monochrome palm tree shirt overtop. The final piece of Cloud's ensemble comes in the form of a pair of reflective aviators that won't leave the top of his head, for any reason. ]

all star (beach games)

i.
[ If Cloud Strife works hard, then he certainly plays hard, too. That said, he isn't necessarily used to the beach - and it shows in some of the moments you catch the man at his most awkward - drinking in the spectacle of a full-fledged beach party. For all its wonders, Midgar has nothing on this, and you may in fact catch the man a bit slack-jawed at the prospect of the indoor beach facility. Clearly, what Cloud needs is a drink or a snack to prime himself to really cut loose. Who knows? You may yet pry a smile from the normally stoic swordsman. ]

ii.
[ Of course, if you're looking for Cloud on the beach, it's easiest to find him on Shuten's volleyball court. With no holds barred with powers, Cloud is going all out... well, except if his opponent seems to be on the weaker side. And then it's a friendly game. ]

[ But make no mistake, the acrobats you see from Cloud are no joke - whether he's your partner (if you're one of the Sutokus who have been wrapped into spoiling Shuten's fun), or you're against him - his reactions put most humans to shame, and when he gets into the groove, his vertical spike really puts the emphasis on the vertical, with lots of high jumps that you'd expect out of trained acrobats, let alone a military man. ]

[ You might him on the court in a match, you might catch him off the court - using a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow, win or lose. ]

Hey. Hell of a game. [ No matter if Cloud wins or loses, he's a pleasantly good sport about the affair - unless you spent the whole game trash-talking. ]

iii.

[ Of course, Cloud needs time to relax, too. ]

[ If you're trying to catch Cloud after playing volleyball, he can be found at one of the drink stalls. Which? Well, that depends much on who he runs into - ultimately, Cloud isn't that choosy about what he drinks (despite what he may tell you), but if for whatever reason you wanted or needed to hit up the blonde-haired swordsman early in the afternoon after he's kicked some volleyball butt (and gotten his butt kicked a few times), now's a perfect opportunity. Just watch which drink stall you're at. ]

twinkling lights (bonfire)

i.

[ After a day full of - dare he utter the word - fun, Cloud is worn out. It's the first day in a long time that he's felt so bone-deep exhausted since coming here - although getting to flex his recently-recovered strength may or may not be a part of that. ]

[ If you're finding yourself by the fire, you may find discover a young man who has let the warmth of the artificial sun and the flame (and maybe a drink or two) lull him into a defenseless, downright peaceful slumber. ]

[ You could disturb him, if you wanted - in fact, it's practically child's play to do so. But he does look peaceful. Which... admittedly, is a rarity for Cloud. ]

ii.

[ Of course, maybe someone woke him - or he has not yet been caught napping, yet. He's found his own little corner, staring off at the artificial sunset as it crests over the simulated waves. Letting the drink rest in his hand as he just stares out into the sunset. ]

[ It truly was nothing like Midgar, and even the seemingly sensible Cloud finds himself capitaved by the display. Capitaved enough he will probably not even hear you approach. You'll be able to get close enough to hear him just mutter the words to himself- ]

...It's beautiful.

it's terror time again (and then...)

i.

[ Of course it couldn't last. ]

[ Cloud barely has the presence of mind to throw on his shoes as everyone gets dressed. A part of him is gripped with fear - but a fear that spurs his fight or flight instinct more than anything. Stokes the flame in him. Armed with nothing but a parasol, tossed to him by a certain flower girl and acting as a makeshift weapon, Cloud -does- at least show that he's a fighter. ]

[ A SOLDIER wielding a makeshift weapon is still a threat. And with the shadows jumping out - and taking shape - Cloud finds plenty of reason to brandish it against the miasma's manifestations - no matter whose subconscious they spring from. ]

[ It's likely that either you're Sutoku-aligned, but even if you're not - either one of the other clans who got separated, or one of the Enma who needs to crash on a couch - Cloud is playing busybody once he's sure people don't necessarily need him cracking skulls. ]

Hey, how you holding up? [ It's a surprisingly empathetic response coming from the man who looks more like a brain-dead swordfighter built more for Shuten, but he does remember to check in on people. ...He may have energy drinks if you're tired. He has spares. ]

ii.

[ Cloud is playing hero. Quelle surprise. ]

[ With everyone else trying to get to shelter, Cloud finds reason to stay out - need to find others, need to check in on people he knows. The real reason Cloud wants to sneak out is obvious: He needs to see with his own eyes how hellish hell has really become. ]

[ And, being fair, if you stumble upon Cloud, you might find him... closer to Kaigo no Bou then really anyone should be - he's still not that far in - and the curse energy is, frankly, pretty serious. ]

[ Which is, of course, why Cloud is in no small amount of a scrap with the manifestations - his swimsuit luckily black, but his shirt is ruined, still wielding the blood-drenched parasol. The closer you get to Cloud, the more the block looks like the main thoroughfare of a mountain town with wooden houses aflame - a larger-scale manifestation of the horrors Cloud accidentally conjured in the alleyway some weeks back. ]

[ What is different is that Cloud is not just not paralyzed with fear, but fighting - well, some form of spectre. Even if he's giving as good as he's getting, he's clearly reached as far as he can go on his own. Every swing of the parasol manages to chase one off, but another one takes its place. ]

[ He could use the help. ]

i need a hero (the cursed night)

[ Cloud doesn't get much sleep that night. ]

[ Full of restless energy and a burning desire to get to the bottom of things, Cloud will be out all night - helping people who got lost, or are wandering on their own. He's got a small stash of ~~Potions~~ Energy Drinks under his belt, and has since changed back into his normal outfit - and traded the now-ruined parasol for a hefty iron pipe. ]

[ What this effectively means is that if someone is out living their nightmares, they might suddenly find their nightmare forcibly crashed by a mercenary wielding a pipe against the closest thing to a manifestation can be. Driving back the nightmare aggressively the only way he knows how - violence. ]

[ That said, once there's a moment, he'll turn to look at whoever he's crashed the party on.]

Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Are you alright?

[ WILDCARD: If you want a custom starter or something not here, feel free to hit me up on my plotting post for the event, on my Plurk, or on the Discord (as I always respond to pings)! ]

Edited 2022-06-08 09:09 (UTC)

It is certainly better for swimming in, [ Kimmuriel agrees from nearby, with the air and clothing of a man who has definitely not spent any time at all in the water today. He's at least taken his sunglasses off - hanging neatly around his neck, now - but that umbrella is still propped on his shoulder. He's deliberately avoiding looking directly at the sunset, preferring instead to watch its effects on the waves. ]

You look as if you have never seen water before. [ There's a slight inflection of something like curiosity in his impassive tone. ]

Huh?

[ He didn't expect to find Kimmuriel on the beach, much less to approach him. He's caught off guard. He turns to Kimmuriel, thinking on the question. ]

Not a beach like this. [ He answers, freely. ] There's one I've heard of before - Costa del Sol - but I grew up in the mountains.

And Midgar's not anywhere close to a waterfront.

[ He nods, seemingly in curt understanding. He gets it, somewhat. ]

I am only passingly familiar with beaches. None as warm as this, though the place where I live now is a port city. Far too cold, even in the summer.

[ He gazes at the lapping waves.] And in the Underdark there is no sun to rise or set, and the view is much different - not that there is any reason to stop and reflect on it. You would be beset within moments. [ His voice is just sort of mildly matter of fact. ]

cloud strife / ff7 / sutoku alliance

reserved for closed starters

bonfire, ii

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terror time, ii!

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i need a hero;

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terror - i

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terror, i;

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Terror - i

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all star, ii

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I need a hero

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